The Wraith (1986) ***1/2

Wow. Some movies escape you and you wonder how you didn't see them when you were younger. I would have absolutely loooved The Wraith (1986) as a tween. I did still love the film on this first time watch but seeing it now as a middle aged man (yikes!) I can see the weak links that I never would have noticed as a youngster. 

I'm surprised that The Wraith doesn't have a better reputation; it's serious cult classic material and a whole lot of fun. This movie honestly has it all: a badass futuristic car, a killer cyberpunk bodysuit, kickass car chases, old-school visual f/x, a sweet hard rock soundtrack, a pulsing synthesized score, impressive explosions, Clint Howard being his zany self, girls in miniskirts on roller skates (a personal favorite), drug-addled goons, a somehow subdued Randy Quaid, bad but great dialogue, plenty of 80s cheese, and...well, Sherilyn Fenn (who I didn't even recognize at first). Also, Charlie Sheen being on screen for all of maybe 20 minutes (despite receiving top-billing) doesn't hurt the film in the slightest.

So it was pretty easy for me to look past the flaws and bask in the glory of this slice of absolute '80s awesomeness, a cool sci-fi road revenge flick that serves as a kind of connective tissue between High Plains Drifter (1973) (review)  and The Crow (1994).

Recommended for fans of The Hitcher (1986) (review), Mad Max (1979) (review), The Terminator (1984), Knight Rider (1982–1986), and Road Games (1981) (review).