The Hitcher remake has been seen and reviewed, and there are a couple of things that hit me straight in the face about this that I had feared.

First up is the news that neither Sean Bean nor Neal McDonough are in the film that much, especially when compared to the original, and that the focus of the film is firmly on Sophia Bush's and Zachary Knighton's characters. Disappointing, I mean the original had the Hitcher saying little and not appearing much, so this sounds like he's hardly even in the film!

We get precious little of Sean Bean, and even less dialogue (the diner scene, one of the creepiest/best parts in the original, is completely Hitcher-free here). Instead, the focus is almost entirely on our heroes, with the Hitcher kept to the background other than two or three scenes (the film’s most suspenseful moment is when Ryder struggles to free himself from handcuffs). Luckily, the two leads are good in their roles, and a film can certainly do worse things than showcasing Sophia Bush.

Both Bean and McDonough are so underused it's criminal, I mean these guys are excellent actors and don't seem to get the chance to shine that much. However the review over at Bloody Disgusting does say it's directed well, and Dave Meyers music video past doesn't break over the film.

Overall it seems like a good bet for those not familiar with the original, and for those that are? Go rent the DVD again and enjoy. You know, if this does turn out to be the case about the film then I'm so hacked off about the wasted Bean, that was the explosive burst of light in the news of this film, a stroke of genius casting, and then to typically underuse him seems so unfair. More leading roles for these two, and more on screen time!