at my shorts!” “Little” Joey Rosso (Don Michael Paul) returns to his rural Ohio home in his big rig, carrying a sizable shipment of Jack Daniel’s whiskey, followed by his pal Steve (Barclay Hope) in a similar truck – a compatriot on the road. Joey isn’t particularly seasoned when it comes to handling the semi, but his father (Lawrence Dane) is set on making the boy a partner in the family trucking company (even though he harbors concerns about his son missing out on college to follow in his footsteps). And Joey is keen on driving the rigs, which he does partly as a way to show off to his virginal girlfriend Misty (Lisa Howard).

One of Rosso’s biggest clients is Tiny Doyle (Ned Beatty), who runs the local bar and grill (and strip club), which is frequented by plenty of questionable associates and patrons – contributing to general mischievousness and drunk driving deaths in the area (a real “Porky’s” type of establishment). When Doyle’s son Victor (Todd Duckworth), along with his gang of four brothers, each thoroughly boozed-up, terrorizes Joey’s mother (Susan Hogan) – with his two younger siblings in the car – the result is a triple-homicide. Without sufficient evidence, however, the incident is ruled an accident, even with the admittance of alcohol consumption involved. The Doyle clan is mostly remorseless, which prompts the Rossos to stir up a bit of trouble, further fueling a feud that leads to a very unique form of revenge.

It takes too long for the meat of the plot to materialize, especially since it’s evident from the advertising (and title) exactly which direction this will all go. And it’s more than a bit unbelievable, not just in the crafting of the eventual rolling vengeance, but also in the inadequacies of the authorities to intervene. But once the death-machine is constructed, it’s difficult to dismiss the entertainment value of the the almost comedic retribution (tinged with the notion of a vigilante stopping drunk drivers, as if a superhero righting wrongs).

The story is flimsy (and thankfully brief), but it’s an undisguised setup for impressive wrecks, tense chases, and monster-truck demolitions (and a few bared breasts). Not much else seems to matter – and the film certainly doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s an exploitation premise, merged with a serial killer vibe (and notes of “Death Wish”), but the mayhem and violent comeuppance are undoubtedly amusing, particularly with Beatty’s over-the-top performance (“We need more potatoes out here!”) intermittently interrupting the clashes. Plenty of stalling occurs, too, as there aren’t enough Doyle brothers to provide continuous fodder, but the destructiveness and silliness of the whole thing – along with a fitting finale – give rise to a very watchable, cinematically-suitable escapade.

– Mike Massie