Black Dog

Testosterone oozes from the screen as Jack Crews (Patrick Swayze) drives a truckload of toilets and guns cross-country, breaking his parole in an attempt to keep his wife and daughter from being killed by one of many bad guys. To top it off, the FBI and ATF are tracking his every move. Joining him are three trucker buddies, including Earl (Randy Travis), a wanna-be country singer whose best line includes the word "fart."

Character development is minimal, though Meat Loaf is perfect as Red, the evil cigar-smokin', Bible-quotin' truck owner. And there are a few plot twists to keep things interesting: Who's helping the bad guys hijack Crews's truck? Who's the FBI plant? How does Tiny, the black pitbull, survive in the back of the truck? Director Kevin Hooks (Passenger 57) draws on the rush of playing with life-size Tonka toys as he concentrates on making big trucks smash into each other, flip over, explode, and destroy shrubbery. Fun for the whole family. At the Harbour Mall, Showcase, Starcase, Tri-Boro, and Woonsocket cinemas.

-- Jumana Farouky