Roadracers

Before Robert Rodriguez' career would take off with Desperado, he made a little-seen crime comedy called Roadracers. Its TV origins may be a little too obvious, but it made clear that Rodriguez could accomplish a lot on a tiny budget. It's certainly not his most remarkable film, even so it was better than I expected it to be.

Rock and roll in the 50s. Dude's a rebel with just one mission: find a way to leave the crummy little town he grew up in. Music's Dude's only passion, but rock isn't seen as a viable career. The crooked sheriff's on his tail and his feud with Teddy isn't dying down either. An ultimate showdown seems unavoidable. If you like 50s cool, then this is your film.

The characters are pretty typical, so is the plot and the setting. Rodriguez tries to set the film apart with slick cinematography, but the result's a bit middling. At least the pacing is good, performances are decent and the ending is surprisingly violent. It's solid filler, but the whole 50s vibe just didn't really do it for me.