Going into Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead you need to be aware of two things: 1) this is a direct-to-DVD sequel, so lower your expectations accordingly and 2) we all know that Steven Spielberg did this story better with Duel. With that out of the way, I have no problem letting you know that this was an entertaining, and satisfying, DTV follow-up that doesn't stray too far from the premise of the original and has enough blood, cross-dressing, and gruff threats to keep you watching.

After an opening scene where a "lot lizard" (or trucker prostitute, for those of you not down with the terminology) gets her head pinged-off by a truck trailer heralds the return of our big rig killer, "Rusty Nail", we catch up with Melissa (Nicki Aycox), her sister, and their boyfriends who are on their way to Las Vegas for a weekend bachelor party. Along the way their car, of course, breaks down and after a bunch of sarcastic bickering between wannabe Goth Nik (Kyle Schmid) and Bobby (Nick Zano) they come across a seemingly abandoned house.

If we've learnt anything from this type of film in the past it's that the house isn't empty. In fact, it happens to be Rusty Nail's hide out and once he's kidnapped Bobby, as punishment for them trespassing, it's "game on" as they play cat 'n' mouse on the way to a finale that includes a twisted game of dice and an overly dumb moment where Melissa is able to effortlessly drive a rig with no learning curve at all while our killer holds on for dear life.

In the hands of B-movie veteran Louis Morneau, Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead was an enjoyable 91 minutes. It never tries to be anything more than it is and does its best to play on people's fears of stereotyped truck drivers - you know the type: they're constantly taking drugs to stay awake, their unsafe driving methods cause accidents, and all their long-haul journeys start to wear on them after a while making them a bit kooky. Let's be honest, we've all felt a mild twinge of danger when getting boxed-in or stuck by a eighteen-wheeler on the Freeway but the script here by James Robert Johnston and Bennett Yellin takes that nervousness to all-new, silly, extremes.

For all you trivia buffs and credit watchers out there it's worth noting that co-writer Yellin was a co-writer on the Farrelly Brothers' breakthrough hit, Dumb & Dumber. As for director Morneau, he started his career in the early 90's working for Roger Corman's New Concorde and has travelled down the DTV sequel path in the past helming Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting.

While Aycox does make an adequate heroine here, it was really Schmid who stole the show for me. His portrayal of Nik is just so full of cynicism and put-on rebellion that once it was time for him to reveal his true wimpy self, and don some high-heels during the aforementioned cross-dressing scene whilst complaining, I wasn't annoyed at him like I should've been, instead I was enjoying how goofy the character was. Mark Gibbon, whose credits read like a stunt man character actor's, takes on the killer's role and goes through the motions well enough but they really could've benefited from having Ted Levine return as Rusty Nail's voice as it added more creepy to the first film.

There's certainly worse DTV sequels consistently popping-up on video store shelves than this. Unlike a lot of its ilk, it sticks pretty close to the premise of the first film and I found myself not at all minding my time with it. It's a silly little horror-thriller that's made competently, has okay acting, and managed to please me with its morbid "finger trade" moment and the aforementioned dice game. If you liked the first, and are willing to cut it some slack, you shouldn't have a hard time enjoying this. (Chris Hartley, 8/12/09)

Directed By: Louis Morneau.
Written By: James Robert Johnston, Bennett Yellin.

Starring: Nicki Aycox, Nick Zano, Kyle Schmid, Laura Jordan.