A Perfect Getaway

A very pleasant surprise. It’s true that the beginning (i.e. the first hour) could be a lot faster or shorter, but it’s not boring for a second. Likeable characters, a beautiful landscape and fun dialogues, those are the main reasons why I didn’t have any problem with this film and its initial slow pace. The last twenty minutes are brilliant, fast and tense, with a gimmick here and there, like slow motion preceding fast motion. The only flaw in this otherwise perfect thriller are those ten minutes of exposition that may be justified, but up until then the viewer is led by the nose and this scene comes right when the film starts gaining speed, so it’s hard not to look forward to the end of that explanation. Very good summer thriller. 7/10 (18/10/2009)

A fantastic hit and one of the biggest surprises of the year. After a series of flops (which were more or less his own fault), Twohy manned up and made a terrific thriller that feels like Hitchcock came back from the dead and went to Hawaii to make another of his classics. A calm romantic introduction outlines the characters, only to be followed by a fairly unoriginal (those who have been watching will remain calm) twist and a perfect final half hour, which (also thanks to the music) is an absolutely crazy sprint full of exaggeration (skull-cracking) and undying adrenaline. The replacement Zahn and a decently acting Milla work well, but Timothy Olyphant is an otherworldly tough guy who can high-five Woody Harrelson for the sharpest tough guy of the fall season. 4 ½. (04/11/2009)

It's not shocking, it's not terribly clever, but it's damn funny! I was surprised by Steve Zahn, who certainly didn't resemble any of his "usual goofballs", and I was pleased by the nice actresses with Milla in the lead, but Timothy Olyphant was clearly the best of all. His character may have acted like something out of a cheesy B-movie, but the way he played it was breathtaking. Director Twohy deserves praise for the hellishly dense atmosphere and for the fact that the film doesn't get boring even in the passages when the characters just talk to each other. The only thing that bothered me a bit was the ending, but I'll give it four stars anyway. (20/11/2010)

This film was definitely not as pleasant a surprise for me as I had hoped. The whole plot was predictable, and because of that, it felt poorly executed and poorly anchored, where what was presented at the beginning didn't match what was happening, but not in a way that deceives the viewer like The Sixth Sense, but rather just plays a game with them, which in my opinion doesn't work. (14/04/2016)

This is exactly what I needed! Sitting tensely at the screen, guessing who's who. It's unbelievable how many emotions ran through me during that hour and a half. The cast and the script are above standard. The best people were chosen even for the smallest roles. Despite the pleasant beginning, we get into a mysterious atmosphere that you could cut with a knife. It is only after the denouement, when the cards are laid on the table that the real show begins. Even though the action ending may seem a bit comical, I enjoyed it to the last drop. 4.5 stars. (05/02/2012)