I'm not trying to brag here, but I usually do a decent job of ignoring movies that I believe will make me just shrug my shoulders. It's not hard to see that "Breakdown" is going to be predictable. It's about a husband and wife. They are in the desert, their truck breaks down, and she goes missing. Standard, standard stuff. To this end, I was absolutely correct. What I did not realize is how well this movie ratchets up the tension and suspense.

Kurt Russell is one of my favorite actors, especially his John Carpenter related flicks and there's just something about Kathleen Quinlan. I'm a big "Twilight Zone" fan, and her starring role as Helen Foley in the "It's a Good Life" segment of "Twilight Zone: The Movie" was eye-catching. Also, the desert scenes are beautiful and the early moments show us the desolation with wide shots of the immense landscape.

The bad guys are so bad and there are many moments when Russell's character is up against the wall. He seemingly has no options. No way to escape. But he transforms into an action hero before our eyes. He pretty much goes Macgyver and by the end of this, the bad guys are gonna be toast.

This movie is almost 20 years old. Again, I have a little bit of movie snob in me and if I think something is standard mainstream movie fare, I will scoff at it a little. Well, you have probably seen movies like this many times before, but this is one of the best thrillers that I have seen. By the end, my heart was actually pounding and I was on the edge of my couch. Embarrassingly typical, but it's true. I immediately felt the need to tell my family to get on it and watch "Breakdown".