Held Up DVD Review

Director Steve Rash has had a surprisingly consistent film career since 1978 with his directorial debut, The Buddy Holly Story (1978). He has made countless forgettable films, such as the Chevy Chase driven fantasy Under the Rainbow (1981) or the awful 80s teen comedy Can’t Buy Me Love (1987) and who could forget Brat Pack riddled Queen’s Logic (1991). As the 1990s continued it got even worse for Rash as he directed films that were more than just bad, they were obnoxious.

Such films include Son in Law (1993) and Eddie (1996), closing out his theatrical career with films that breezed through theaters and were gone before they were noticed. Although a few of his films were particularly good or successful he continues to make films based on the experience he has as a director in an area where it doesn’t matter if you are any good; franchises. He has directed two of the straight-to-video Bring it On sequels, and if nothing else, Held Up is interesting as a film that helped push Rash’s career into a constant cycle of cheerleader movies.

All things considered, Held Up is a fairly simple and humorous film, despite the fact that it doesn’t really make sense and it is a jumble of inexplicable characters and situations involving a gas station robbery. Even at 88 minutes the plot begins to thin slightly, and some of the neatly patched resolutions are so absurd that they are humorous. Assuming comedies are still considered successful if you are laughing at the stupidity of the film, Held Up has some hysterical moments. If nothing else, it does star Jamie Fox and he is able to make even the dumbest situation mildly entertaining.

Michael Dawson (Jamie Fox) and his fiancé, Rae (Nia Long) are traveling on vacation through the deserts of Nevada when a series of mishaps put Michael in an awful situation. After upsetting Rae she leaves him by hitching a ride to the airport without him and shortly after his car is stolen from the gas station. While waiting for help the gas station is robbed which turns into a hostage situation with an eclectic group of shoppers stuck in the gas station with Michael, one of which is a young kid who thinks Michael is Puff Daddy.

The DVD is being re-released with a new slip-cover and no other changes. The special features include an interview with Jamie Foxx.