ROAD MOVIE

Subtitled ‘Episodes of the Road’, this plays more like an edited version of a primetime US television comedy aimed at teenagers. Written and directed by Bob Gale, comic book writer and regular Robert Zemeckis collaborator - the pair’s co-scripting credits include the Back to the Future trilogy and Spielberg’s 1941 - the tone is whimsical and the characters, young and attractive. These include James X-Men Marsden as existentially frustrated young loafer Neal and Amy Smart as his love interest.

It has the ambience of The OC washed together with Scrubs, and feels all the more inconsequential for it. But then there are some heavyweight cameos throughout, most notably from Gary Oldman as the wish-granting OW Grant, who sets Marsden off on a quest along the fictional Interstate 60. Sadly, pretty soon, anticipating the appearance of Michael J Fox or Christopher Lloyd for a bit of scenery-chewing becomes the only reason for watching. Extras include a ‘making of’ film, gag reel, deleted scenes and theatrical trailer.