Rat Race
2001 · Directed by Jerry Zucker
Original language: English
- adventure
- comedy
The story
In an ensemble film about easy money, greed, manipulation and bad driving, a Las Vegas casino tycoon entertains his wealthiest high rollers -- a group that will bet on anything -- by pitting six ordinary people against each other in a wild dash for $2 million jammed into a locker hundreds of miles away. The tycoon and his wealthy friends monitor each racer's every move to keep track of their favorites. The only rule in this race is that there are no rules.
What it’s like
Bright, flat, saturated comedy light: sunny desert highways, glossy casino carpets and chrome-and-neon interiors, with the camera mostly staying put in wide, busy frames that let a lot of gags play out at once. The tone is loud and slapstick but never cruel for long, with a road-trip scramble full of cars, trains, buses and cramped motel rooms, all scored with bouncy, jokey orchestral cues that keep the momentum up. Gloss and cartoonish excess carry it more than grit: the Vegas penthouse feels like a playground for rich eccentrics, while the desert and rural stretches look sun-scorched and goofy. Pacing is brisk and episodic, with the racers' rivalries and mishaps cutting between them, and the emotional register stays light and warm, built on mismatched people slowly softening toward each other. Violence is mild and comic: pratfalls, bumps, car chaos and bickering, with a few crude jokes and some adult innuendo, but no gore and nothing frightening. Good for a relaxed, silly watch on a lazy evening or a comfort-level comedy night, especially for people who want loud, breezy fun with a little heart.
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