Trading Paint 2019 * 1/2 Stars

Director: Karzan Kader
Year: 2019
Rated R
Rating: * 1/2 Stars
Cast: John Travolta, Michael Madsen, Shania Twain

Parodied character names like Sam "The Man" Munroe and Bob "Lead Foot" Linsky. The gorgeous Shania Twain phoning in her love interest performance as if she were the spokeswoman for Simple Mobile. The cheesiest sports commentary since the Ben-Hur-style pod race in The Phantom Menace. An ending too fanciful for words. It's all here in Trading Paint (my latest review). Let's just call "Paint" Days of "Blunder" shall we.

Anyway, Trading Paint takes place in Alabama and was filmed in Alabama. Its production values basically consist of going to a small rural town, turning on the Panavision camera, and quickly yelling action! As for "Paint's" story, well it's about minor league dirt car racing, like father, like son racing, and rivalry racing all rolled up into one. The scenes where the stock cars are barreling down the speedway seem anti-climatic, underwhelming, pedestrian, and few and far between. Somewhere Cole Trickle is shaking his head in embarrassment while sipping some hardcore Tennessee Moonshine.

Trading Paint, which comes off like 1990's Days of Thunder on a shoestring budget (see first paragraph), feels insignificant, predictable, and incredibly small-scale. I give the filmmakers a little credit for trying to install a dramatic narrative as opposed to just relying on built sedans violently rubbing up against each other (hence the name of the movie). Still, "Paint" veers into straight-to-video territory real quick. Look there's "Paint" star John Travolta harboring little integrity, sporting his umpteenth hairpiece, and spewing more weirdo southern accents than Jim Nabors (how noble of him). And look, there's co-star Michael Madsen channeling his inner, uber-villain while trying to be relevant again (uh what the heck happened to this dude's career and speaking voice?).

Bottom line: Loved the catchy title of this film. Loved seeing Shania in tight jeans. Didn't really like Karzan Kader's cut corners direction. Didn't really like "Paint" in general. Sadly, Trading Paint is gearhead "finger-paint". Rating: 1 and a half stars.

Written by Jesse Burleson