Dark Ride (2006)

Director: Craig Singer

Writers: Craig Singer, Robert Dean Klein

Composers: Christopher Young, Kostas Christides

Starring: Jaime-Lynn Sigler, Patrick Renna, David Clayton Rogers, Alex Solowitz, Andrea Bogart, Jennifer Tisdale, Brittney Coyle, Chelsey Coyle, Dave Warden, Jim Cody Williams

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The Last Ride You'll Ever Take.

Plot: A decade has nearly passed since psychopath Jonah brutally murdered two teenage girls. Now, after nearly 10 years of being incarcerated in a mental institute, Jonah has somehow escaped and has returned to his turf - an amusement park attraction named "Dark Ride". Unknowingly, a group of six friends on their way to a road trip and have just boarded the ride, unaware of the deadly plans Jonah has for them. This ride is the last one they're ever gonna take.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

Ya know, there aren't enough horror movies set around carnivals, fairs, amusement parks, etc.  I guess it'd be really costly to shoot at one.  I love the setting so I'll give any horror film like this a look-see in the hopes that I'll find a great one (or at least a reasonably fun one).  One big thing that helps in making a horror movie work is having characters you care about or at least like in some way.  You know that people are going to die so you get more impact when some of them are likeable. The group of kids in this picture are likeable.  It's almost refreshing to see that.  The girls aren't written as well as the boys but that's negligible.  I do like the group as a whole and individually as the actors worked well together. The hitchhiker they pick up is hilarious.  She's off her rocker and the story she tells about music is great.  It's the kind of uneasy that makes you want to toss her back onto the street.

There's some great horror, too.  I loved the chick being thrown across the room, slamming easily against the wall like a rag doll. There are also some neat imagery and camera shots.  The BJ scene was fun.  The ending surprise?  It wasn't that bad but I felt like it could have been a little better.  It's nothing that will kill a re-watch.  Overall, I enjoyed it.  Nice main theme by Christopher Young.  His score for HELLRAISER (1987) is one of the greats.