Most critics have destroyed “Getaway”. And I’ll admit that it is one of those films that’s cheesy, way over-the-top, with logic taking a back seat to the action. But if you go along for the ride, as I did, it can also be a whole lot of fun.
Ethan Hawke stars as former racecar driver Brent Magna (come on, even his name is fun) who’s wife is kidnapped by bad guys. He then receives a phone call from a mysterious man named “The Voice” (played by Jon Voight), who instructs Brent to do whatever he tells him to do or he’ll never see his wife alive again. He first steals a Ford Shelby Mustang Super Snake, which he’ll be using to follow instructions in hopes of saving his wife. Then Selena Gomez shows-up as “The Kid” (we never learn her real name) and she ends-up joining Brent on a wild, high-speed night around the city of Sofia, Bulgaria, as he races to complete tasks, which consist mostly of crashing into and destroying as many police cars as possible.
We began the summer with a Christmas movie (“Iron Man 3”) and we end the summer with one too. The soundtrack for “Getaway” is primarily devoted to classics like “Jingle Bell Rock” because the film is set during the holiday season. If you’ve ever wanted to see a sports car speed through a park filled with Christmas decorations and holiday revelers, this is the film for you.
“Getaway” is an ideal end of the summer popcorn flick. There’s a reason it’s being released in late August. It’s a one-man “Fast & Furious”, though not nearly as enjoyable as those films. The pure destruction is impressive, as there’s a chase scene filled with crashes every few minutes. And while the script has holes large enough to drive a truck through, the stunt work and choreography is quite impressive (including a great chase at the end of the film done in one, continuous shot). There’s tons of property damage, mountains of broken glass, and insane crashes that will make you laugh-out-loud.
And that’s exactly what “Getaway” is designed to do. It’s pure escapism. Hawke and Gomez exchange bad dialogue, her ability to tap into the electronics of the car is ridiculous, and how come the Mustang never gets a flat tire? You know what – if questions like that are going to bother you – don’t see this movie. But, frankly, I was having too much of a good time to worry about stuff like that.
“Getaway” is rated PG-13 for the action/violence and adult language (a lot of S-bombs from Gomez – good thing she’s not living in The House of Mouse anymore) and is appropriate for kids 12 and up. It’s not Shakespeare (nor does it try to be – or not to be), but it is worth taking for a spin.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Getaway” gets a B-.