Super Hybrid (2010)
Directed by: Eric Valette
Written by: Benjamin Carr
Starring: Alden Adair, Oded Fehr, Shane Bellegarde, Shannon Beckner
Super Hybrid (2010)
(TBC) Running time: 90 minutes
Director: Eric Valette
Writer: Benjamin Carr
Starring: Shannon Beckner, Oded Fehr, Ryan Kennedy, Melanie Papalia
Reviewed by: Matt Wavish, official HCF critic
Director Eric Valette returns to horror after giving us the remake of One Missed Call, take from that what you will, but here he gives us a film about a sort of possessed car. In fact, the car is taken over by an alien being, a “super hybrid” that can morph and control anything it chooses. Here, it chooses a red sports car, and the stage is set for a great big showdown between a group of mechanics and the vicious car. Sound good? Well, the trailer made it look good, the fact the directors name sounds like “valet” and the writers surname is Carr were both rather cool coincidences, and that poster with that gorgeous girl sold me. So, how was the finished product? Well, for starters that poster scene never happens in the film, the horror does have its eye candy, but nothing as good as what is promised on the poster, so already I am pissed off!
However, do not judge a book by its cover, as they say, and even though the lovely lady on the poster does not appear in the film, there are two other good looking girls, one of them even introduces herself while in her underwear. It is not all about eye candy though, we are here to see a brutal, maniac car go on the rampage, running people over, crushing them, chasing them right? Well, here’s my advice: if you plan to watch Super Hybrid, just watch the first twenty minutes as it all happens here. We get an opening car chase and well staged crash, we see inquisitive teens attempt to steal the red sports car, and I am sure you can guess what happens, we see the car driving around the streets looking for prey, and eventually it ends up in the garage where the next hour of the film will take place.
The mechanics are curious as to where this new car has come from, and the fact it is “still warm” allows them to talk amongst themselves before eventually leaving it. One mechanic is too nosey; he attempts to find out more about the car and meets his demise as a car door beats him to death. Once the rest of the mechanics find out he is missing they immediately decide it could be the cars fault, lift the bonnet and we get our first glimpse of the beast inside, in all its CGI glory! All of a sudden one of the mechanics knows exactly what it is, all the mystery is gone and we are left with a simple cat and mouse game that seems to go on forever with no real moments worthy of mentioning. The problem with this film is everything you want or need to see is shown in the first third of the film, and sadly there is nothing left to really get excited about once the cat and mouse games begin. There is minimal plot (although there isn’t really a lot to play with), the characters are wooden and there is zero tension.
Granted there are a few minor highlights, like the big reveal of the monster, one, maybe two deaths and the odd bit of humour but this film simply ran out of ideas far too quickly. The promise was there for a good old fashioned, silly, B-movie about a killer car, and sadly the finished product is nothing of the sort. A poor and pointless film that won’t pass the time quickly, it will be slow and painful and you just might have to use the fast forward button.
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