Worst thing you'll see during Trump's term: Unhinged
Author
Tom Chick
Posted in
Movie reviews
When
October 20, 2020
I have a soft spot for fat Russell Crowe. The younger slimmer Russell Crowe was a total badass, but now that he's older, bigger, and more sedate, he's sporting an avuncular gruffness..
It’s an interesting contrast, because the antagonist in Duel is completely faceless. Like the best movie monsters, you use your imagination. BYOB: bring your own baggage.
But to Unhinged’s credit, it is attempting a sort of urban modern version of Duel. Lots of road action, and most of it is shot well enough.
The Ford logo on the front of Russell Crowe’s truck conspicuously hidden by a grill because Ford Motor Company probably doesn’t want their product associated with psychos.
There’s a Ford F-150 at my apartment complex that also lacks a grill logo. I’ll be careful not to honk at it.
Correction:
“the production had to spen[d] its car wreck budget”
In Unhinged, the Ford logo is still there, but they strategically position the grill so that you never actually see the word Ford. You can see the logo, but it’s kind of like a nipple slip.
In fact, later in the movie, Russell Crowe steals a minivan and rampages around in that for a while. But the logo is removed from that vehicle as well:
Do want! Although in The True Story of Ned Kelly, he all but wears a prairie dress. His character is that kind of wacky.
Yeah, that’s why I was really looking forward to Unhinged. But instead of taking the approach of a driverless monster (although you do see the driver in Duel), Unhinged decided it wants to be about incivility in the era of Trump. Only it goes so far over the top that its risible instead of effective.