Getaway (DVD REVIEW)
Getaway
DVD
Review by Kam Williams
Shades of Taken, Speed and Ransom
in Derivative High-Octane Thriller
Brent Magna (Ethan
Hawke) is a
former racecar driver who recently moved with his wife, Leanna (Rebecca
Budig), from the
U.S. to her hometown of Sofia, Bulgaria.
But any plans for a quiet retirement are rudely interrupted when she’s
kidnapped at the height of the Christmas season.
First, he gets a call from a mysterious
madman (Jon Voigt) announcing that the only hope of seeing her alive again is to follow his
instructions without calling the police. Then, he’s ordered to steal a
specific, custom-built Ford Mustang parked in a nearby garage.
Only after
settling behind
the wheel does he realize that the auto has already been
outfitted with cameras and microphones. Soon, he finds himself being pressured
by the mastermind of the diabolical plot to execute a series of dangerous
maneuvers at breakneck speed through a crowded market, across a rink filled
with skaters, up onto a stage and down a flight of steps.
The one-car
wrecking ball attracts the attention of the cops, of course, who set up a
dragnet to try to put an end to the impromptu Demolition Derby. Brent, however,
relies on his professional skills to elude the authorities, although he still
has no idea of his wife’s whereabouts or what crazy stunt is coming next on her
inscrutable abductor’s bizarre agenda.
So unfolds
Getaway, a high-octane thriller that might be best described as Taken meets
Speed meets Ransom, since it borrows popular elements from each of those
adrenaline-fueled adventures. Unfortunately, the execution here leaves a lot to
be desired, since the picture is basically an hour and a half of chase scenes
punctuated by crashes and pyrotechnics.
For some
reason, director Courtney Solomon (Dungeons & Dragons) opted to forego
character development in favor of incessant action and special f/x. Hence, the
audience is never able to invest emotionally in the plight of the anguished
protagonist or his imperiled spouse. Instead, we’re repeatedly treated to the
sight of careening cars crashing, rolling over, almost hitting pedestrians, and
my personal favorite, flying off a bridge in flames.
Along the
way, Brent encounters the hijacked GT’s true owner (Selena Gomez), a spoiled
rich kid who initially just wants her graduation present back. Lucky for him,
the tech-savvy debutante turns sympathetic and is willing to use her laptop to
help him find his spouse.
Too bad the
script’s abysmal dialogue never rises above trite lines like “Why is this
happening?” “You’re running out of time. Tick-tock!” and “You don’t have to do
this.” A frenetically-paced Selena Gomez vehicle, apt to satisfy her diehard
fans, despite being full of sound and fury and ultimately signifying
nothing.
Good (2 stars)
Rated PG-13
for profanity, rude gestures, mayhem and pervasive violence
Running time: 90
minutes
Distributor: Warner
Home Entertainment Group
Blu-ray/DVD Combo
Pack Extras: Crash Cams;Destroying a Custom Shelby; Metal and Asphalt; Selena
Gomez: on Set; and The Train Station.
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