6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Cliff and Cydney are an adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking to one of the most beautiful, and remote, beaches in Hawaii. Hiking the wild, secluded trails, they believe they've found paradise. But when the pair comes across a group of frightened hikers discussing the horrifying murder of another newlywed couple on the islands, they begin to question whether they should turn back. Unsure whether to stay or flee, Cliff and Cydney join up with two other couples, and things begin to go terrifyingly wrong. Far from civilization or rescue, everyone begins to look like a threat and nobody knows whom to trust. Paradise becomes hell on earth as a brutal battle for survival begins...
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez, Steve Zahn, Marley SheltonThriller | 100% |
Mystery | 25% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: DTS 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French/Spanish DTS 5.1 lossy @768 kbps
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
D-Box
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Having built up a fair tolerance to overwrought thrillers and contrived plot twists over the years, I know I shouldn't have enjoyed A Perfect Getaway as much as I did. I know better. Writer/director David Twohy's sun-slathered whodunit isn't even a film, it's a single plot twist stretched across ninety-seven minutes of celluloid. It doesn't have characters, it has agents of manipulation and deception. It doesn't have a story, it has a series of clues delivered in rapidfire succession. It isn't engrossing, it merely piques curiosity. It isn't lovingly shot, it's brashly cobbled together. And the inevitable scene that reveals Twohy's carefully guarded secrets? No thirty-second montage here. We're force-fed a sprawling, eight-minute remapping of the entire tale. Sounds awful, right? Even writing about the film's lesser qualities is making me second guess my own taste. But, for reasons impossible to convey, A Perfect Getaway managed to lure me in, entertain the dense action-junkie I have locked away in my brain and, at the very least, keep me guessing.
As overcooked as the film itself, A Perfect Getaway's 1080p/VC-1 transfer is nevertheless a faithful representation of Twohy's every eye-searing intention. Granted, you won't find many splashes of primary bliss in Mark Plummer's uninspired, overheated, secondary-hued palette. At one point, a character staring at the jungle canopy says "I've never seen so many shades of green" when, ironically, Plummer's photography offers only a handful. But while dense foliage resembles a sea of sweaty greens, blue skies are assaulted by streaks of violet clouds, and bronzed skintones are bathed in summery oranges, Universal's high definition presentation remains rich and vibrant. Blacks are inky and contrast is strong as well, blessing the image some much-needed depth. Detail is crisp to a fault, succumbing to shimmering on occasion, but leaves a lasting impression. Textures, particularly during close-ups, are remarkably refined, foreground elements pop, and overall clarity is exceedingly sharp. Perhaps a bit too sharp. While ringing isn't a serious issue, it's clear that artificial sharpening has been used liberally, lending the picture a raw, hyper-digitized edge; one that frequently struggles to contain source noise and flickering. Otherwise, artifacting, banding, and crush are nowhere to be found, and the studio's presentation is quite proficient.
A Perfect Getaway certainly isn't an attractive film but, for better or worse, Twohy's vision is intact. Overzealous sharpening aside, fans won't find much to complain about.
Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is less impressive, mainly because the mix defaults to a rather two-dimensional soundfield. Don't get me wrong, the rear speakers come alive when called upon -- foot chases, helicopter landings, and action scenes are immersive -- but too many elements in the soundscape are anchored to the center channel. It doesn't help that directional effects tend to linger near the screen, pulling the listener forward instead of dropping them into the middle of a chaotic jungle. Average sound design? Most likely. Since Universal hasn't made a habit of releasing shoddy lossless tracks, I suspect A Perfect Getaway sounds much like it did in theaters, much like it was meant to. However, underwhelming is underwhelming. Yes, meager environmental ambience is present at all times, the acoustics of a sea cavern are spot on, and somewhat aggressive LFE output drives the film's thrills along. And yes, dialogue is clean and clear, prioritization is faultless, and pans are nice and smooth. But a reference track transports its listeners to another place, a quality sorely lacking here. As it stands, A Perfect Getaway is perfectly passable. No more, no less.
Aside from including the 107-minute director's cut and the 97-minute theatrical cut of the film itself, the Blu-ray edition of A Perfect Getaway offers just one special feature: the film's original scripted ending (HD, 2 minutes). However, considering how similar the alternate scene is to the one presented in both cuts, it's little more than a curiosity. D-Box support, BD-Live functionality, and My Scenes bookmarking round out the disc.
It's safe to say A Perfect Getaway won't be gracing any Best-of-2009 lists, but it's a semi-decent thriller that offers some appeal to guilty pleasure enthusiasts. Sadly, Universal's Blu-ray release is as hit-or-miss as the film itself. While its video transfer is faithful to Twohy's intentions, its DTS-HD Master Audio track is a tad underwhelming and its supplemental package consists of a two-minute alternate ending. In the end, A Perfect Getaway is a perfect rental. Love it, loathe it, tolerate it, it's worth three bucks and ninety minutes of your life.
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2015
2014
Detox / D-Tox / MVD Marquee Collection
2002
Scre4m
2011
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1972
Unrated Director's Cut
2018
2017
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