DVD Review-A Perfect Getaway

At the beginning of last August, Universal dumped “A Perfect Getaway” into theaters during the heat filled dog days of summer. August has proven the dumping ground for movies studios want off their plates, and most of the titles that come out that month receive none of the fanfare the earlier summer blockbusters receive while they tear their way through box office returns. A Perfect Getaway came out to fair to decent reviews, boasted a competent cast, an exotic locale and the promise to be a nice little thriller to munch some popcorn to. It was the type of film I’d see as part of a double feature on a Saturday afternoon while trying to escape the stifling humidity. It came out just as I was leaving for a two week vacation, and by the time I came home, no theaters nearby were still showing it. Really, no skin off my back, but I was happy to find the Blu Ray in my mailbox via Netflix earlier this week.

Cliff and Cyndy (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) have just married and are off to Hawaii to enjoy their honeymoon. However, the excitement of hiking through the gorgeous landscapes en route to a private beach are tempered when they learn another couple has been killed on a nearby island, and the killer is still on the loose. They begin to have doubts about their trail guides Nick and Gina (Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez). Nick is an ex-special ops veteran from the Iraq War with a platinum place in his head. While he’s wooing the screenwriter Cliff in hopes of seeing his exploits on the big screen, the newlyweds start to question whether he’s just softening up their guard before he moves in for the kill. Also, what is up with the crazy pair of hitchhikers they’d met earlier and why do they seem to be following the group?

That’s the simple premise behind the film, and it’s a fun one to watch. The deal with this movie is there’s a twist at the midway point that completely turns it on its head, and makes you see the events from earlier in a completely different perspective. Twohy sets up expectations for a twist throughout the film as Zahn’s screenwriter character refers to “red herrings” while talking to Nick. At one point, a minor character walks by the group warning them that “There’s lots of twists and turns up ahead”. Little moments lead the viewer to believe that no one is what they appear and a brief bit of dialogue from Jovovich

The twenty minutes that follow the twist are the film’s best. Twohy replaces color with blue/white filters that flashback through the events leading up to the pivotal moment, and it looks razor sharp. These scenes show each of the characters and their motivations in a whole new light. While the third act of the film, revolving around chasing and hunting one another down, gets a little too enamored with split screens and slow motion action, it still pays off in a satisfying way.

While it won’t win any awards, A Perfect Getaway is a nifty little entry into the survival horror genre. The film looks gorgeous. Shot on location, if nothing else it will make you start looking up travel sites for possible vacation spots. Olyphant is fantastic as the world’s smartest hick and survivalist. On Blu-Ray the film's transfer is simply stunning. There’s just enough dementedness to his character where you’re always guessing what’s going on with him. Steve Zahn is far from his usual comfort zone as zany sidekick, but he plays the role of neurotic husband to a ‘T’. Twohy doesn’t try stuffing too much into the film, keeping its premise simple and allowing the action to unfold without trying to hoodwink the audience. Sometimes after months of over the top horror fare it’s all right to kick back to something a bit more “horror-lite” for the night.