Drive (1997)
Director: Steve Wang Run Time: 117 min. Format: DCP Rating: R Release Year: 1997
Starring: Mark Dacascos, Kadeem Hardison, John Pyper-Ferguson, Brittany Murphy, Tracey Walter, James Shigeta
The 1990s gave us countless buddy action films, but few moved with the kinetic style, genre-bending flair, and sheer power of Drive (1997). Directed by Steve Wang, this under-the-radar martial arts sci-fi gem serves up dazzling fight choreography, practical effects wizardry, and, importantly, the criminally overlooked hunky duo of Mark Dacascos and Kadeem Hardison.
When a bio-enhanced fugitive (Dacascos) teams up with a wisecracking drifter (Hardison), the two hit the road with assassins on their tail and increasingly explosive set-pieces in their path. What follows is part video game, part kung fu opera, and all late-’90s charm. A cult favorite waiting for a new, hungry audience, Drive delivers kicks (including a brawl where Dacascos decimates baddies while wearing boots on his hands), chemistry galore, and one of the most watchable action pairings you (probably) never saw.