Young guy Jamie Hawkins gets killed by a gang of road-racing motorhead thugs led by the ruthless Packard Walsh (Nick Cassavetes in peak sneering hateful form). Mysterious stranger Jake Kesey (a likeable performance by Charlie Sheen) shows up in a Dodge Turbo Interceptor to exact harsh revenge on the gang.

Writer/director Mike Marvin relates the enjoyably asinine story at a zippy pace, treats the silly premise with admirable seriousness, stages the exciting vehicular action with rip-roaring aplomb, blows lots of stuff up real good, and even sprinkles in a satisfying smidgeon of tasty bare female skin. Moreover, the solid cast play the inane material with commendably straight faces: Sherilyn Fenn as the sweet Keri Johnson, Randy Quaid as the hard-nosed Sheriff Loomis, and Matthew Berry as the amiable Billy. David Sherill, Jamie Bozian, Griffin O'Neal, Chris Nash, and especially Clint Howard as the geeky Rughead are total hoots as goony gang members. Further enhanced by a pounding rock soundtrack and boasting some gnarly special effects, this honey overall sizes up as a whole lot of goofy fun.

Packard Walsh (Nick Cassavetes) and his gang terrorize an Arizona town and force drivers to drag race for their cars. Jake Kesey (Charlie Sheen) is new in town riding in on his bike. He catches the eye of Keri Johnson (Sherilyn Fenn) who is the possessive Packard's girlfriend. She used to be Jamie Hankins' girl before he was killed by Packard. Jake befriends Jamie's brother Billy (Matthew Barry). He slowly takes out Packard's gang as The gun-toting Wraith driving his ghost car. His car is reborn every time it is destroyed. Sheriff Loomis (Randy Quaid) helplessly investigates.

With the roller skating burger joint waitresses and the old fashion gang drag races, this has a cheesy derivative 50s feel. It's kind of fun but kind of bad. Charlie Sheen is doing a likable bad boy hero. Sherilyn Fenn looks hot in her bikini. Nick Cassavetes is a forgettable brute. Clint Howard is memorable as the bespectacled gearhead Rughead. This is a cheesy cult movie but limited other than the cool idea.

Jamie, killed by neighborhood thugs, returns as a mystical figure named Jake the Wraith (Charlie Sheen) to gain revenge.

A movie from the 1980s with fast cars and Charlie Sheen? Sounds like a winner, maybe a mix between "Ferris Bueller" and The Chase". Add in Sherilyn Fenn in a pre-"Twin peaks" role... that has to be good, right? She stole the show there and the under-appreciated "Boxing Helena". Oh, and did I mention Clint Howard? But somehow it all seems so bland. Like a made-for-TV movie, and not a very good one, at that. I feel like the exact same story, with a little spit and polish could have been a minor masterpiece. But no. Somehow this gets labeled a "horror" film, but that is quite the stretch. Though it is not much of anything else either.