User reviews

Of course maybe that's just because it sits pretty much alone in the category. Low budget, bad script, questionable physics explanations, and inadvertently mocking the very thing you are supposed to be honoring are all there. Try and find "The Mission" BBC documentary video on the Thrust SSC actually breaking Mach 1. Much more drama and coolness.

MAK

This had so much potential but fell short on many levels.

First...hard to imagine a $50 million dollar prize...if the winner gets that much...how much do the initial investors and organizers make?

Why couldn't anybody afford to put their logo on a car that is going to make part of history? Nobody can throw a sticker on a high powered race car for any sort of sponsorship money? The car was almost 20 feet long, if not longer and nobody had the guts to go to a 7-11 and say to the guys...hey, we got a 2 million dollar car that needs a logo on the side...how much money you got to throw up a sticker so that millions of viewers can see this advertising? Come on...they are in America...land of the conglomerate and corporations. Somebody somewhere wants instantaneous brand recognition...not just the oil refineries.

One very very important note...during a highly televised event, there were barely any spectators, no vendors, barely any news-crews or journalists. NOBODY cheered...

I've seen street-fights with more crowd participation and turnout.

What was supposed to be the buildup of such an extravagant event in history was dismissed as if it was just 2 dudes with a Mustang and a Camaro street racing in an empty shopping mall parking lot.

While it had action....there was nothing to sustain it, to make it seem real. If there was a crowd, and groupies and hot models wearing swimsuits with beer banners sewn across the mid-waist, then it would be a kick ass event. There were no t-shirt vendors, or food, souvenir or camera tents. Nothing that makes this seem like a spectator sport.

There is no pull for the viewer to root for any nation in-particular or for a driver.

There is no sneakiness or regret, anger or hostility that real drivers or athletes in competition face.

A montage to signify the building of the cars, the pit crew making adjustments to the motor...you got to have a montage...even Rocky had a montage...always fade out on a montage.

So...here it is, a bigger budget, a more well known cast, some reworking of the script, more extras for fill in, accommodating theme music, fast cuts and cameras placed at the base of the car while it was in motion would bring this to an edge of your seat race flick with a hotshot driver and a hotshot car to boot.

And then the time-line when this all happens...there is nothing to signify how long preparation takes from the opening scenes to the finale...which needed dire improvement. Was it 1 week? 1 month? Not truly terrible by any means, but when you view it...and you will, you will realize that it has so much more potential.

Maybe a bigger budget would have worked it good...and yes, another name aside of Billy Zane wouldn't hurt either, but the actual buildup was a letdown, which is so common in many films produced and/or distributed by the companies that are associated with this film.

They build it up, only to let something fizzle and dissolve into a disappointment which leaves the viewer-(us)feeling empty.

Sometimes it's the music - something that is supposed to be so intense on screen is often devalued because there is no background music score to heighten and elevate the scene or dialog or action. Tension in a race car is evident and a definite. It's SUPPOSED to be a challenge, not a Sunday stroll in the countryside.

Sometimes it's the lack of use of close-ups or fast cuts...but whatever it is, in Landspeed...where it's all about action and speed, it leaves the scenes empty and desolate.

So even if they broke Mach 5, big flicking deal. There is nothing to make us grip our seats and say..."wow...that was so cool" or "holy shot, what a move" So when you rent or buy, steal or borrow this movie...you have to imagine more than what you see from the screen, put the two together, drink some alcohol and maybe smoke some weed too...then you will enjoy this more than being straight, sober and the time that passes you by will seem well worth it.

When making an action film-NEVER NEVER NEVER skimp on the action or the budget...they go hand in hand. Not necessarily meaning lots of fire and explosions, but something that keeps the ACTION alive to be called ACTION.

I'm glad I passed over this selection in the movie-rental store and instead caught it on Showtime. "Landspeed" featured a horrible cast, terrible, terrible writing, bad special effects and, not least, a laughably unrealistic execution.

Bizarre physics aside, "Landspeed" not only left out innumerable details but managed to mock the selfsame institution it was trying to promote. Landspeed records aren't run only one way, for one instance, and it would be not only ludicrously dangerous but impossible to run two Mach 1+ cars side-by-side, for another.

The acting was atrocious, with every character showboating and every actor attempting to hog the spotlight in practically every scene. Character transitions are abrupt, unexplained and jarring, and this movie is guilty of more stereotyping than 40s war propaganda. The dialogue was stilted and banal and corporate sponsorships were painfully evident and showcased throughout the film.

"Landspeed" relied on the hackneyed "good ol' white boys racing cars" formula to further its plot but ultimately falls far, far short of creating anything approaching believable. Skip over this movie unless you happen to have money literally burning a hole in your pocket and you must dispose of it or you've access to a free showing of this and happen to be exceedingly bored.

I was actually very surprised by this obviously low budget movie. There isn't a great story, but the characters are interesting, and the ensemble cast reminds me of something Altman would have done in the 70s, or maybe something Alan Rudolph might do. Billy Zane is a little hard to take sometimes, but I found myself liking his smart ass character. While the film is about something serious, and the racing scenes are well done, it does not take itself seriously. It has a light tone that I found refreshing. The script is the weakest link, here, and it seems as though the director and the actors ad-libbed the dialogue (and if they didn't, then I have to credit all involved for being so natural in front of the camera) but the story is a bit on the cliche side. Trust me, it doesn't matter. It's a fun ride, despite some flaws, and there are a couple of people here to keep an eye on. First, the direction is quite good. One would have thought a racing movie would have to be chaotic, like "Fast and the Furious", you know, "MTV style", but this movie feels like old fashioned moviemaking, and it works. Mr. McIntire should be doing bigger movies, and will, I think. Secondly, Scott Wiper, playing the sort-of-dumb pilot is VERY good. He looks to have directed a film, as well, and I will have to check it out.

Biggest complaint is about the crappy DVD. It has NO letterbox, NO extras, nothing. Good little movie, great cast, a lot of fun, and actually pretty intelligently done, too. Rent it.

In a word, gawdawful. Laughable science, cheesy acting, see-through, predictable plot (we were placing bets as to who'd be the driver to die. I lost)...totally a b-grade movie with b-grade actors. The characters were flat, unbelievable, and cold; even the crowd of thirty or so onlookers at the "race" (okay, with stakes of $50 million, you'd think there'd be far more entries and a lot more hype and excitement, no?)looked bored at the whole ordeal. I guess the only semi-redeeming feature was Billy Zane. I think he did the best he could with the script he had, and he was pretty funny in a camp sort of way. Too many errors to get past, however (the electric guitar jam sounded pretty good...too bad the thing wasn't plugged into an amp of any kind)

This movie jad potential. But sadly was woefully bad. It would have been better if this movie had been based on a real land speed holder not some fictional character. There were screens in it like where billy was trying to bolt some type of mechanical part which looked like a fuel pump to the underside of the car. This made no sense whatsoever especially when you look at the car or if you know anything about land speed jet cars. I won't even bother to add amymore cause I spent $9 on the DVD and I think that's $8.99 too much.

I saw this film on the Sci Fi Channel and thought the storyline was horribly corny and the acting was tragic at best. By the way, did anybody catch some of the names in the end credits? Obviously the film makers didn't take themselves too seriously. But being a car guy, I was intrigued with the cool designs of the cars so in my typical nosey fashion, I had to research some of the sponsors and logos listed. So I stumbled across an auto racing forum that the designer of this film (David) and his friends had posted some comments about: http://forums.realride.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=145 An interesting insight to the behind the scenes difficulties they had making this film, budget and time being the obvious factors. However, it seems the main car was built full scale car and all the other cars are partial sections with the obvious CGI embellishment. He also seems to be quite knowledgeable about racing which is perhaps why he was hired for the job. Looks like he also enlisted some help from Craig Breedlove's design team too. Before reading these comments, I would have given this film a 4 but having had a little more insight now, I give the film makers credit for trying to achieve much more with little resources.

The plot hails from the formulaic "underdog makes good" (or bad) scenario that we've seen in Elvis movies, hayburners and the endless series of Eyaaaaaa!!! epics staring old kickboxing champions. Now add a production budget that even Roger Coreman would walk away from. Seem like a recipe for another snoozer?

Guess again Pilgrim. Somehow, somewhere, somebody made a major slipup.

Some cunning devil snuck great dialog as well as improbably playful and uncharacteristically good scripting in these scenes. The editing ain't bad either, even if you get to see the same dust trail over and over again.

I haven't been this surprised since Freeway.

This movie has a LOT of flaws- the plot is thin, the graphics are toe-cringingly cheesy in some parts and there was an accuracy issue, but let me just say this: There was something warm and natural about some of these characters that was so nice to feel and see.(alternately there were a few characters that were so wooden it was hard to watch them) It made me want to know them, the elite little "gang, not a club" of race car drivers that devote their lives to the love of the game. Another review mentioned it wasn't very realistic that competitors of a 50 million dollar prize would go to strip clubs and scooter race with each other, but that didn't strike me as unrealistic, that was the nice part of the movie- the warmth of their camaraderie. I figure that's worth a little something...some of the actors, particularly Billy Zane, did a great job of warming their characters in spite of the some of overly cheesy lines and plot.

Fantastic budget movie, with excellent subject matter. UFO's special effects team have really done landspeed justice. As others have said before, it would have been nice to see one of the big studios pick up this film. Personally I thought Billy Zane performance was excellent in this movie.

This movie is a great sleeper.If you are looking for handsome men and lots of testosterone this movie is for you! They seem to have fun at every turn and it shows in their performances. Personally I think newcomer Scott Wiper makes the movie worth watching. He is the sexiest actor by far that I have seen in years. Between Scott's Sex Appeal and Billy Zane's antics this is worth taking 2 hours out of your busy day. Even my 7 year old daughter loved it. She thought the cars were awesome! This movie is a good choice for the family - lots of action and adventure without a lot of foul language. Make some popcorn (or have a glass of wine) and enjoy the show. I hope more people watch and include their comments.

Ignore the British guy. He obviously missed HIS tea this afternoon!

It is a movie - it is Hollywood, not the Discovery Channel.

No one ever went Mach 2. Long time until they even try.

There was never a 5 car competition.

There was never a $50 million prize.

There was never a go-PD race.

There was never some big love triangle between the drivers and managers.

Stop whining.

Sit down, shut up, enjoy the movie.

Oh yeah, don't miss the disclaimer at the end about it being a work of fiction and that no real people, places or things are represented.

By the way, the plot is hackneyed, the acting is decent, the special effects are nothing special - just a good, sit down and enjoy the testosterone flick.

I was expecting little from Landspeed. But actually it was better than I expected, though not without its flaws. The dialogue is horrendously corny, the story thin and hackneyed, the editing sometimes on the choppy side of things and the effects incredibly cheap-looking.

However, the racing sequences are fun, going at a good pace and having some nice thrills and the direction is generally competent. The characters are much more interesting and likable than you'd expect and the acting is better than average. Billy Zane greatly amuses as a smart-ass sort of character.

All in all, a long way from great but considering my low expectations Landspeed also wasn't that bad either. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Someone mentioned that the cars were cool. If any of them, besides the Demon, were real and not 100% CG, that might be true. As for the acting, some cheese balls but I think Zane did an OK job. I think a little bit of fiberglass and paint would have made much better cars than the terrible computer effects that they TRIED to use. I'll give the movie a C+ with the understanding that the FX deserve an F------------. I'm sure you'll give the FX the same grade just after watching the Porsche get away from the hummers. It just looked SO BAD!!! Did I mention that the FX SUCKED??

I hope Zane and everyone else in this flick `FORGET' to put this on their resume's. LOL

The movie had elements I like to see.

Realism - (if a car was to travel at mach two, the movie portyed it in a very real way unlike fast and furious which had guys drag racing thru a city over a 100 mph for 5 minutes.)

Comradery - They portryed relationships between friends and competitors in racing circles in a very positive and real way.

Other than some more lessons for the writers and a boost in the budget, the movie was better than I had expected.

Mike

I was subjected to this movie the other night after being unable to choose the movie that me, my roommate, and my roommate's girlfriend were to watch that night. I have learned never to let my roommate or his girlfriend pick a movie again! The story involves a man trying to break the landspeed record and his past creeps up on him. While there were some fine actors in the movie (Ray Wise being the best in my opinion), Billy Zane looked like the wooded Ken doll he so desperately wants to be. The script felt like it was written for a ten year old and the movie looked like it ran out of money while shooting it. The effects looked so lame. Thank god my roommate's girlfriend likes the Ken doll look on Mr. Zane or I would have pulled this out of the DVD player and used the DVD as a coaster for my can of soda.

Do yourselves a favor: rather rent "Istar." At least it is so bad you can laugh at it's badness.

I love movies, simple as that. As a result I've seen a great many of them, often more than once.

Naturally there are good movies, great movies, bad movies and some dreadful movies. Once in a while, a movie is screened that is so awful, it actually becomes compelling to watch to the finish, like some kind of masochistic exercise into new areas of self abuse.

"Landspeed" has fallen into a new category for me. It was in all aspects so terrible, I felt compelled to finish it....but now I WISH I HADN'T! I am intrigued by what must happen to actors for them to accept projects such as this, and then further degrade the failed project with unutterably awful performances. Tell me it ain't so, Billy Zane, tell me it just ain't so.

If you notice this movie on a schedule, avoid it as if it were a black hole, because nothing can escape its ghastly gravity! If I may make a cinematic metaphor; "Landspeed" makes "The Black Hole" look like "Casablanca." More about "The Black Hole" later.

Landspeed (2/5): The fastest man on Earth and his dad team up to win a competition in which the goal is to set a landspeed record of Mach 2. A modest pic with a basic story but some good racing scenes.

What an oddly endearing film. Added to my ZipQueue a while ago when I was obsessing over Ray Wise, I was taken by what I expected to be a dull, plodding, lifeless low budget piece of crap action movie (based on the plot and those involved in the production and financing areas), which turned out to be a warm, inviting, odd little humorous adventure with some decent 'action' bits. It's not a great film, its flaws plain to the eye, but it is really quite well-made for something of this sort, and many of the cast members are very charming and fun to watch, especially Zane and Wise. A movie which was probably fun to make and was definitely fun to watch, and something of a little hidden gem in that vast cinematic world, an unexpected surprise. I don't know if this is a full-on recommendation, but if you're looking for something light and fun and not-so-well-known, or if you're a fan of one of the actors, there are worse things to do with your time.