Collide

This is not a movie with deep meaning, a complex plot or redeeming value but was surprisingly enjoyable. The primary characters were not glamorous but rather down to earth which lent a certain innocence and believability. I thought their acting was excellent and sustained the movie through to the end. The bad guys deserve kudos. Ben Kingsley and Anthony Hopkins played quirky drug lords which they pulled off really well in a low key manner. These are often the most difficult characters to pull off in a movie, often being overly done but not here. The secondary bad guys were superbly cast and relentless in the chase which kept the tension level high through the entire movie. Plot wise this was a basic caper gone wrong and chase movie with a surprising twist at the end. Wreakage and carnage on the Autobahn while extensive, was not overdone. In fact, the chase scenes and crash scenes were really well choreographed and not over the top or gratuitous. The only weakness was the ending which was predictable and didn't follow through which left a feeling of abruptness, probably forced through mandatory time constraints. As a result, Anthony Hopkin's character and story did not feel complete. Collide was great entertainment that didn't require deep thought to enjoy....

Comment: the main characters were not "backpackers" but rather ex- pats living and working in Germany. Seems to be growing tendency to refer to anyone between 20-30 as backpackers...