I do rent movies every so often. I usually go in looking for something in particular, though I can’t always get the movies I am looking for. Sometimes I grab something else and other times I don’t get anything at all. I have found some interesting movies that way, and also some stinkers. 29 Palms was one of the stinkers. I didn’t pick it out, but it was here and I hadn’t been able to find the movies I was looking for at that time. This movie was truly one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

My explanation of the plot of 29 Palms may get a little confusing because none of the characters had names. While I was watching the movie, I kept thinking that I didn’t know the name of a character was and I was beginning to think I was zoning out a lot and missed them. Then I saw in the credits that they had no names. They were identified by their professions.

A man became a drifter after his girlfriend was murdered. He believed that the killers were after him. He’d been working for a judge that had something to do with Indian casinos. The drifter and the judge had disagreed about something to do with the casinos. Some men that worked at one casino hired a hitman. He stopped off at the bathroom to count the money. A male security guard for the casino was caught pleasuring himself while watching the monitor for a security camera in the women’s restroom. He was then told to watch the monitor for the men’s room. When he did that, the security guard saw the hitman with all the money. The security guard decided he wanted the money and stole it in the parking lot, getting shot in the process. He was in an accident and the cop who stopped spotted the bag full of money. The cop took the money. He sent it off to a bus station in 29 Palms once his captain said that a witness saw him take off with a bag from the scene.

The hitman wanted the bag back and tracked the security guard to the hospital. The security guard was plotting how to get the money back as well. The drifter ended up at the bus station in 29 Palms. He tried to steal a jacket, but ended up with the bag full of money instead. He ended up stopping to help a waitress that was having car trouble. The cop showed up at the bus station with all kinds of plans for the money and was furious when it wasn’t there. He, along with the hitman and security guard were trying to get the bag back. The sheriff of 29 Palms and the ticket clerk at the bus station found out about the bag later and decided that they wanted it too. Everyone was after the bag. Something was going on at the casino as well.

I think that 29 Palms was supposed to be a suspenseful movie, but it failed miserably. There was nothing suspenseful about the movie at all. I had to struggle to keep interested in it because it was so boring. I’m still not sure how I managed to watch the entire movie, or even why I did. I wasn’t interested in anything that happened. I didn’t care about any of the characters, which does make it difficult to stay interested in a movie. I didn’t enjoy anything that happened in the movie.

29 Palms was a huge mess of a movie. Right from the beginning, it jumped around and didn’t make any sense. All the characters were supposed to be connected, but it took forever to figure out what was going on with some of them or even why they were in the movie at all. By the end, I think everyone was connected to everyone else in some strange, unbelievable way. The movie jumped to the different characters very quickly, so several things seemed pointless at first. The plot was thinner than tissue paper. There was a bag full of money that all the characters wanted to get their hands on for whatever reason. That was it. The search for the money caused some characters to end up in chases and shootouts. The entire movie was pointless and dragged on and on.

This was a very violent movie, so it is probably too violent for some people. Several people were shot. The drifter’s girlfriend was brutally murdered. Not long after that, the security guard was shot at close range when he stole the bag. It looked like he was shot in the stomach. In the hospital, he was told that his prostate was damaged. That didn’t make sense to me. Later in the movie there were car chases and even an accident that caused other deaths. Bodies were left everywhere, including along the side of the road. During a chase, a limo made a sharp turn that somehow caused a back door to fly open. A man fell out and ended up dead. A few minutes later, someone inside the limo was shot. He was dumped out on the side of the road the limo went on its way. It was ridiculous. Soon after that, there was an accident involving the limo and a bus. Most of the things that were supposed to add action were just stupid and over done. There was an attempted rape at one point that was disturbing to see.

None of the characters were developed much, if at all. The screenwriter couldn’t even be bothered to give them names. I’ve seen other movies where a minor character didn’t get a name, but I’ve never seen one where every character was nameless. It annoyed me that there weren’t any names for anyone in the movie. I think the drifter was meant to be the main character, but he was as flat as everyone else. He was supposed to be grieving after his girlfriend was murdered, but he ended up in bed with the waitress right after he met her. I’m not sure how much time passed between the murder and that, but I don’t think it was very long. Most of the characters were stereotypes and they all wanted to find the bag full of money. The hitman had a few unique traits like being obsessed with germs and dirt that made him mildly interesting.

29 Palms was a small town in the middle of no where. It looked like it was in the desert. After the murder of his girlfriend in a city, the drifter ran off on foot and somehow made his way to the bus station in 29 Palms. Other people from the city found their way to the town as well. The cop has sent the bag there in the first place, so he had a reason for going there. It was a bit unbelievable that the others managed to end up there as well. There were several buildings in 29 Palms, like the bust station, a sheriff’s station, hotel, and an Indian casino, but every building looked to be in the middle of no where. After getting the money, the drifter bought a used car from a lot that was just out in the desert with nothing else around. The guy working there was sitting at a desk on the lot. There was no building. It made no sense, just like the rest of the movie.

There were some actors in 29 Palms that I have heard of before. I’m not sure why anyone wanted to be in this movie. Jeremy Davies played the drifter. I’ve never heard of him before. There wasn’t anything special about his performance. Michael Lerner turned up in a few scenes as the judge. Chris O’Donnell was the hitman afraid of germs. He didn’t seem to fit the part that well. Michael Rapaport was the cop. I have seen him in some other movies. He was ok I guess, but I’ve never been a fan of his. Bill Pullman played the ticket clerk at the bus station. He was fine with what he had to work with. Keith David also was fine in his part as the sheriff. I have seen Rachael Leigh Cook in a few movies before and thought she had very little talent. Her performance as the waitress didn’t change my mind on that.

CHARACTERS

Drifter - He was on the run after his girlfriend was murdered. He believed that the killers were after him as well.

Hitman - He was hired by some men that worked at an Indian casino. He had a germ phobia. He was determined to find the money again.

Security guard - He was a pervert that got shot when he stole the money from the hitman.

Cop - He took the money from the security guard. He was very violent.

Ticket Clerk - He worked at the bus station in 29 Palms. He had very little to do at his job.

Sheriff - Sheriff of 29 Palms. He got annoyed with the ticker clerk at times.

Waitress - Her car broke down and she got the drifter to help her. She was up to something else though.

CAST

Rachael Leigh Cook - Waitress
Keith David - Sheriff
Jeremy Davies - Drifter
Michael Lerner - Judge
Russell Means - Chief
Chris O’Donnell - Hitman
Jon Polito - Security Guard
Bill Pullman - Ticket Clerk
Michael Rapaport - Cop

29 Palms was made in 2002. I hadn’t seen any previews of the movie before I watched it or even heard of it before. I think it was released straight to video. They should have saved the film and not made it to begin with. The movie was rated R and 93 minutes long. This isn’t a movie for children.

I hated everything about 29 Palms. The movie was horrible and I want those 93 minutes of my life back. I could have done something much more enjoyable with that time, like scrub down the toilet and shower. This movie isn’t worth the rental fee or even the time to watch it. The movie doesn’t deserve the one star I am forced to give it here since we can’t give zero stars. This movie was so horrible, I would give it negative stars if it was possible.

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Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age