3/4  Very Suspenseful
When Jeffery Taylor (Kurt Russell) and his attractive wife (Kathleen Quinlan) are traveling in the American Southwest to San Diego, California to start an new life but when their new Jeep breaks-down on the road. But when a mysterious truc... (read full)

2/4  Breakdown Quick Review
Too far fetched to keep me engaged.

3/5 Fine thriller with believable plot twists, exciting climax
  by Libretio

BREAKDOWN

(USA - 1997)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Super 35)
Theatrical soundtrack: Dolby Digital

After their car breaks down in open country, a married couple (Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan) are pitched into mortal danger when Quinlan disappears after accepting help from a sinister trucker (J.T. Walsh).

Well-scripted thriller, in which Russell and Quinlan become entangled in a ghoulish extortion plot after falling prey to some less than savory characters (I'll say no more). Believable plot twists lead to a dynamic climax which should have most viewers rivetted to their seats, and which probably accounted for director Jonathan Mostow being hired to direct TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES (2003). Tense, exciting stuff, worth a look.


5/5 watch out!
  by Richard R. Dammar (Brooklyn Park, MN United States)
Don't watch this movie before you are leaving on vacation, it might make you turn around! Kurt Russel nails his part of being a "Normal guy" facing the bad guys. He reacts like you or I might in a the same situation. All he wants is to get out of this place with his wife. I won't tell you how it ends, you'll have to find that out for yourself....

5/5 Great film, Great cast
  by Guss H.
This is one of my favorite flicks. Kurt Russell is one of a kind. One of the few child actors who kept his career going after he grew past the the cute child star, teen idol, and mature star mold. Non stop suspense. Action for everyone. And wonderful support from The supporting cast. Most especially, the late, great J.T Walsh. The DVD is first rate. Excellent transfer, and imaging. The film echos of Hitchcock. And the location scenes are breathtaking. Highly reccomended.

5/5 For an honest,nail-biting,slickly directed,tensely paced good 97 minutes
  by KerrLines (Baltimore,MD)
BREAKDOWN is usually not my kind of film;but you know...it works in what it sets out to do,keeping your heart pounding with great car chases and crashes,vigilante-ism and slick direction from writer/director Jonathan Mostow (U-571) and a spot-on soundtrack by Basil Poledouris whose acute sense of action music is the perfect propeller of this fairly predictable thriller.
Massachusetts transplantees Jeff and Amy Taylor (Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan) are driving to a new life in California when their jeep breaks down.There has already been an incident on the road with some local rednecks that have unsettled the couple.A seemingly helpful trucker (the late great J.T.Walsh-who could do this role better!) stops to offer them a ride to a nearby diner.Amy accepts and that's where the film takes off.She is nowhere to be found,Jeff wonders if he has gone nuts,the whole set of redneck locals seem to be somehow in on it and Jeff goes to the most extreme measures to uncover the plot to kidnap his wife.
The editing in this film is slick and a scene involving a pickup and a semi hanging off of a bridge is priceless and appropriately palm-sweating.This is not the greatest film in the world,but for the type of film that it is,and clocking in at a smart 97 minutes (instead of the 120+ that we seem to keep getting nowadays!),BREAKDOWN keeps pace with the best of action-thrillers.
Kurt Russell's performance is really the key to this film.Russell is known for doing a majority of his stunts, and he really does get banged-up a lot.
Highly recommended for a tense time if that is what you need to get jolted.

5/5 excellent direction/performances/action sequences
  by Kirk Alex
Terrific thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Contains one of the most hair-raising fight scenes (that takes place on a bridge)
between J.T. Walsh's meany and Kurt Russell's good guy, that I've ever seen.

Director Jonathan Mostow does amazing work here. A natural.