Route 9

Violent and funny--think "Fargo" in California and on a budget. Loved Roma Maffia as a Federal investigator--the only intelligent person in town.

I found this one just flippin' through the pages of a video-on-demand site ... and what a find. A solid, very entertaining noir B-thriller.

Cop Kyle MacLachlan and his partner aim to steal a cache of loot from a crime scene ... think they'll get away with it?? Kyle Mac is sort of bullied into the scheme by his bumbling, loudmouth, forever-in-debt partner. And as soon as the idea is hatched, things go wrong, Murphy's Law-style, for the next 90 minutes. There were plenty of twists and turns in the plot: many were quite predictable, but some were real shockers, and the intrigue carried through until the final scene, with the viewer never *really* sure who would come out on top.

This is a made-for-cable movie from the '90s but does not feel lowbrow or shot on-the-cheap like many such movies do. MacLachlan is joined in the cast by familiar faces such as Amy Locane, Peter Coyote, the striking Roma Maffia (who is terrific as a very sharp DEA agent), and Miguel Sandoval, later to star in TV's "Medium". There are a few very nice stunts including a big gun battle to start the pic, a mountainside car chase, and numerous big explosions. Director David Mackay manages a few very clever setups and cutaways as he keeps the story moving along. The music score features a prominent bluesy slide guitar dropped in for effect here and there, it is very nicely done.

This is in the end a B-movie, but B-movies when done well can be as exciting and diverting as a pic of any stripe, thanks to simple, efficient construction and skilled execution. ROUTE 9 has those in spades. B- or 7 out of 10 stars.

When placing your eyes upon a TV Movie you would not expect that it will exceed your expectations. But this low budget movie definitely did. It centered around two police officers who decide to keep some 'drug related' money leading to various circumstances and unfortunate endings. The acting was good but a force-ful OTT acting that you would expect from a TV film with the rural town being a perfect spot for The Simple Plan. Like some people had noted before it is very similar to the underground hit, A Simple Plan, released that same year.

It is not as good as the latter but I was genuine surprised with the results. The saying 'Money turns everyone into vultures' is widely portrayed throughout the beginning, right through to the finale.

6/10

Made for TV in the same year, this thriller has similarities to A Simple Plan, but is sufficiently different and good enough to stand comparison with that better known movie. In any case the broad plot outline of both is as old as the Hollywood Hills - easy money goes to the heads of people who should know better; their foolproof scam runs into unforeseen events; and the thieves fall out. The acting is uniformly convincing, with Peter Coyote as a Sheriff with marital problems; Kyle MacLachlan and Wade Williams as his two Deputies (and perps); and an impressive Roma Maffia as a Federal Agent. The desert setting is perhaps a little too familiar; but the action keeps moving along, there are some really unexpected twists, and an infidelity subplot is cleverly woven into the main story.

The finding a bag full of money storyline seems to be the modern-day equivalent of digging up buried treasure, this is another one of those stories. It follows the usual routine of everything and everyone falling foul of their greed and temptation. To be fair, it's done well, especially considering it's a TV movie. It doesn't push any limits, but it's nicely put together. Worth a watch if you like such predicaments.