A Perfect Getaway (2009) User Reviews

Blatantly Inconsistent

[chubbuck35 · 5/10 · 19 August 2009]

I would have given this movie 7 or maybe even 8 stars if not for one HUGE inconsistency in the movie: The characters who end up being the killers are completely inconsistent between the 1st and 2nd halves of the movie. For example, they have multiple "secret" conversations with just the two of them trying to "figure out" if one of the other couples could possibly be the murderers. They make comments such as "It really could be them", and imply that they really think a specific couple is the murderers. This is completely inconsistent because if they were alone (and they were the murderers all along) then why would they feel the need to speak like this to each other all by themselves???? It does not reconcile. The only reason was to "trick" (or basically, lie) to the audience by making them completely different characters half-way through the movie, and ignoring everything they might have lead us to believe about them up to that point, whether it makes sense or not. I love a good plot twist, but when the writer/director has to lie and make the characters inconsistent like this in order to do so, it really turns me off of the movie.

Other than the above, the scenery was unbelievable and makes me want to go to Hawaii very badly, and I thought the acting was terrific.

Good thriller. Keeps you guessing.

[dustyjoe · 7/10 · 9 August 2009]

This is a good movie. However, it will probably not get a fair shot by most. The reason is the way the story is structured in which apparently nothing happens in the first 45 minutes. For today's average 18-34 audience this is almost intolerable as they are now conditioned to expect cheap CGI thrills and impossibly huge explosions in the first two minutes of the film (not necessarily a bad thing BTW). What underrated Director/Writer David Towhy is doing is actually putting your brain to work during the first two acts of the movie, all the while enjoying some incredible visuals of the Hawaiian tropical rain forest. Towhy concentrates on subtle character development. The acting is good. Mila Jovovich and Timothy Oliphant are the two that carry the film throughout. All in all I have to say that Towhy put out a fairly plausible story here with none of the CGI generated hyperbole that we see so much of nowadays.

Let The Games Begin.

[moviewizguy · 7/10 · 10 July 2010]

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… --© Universal

A PERFECT GETAWAY is one of the more genuinely smarter thrillers I've seen in quite awhile. It has a clever script in the same vein as SCREAM written by David Twohy, who's also the director. You have characters that are self aware of things called "red herrings" and "twists," almost as if they are breaking the fourth wall, not to mention one of our characters is a screenwriter. And, to top it off, the film does not rely on cheap, gimmicky action sequences and CGI to keep things interesting. It's truly a first-rate thriller.

But I'm sad to say the film is not for everyone. To some, nothing really happens in the first two acts of the film. To me, I was so interested in the character development and the discussions the characters were having. The first two acts is all build up to an explosive third act where director Twohy pulls all the stops. If you're willing to sit and pay attention in the talky scenes, you'll be rewarded. Pay no attention at all, and you'll be missing a lot of crucial information that ties into a plot twist.

Speaking of twists, the surprise twist in here is, I'll admit, not that surprising. However, it's executed really well. And I'm sure some people will be put off by the twist because how it cheats. I'm here to say it doesn't. Like Roger Ebert said, it only seems to. The script is written in a way that the plot is tight and that there aren't any contradicting scenes that will bring the story down. It's as if Twohy found all the loose ends and fixed them up until there were no plot holes at all.

I enjoyed the performances a lot. Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich play characters in which I would love to hang out with. Zahn is as great as always in the geeky role. Jovovich also pulls off a convincing performance as the sympathetic, free-loving wife. Timothy Olyphant also does a terrific job making his character likable yet suspicious. Kiele Sanchez is great as his girlfriend. Chris Hemsworth and Marley Shelton play another couple, although I felt they were underused.

In the end, the film is a perfectly fine thriller that makes you guess and second guess yourself. The film truly benefits from Twohy's extremely clever script and great direction. I also liked the score by Boris Elkis and the beautiful cinematography. If you like thrillers, give this a watch. You won't regret stopping for this getaway. I'm sorry. I just had to do it.

Another winner from Twohy

[Cujo108 · 5 August 2010]

Newlyweds Cliff (Steve Zahn) and Cydney (Milla Jovovich) are honeymooning in Hawaii when they decide to hike a popular trail through the lush Hawaiian wilderness. Halfway into their hike, the two learn about the slaying of another newlywed couple on one of the neighboring islands. The killers? A man and woman. Soon after, they encounter another couple on the trail, Nick (Timothy Olyphant) and his girlfriend, Gina (Kiele Sanchez). The four continue on the trail as a group, but it isn't long before Cliff and Cydney begin to suspect their new acquaintances of being the killers. There's also the shady hitchhikers, Kale (Chris Hemsworth) and Cleo (Marley Shelton, looking particularly nice with braided hair), who seem to be following them.

While I was able to correctly guess the identity of the killer's just from watching the trailer, I still had a great time with this. The performances are really strong. I've heard others say that Zahn and Jovovich aren't a believable pairing. I've seen several instances of stunning women with less attractive guys, so that's nonsense. Aside from that, they're terrific together. This is a dialogue-heavy film with several amusing character moments thrown in, all of which the actors nail. Olyphant is the standout as Nick, a former marine with a bit of a screw loose. The humor actually works, the quirkiness adding to the picture. I also thought that the B&W exposition scene was well-done, better than most of it's ilk. These types of scenes are generally frowned upon, but here it winds up being a highlight.

The Puerto Rican locations (subbing for Hawaii) are quite lovely, though the dangers of the trail aren't played up as much as I'd expected. It isn't an element that's necessarily needed, however, as I found the film to be plenty suspenseful as is. The killers were obvious to me, yes, but the I was more caught up in the situations than the reveal. For instance, the situation of the reveal made for a terrific moment. It's all in how it's done. While I could have done without the annoying screenwriter in-jokes, they don't ruin the suspense either.

I'd say that director David Twohy has more hits than misses, and this clever slice of pulpy entertainment continues that trend.

Hawaiian Honeymoon

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 16 February 2010]

During the honeymoon in Hawaii, the screenwriter Cliff Anderson (Steve Zahn) and his wife Cydney (Milla Jovovich) decide to hike in the Kalalau Trail to a paradisiacal beach. While driving to the spot, they refuse to give a lift to the strange couple Kale (Chris Hemsworth) and Cleo (Marley Shelton). Cliff and Cydney befriend the former marine Nick (Timothy Olyphant) in the trail and then they meet three girls that tell them that the police are chasing a man and a woman that had slaughtered a couple in honeymoon in Oahu, removing their teeth and finger tips. Cliff and Cydney decide to go along with Nick and they meet his girlfriend Gina (Kiele Sanchez) that is camped in Secret Falls. The two couples decide to tag along to the beach together, and along their journey, they feel tense with possible stalkers until the police helicopter captures Kale and Cleo. But danger is still in the Kalalau Trail.

"A Perfect Getaway" is a surprisingly great thriller, with Steve Zahn performing an unusual role. The screenplay is excellent and the plot is very well-constructed. When I finished watching the DVD, I decided to watch the beginning again to find any possible plot hole, but the dialogs are ambiguous and it is impossible to discover the identities of the killers. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Trilha" ("The Trail")

intelligent witty and gripping thriller set against a stunning backdrop - Hawaii

[HelenMary · 7/10 · 17 February 2013]

Unfortunately I had seen a spoiler review, by accident, prior to watching this, which did diminish some of the suspense in this film for me. However, in retrospect, I don't understand many reviewer's comments about the two halves of the film (before the murderers are revealed) and them not acting in accordance with knowing they did it. I didn't see that at all, and they were clearly concerned about people knowing they did it. What did confuse me, however, was WHY they were doing what they did, and whilst there were clues, some aspects were not given and to me they were the ones that I was questioning! I was surprised at the film having seen the trailers as they seemed quite (cleverly) misleading. It is, all told, a suspenseful film in that you don't know how the nefarious pair will be caught and how many/who will survive. Though in saying that it is a little bit Hollywood and largely predictable and the twists were seen coming a mile away. Perhaps I can say that with hindsight given that I did know some plot points ahead of time but even so, to me it was obvious anyway. I guessed quite a few things and was glad how it ended up.

Hawaiian born, Timothy Olyphant was just superb, believable and constant, and convincingly teamed with Kiele Sanchez who was feisty and super-cool. I've liked everything I've seen Steve Zahn do and this was no exception, I think it showed him as a brilliant actor to be so varied, chameleon-like and in such an action role where he is usually associated with geeky characters (love him in Reality Bites). Mila Jovovich was also great - in fact all the actors were well formed, interesting and generally believable making for a good ensemble cast in a gripping action thriller. I'd have liked to have seen more of the Chris Hemsworth and Marley Shelton couple.

The SFX people did a good job with all the bloody wounds, mutilations and injuries, they were very impressive and I became quite squeamish at a few. I thought it was wonderful to see the calm, beauty and grandeur of Hawaii as a backdrop for quite an ugly story. Whilst I didn't quite get a motivation for all the misdeeds that went on, it was still a very good watch and the script was clever, witty (making fun of typical action film blunders, I just thought something like "he'd have run out of bullets" and the guy goes and says, "I should have been counting my bullets" etc) and intelligent. A film is always getting an extra point for referencing Cool Hand Luke!!

A Solid and Quick Moving B-Picture

[MovieDude1893 · 6/10 · 7 August 2009]

A Perfect Getaway {dir. David Twohy,2009}

**½/****

A solid, fast paced B-thriller with winking (and surprising) sense of humor, A Perfect Getaway is not as much of a stiff genre exercise as the ads may make it seem. It is true, there is a final twist, but it falls in line with the rest of the film: a slightly off-kilter, audacious, but entertaining endnote. As an exercise of set up and payoff, both halves of the film work fairly well on their own terms, but I cannot help but wish that the first half had a bit more palpable Hitchcockian tension and suspense instead of "Scream"-like rib nudging . Nevertheless, this is involving enough and thrilling enough to be worth at least the price of a matinée, providing that your willing to suspend your proverbial disbelief.

Do NOT buy into the negative comments!

[oiblay · 8/10 · 20 December 2009]

First off, you need to know that I joined IMDb purely to undo the diabolically misleading rating that this movie has gotten. I must say, I was not expecting much from it, but as the credits rolled by, I quickly made the decision that this movie was going up on my facebook list of favorite movies.

Milla Jovovich has never been a spectacular actress in my book. She's great in action flicks (I am a massive fan of the Resident Evil series!), but I've always found that she goes a bit overboard when taking on dramatic or real life roles. I was more than pleasantly surprised when it dawned on me just how good a job she did on this film! Granted, no one needed Oscar worthy acting to pull off their roles; every actor in this film held their own.

From beginning to end, I was totally drawn in - both character and story-wise. Sure, you come across some clichés here and there, but that's totally to be expected. The entire movie is cleverly put together and is sure to keep you guessing every step of the way. The characters are well developed, the acting is great, the scenery and cinematography are outstanding - some very inventive shots towards the climax of the film - and the story will definitely leave you with the feeling that "it" actually hasn't all been done before.

Every person that has rated this movie low falls under one of two categories: Either they missed an integral part of the story (I watched the film twice just to make sure I was right about this), or they have ludicrously high standards.

Movies are by no means my life. I'm sure my rating of 8 is probably a bit biased (for some reason, this movie really did it for me on pretty much all fronts), but any rating below a 7, in my humble opinion, says more about a lack on the reviewer's end... not the film's. This is definitely a must see for anyone into this genre! One for the collection, even!

Not bad, but too obvious

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 22 June 2012]

A PERFECT GETAWAY is a whodunit-style mystery set on some Hawaiian islands. There's been a brutal murder nearby, and the scriptwriter introduces three separate couples into the mix, inviting us to watch as they interact and mistrust one another. It's the viewer's job to work out who the killer is before the time runs out. I have to say that I worked out the twist early on, something I'm not normally able to do, so it's up to you in deciding whether it's over-obvious or not.

As such, it's a rather artificial exercise in filmmaking. There's a distinct tongue-in-cheek approach to the material, a slightly deliberate cheesiness at what's going on. Certainly, once the killers have been uncovered there's a huge misstep in the way in which the filmmakers pause their movie and take ten minutes out, in excruciating detail, to reveal how their twist came out. And from that point in, the predictable survival antics ring slightly hollow.

Until that point, your enjoyment of the movie depends on how caught up you are in the mystery and how much you like the actors. I found Steve Zahn to be out of his depth in a non-comedy, and Milla Jovovich to be as shrill and annoying as ever. But Timothy Olyphant more than makes up for that with a truly great turn as a charismatic ex-forces guy with a metal plate in his head. Olyphant's kooky performance bests sums up this movie's quirky atmosphere and his presence alone is worth an extra star.

"Twist" ending a slap in the face to anyone intelligent

[dalxray · 3/10 · 28 October 2009]

First of all, I can't believe SO many people are rating this film so highly as a great thriller when the first half of the movie is deliberately false. Remember people, it's only a good twist if it does not violate the internal logic of the film! If you spent the time to read a murder mystery and the murderer turned out to be some guy that wasn't introduced until the last page, would you be feel satisfied, or ripped-off? Unfortunately you can see the twist coming a mile away but frankly I didn't want to believe the talented David Twohey would stoop so low. Basically the first half shows numerous scenes with the Zahn/Jovovich couple wondering (to themselves) who the murderers are. Unless you are outright lying to the audience, denying them the chance to figure it out, these scenes clearly establish that Zahn/Jovovich are not the killers. Then comes the "twist" - they are in fact the killers and the filmmakers have been lying to you. Absolutely idiotic and a slap in the face to anyone who appreciates a well-crafted movie. I'd rate this lower but for the good performances of the principal actors, especially Oliphant. Rewatch "The Usual Suspects" instead.

Much better than I expected.

[ValianceInEnd · 8/10 · 7 August 2009]

A Perfect Getaway was nowhere near a perfect film, but it was certainly a good film. The trailers made it out to be a much more non-stop, action thriller than it really was, showing the last 20 minutes. The majority of the film centers around paranoia. It is true though that the plot twist can be seen coming from a mile away, but how it is delivered is where it succeeds. While I personally wasn't surprised, how the twist was presented was quite original and chill-inducing. I'll leave it at that. Where this film really succeeds is in the cinematography and acting, both of which are superb. The locale is beautiful, all the colors are vibrantly displayed and everything looks crisp. There are some scenes with intriguing camera work that works well to add intensity and be intuitive. All the actors really give it their best and create believable characters. Milla was good as usual, but Zahn really surprised me. I never really gave him credit for how good of an actor he is until about now. Overall, it's worth the watch and is ultimately very entertaining with wonderful characters.

Sunny, with a chance of homicide.

[dunmore_ego · 7/10 · 2 July 2010]

Remember when it was cool for a movie to have a twist? Even a bad twist was a Good Thing. Then M. Night Shyamalan came along and gave us The Greatest Twist Of All in THE SIXTH SENSE... and screwed it up for everyone. "Twist" has become a bad word over the last decade, and people only discuss "twists" of movies to weed out the less sophisticated who never saw it coming, disparaging them as if they have no sense of story structure like THEY do. I don't know how this elite poo-poohing of twists has come about. All I know is - I still get that boyhood thrill when a filmmaker can put it over on me for a length of time - and then, after revealing the Big T, still pour on the storytelling to the end.

Writer-director David Twohy gives us some fine twists in PERFECT GETAWAY, a tension-soaked thriller that ratchets suspense not unlike a junior Hitchcock or Tarantino. (Twohy is probably better known for those Riddick movies (PITCH BLACK, 2000, and CHRONICLES, 2004) which took themselves a tad seriously, but his 1996 THE ARRIVAL was more along this movie's lines - a suspenseful, surprise-filled actioner with Charlie Sheen discovering extraterrestrial aliens infiltrating human society.)

Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) are a dorky, good-looking couple honeymooning in Hawaii, who hear of a murderer couple who have just escaped capture on the island of Oahu, where they just came from. They meet and tag along with dynamite-sexy adventurer couple Nick and Gina (Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez). Skulking on the periphery is ripped hippie couple Kale and Cleo (Chris Hemsworth and Marley Shelton).

Through dialog and misdirection, Twohy strings us along jungle trails, in a well-constructed, simple but effective story, where every couple fake-smiles and secretly suspects each other couple to be the Oahu killers trying to blend in to escape notice, with all of them giving each other good reason to suspect.

It doesn't hurt the production that there are sexy chicks in bikinis at every eye-candy turn.

Timothy Olyphant has The Cool Role, as some kind of covert ex-special forces operative, a self-proclaimed "American Jedi," - whose outlandish anecdotes seem like pandering to Cliff's screen writing proclivities.

Twohy throws in a few minor characters that all sport that suspicious glare to throw us either on or off the track. And some fine split-screening and extroverted gore keeps the action tight.

Can't say any more for fear of ruining the tale - come on, you don't REALLY want to sacrifice pant-tearing enjoyment for stink-nose sophistication, do you?

Nice, but with disturbing character inconsistency

[judecas · 5/10 · 21 October 2009]

First the pros - 99% of the movie was shot in daylight in the beautiful Hawaiian nature, really relaxing to the eyes. Good cast, good acting overall. Interesting story, which actually pulled my attention and made me watch the movie. The promised twist was there and was a big one, but more about it in cons... Cons - Well, the promised "twist" was a huge and unexpected one. So unexpected it was really difficult to believe. It made me wondering like "Wow, wait a minute! Weren't they doing this and this a few minutes ago? Didn't they tell this and this? Ehmmm.... they actually did, so what the...?" The script wasn't really finished (well) IMHO, it made me feel like the story was born during writing the script, but after finishing it there was no time/will to rework the beginning and synchronize it with the end. This made the lead characters really inconsistent and left me quiet unsatisfied after the movie ended, even if I have to say the final action sequence was good enough.

Entertaining thriller

[imdbbl · 2 November 2009]

The Perfect Getaway tells the story of newlyweds Cliff and Cydney who go to the tropical islands of Hawaii for their honeymoon.There they meet Kale and Cleo, two disgruntled hitchhikers and Nick and Gina, two wild but well-meaning spirits who help guide them through the lush jungles.Everything takes a turn for the worst when Cliff and Cydney learn of a grisly murder that occurred nearby.The local police is looking for a couple and Cliff and Cydney new acquaintances happen to fit the description of the killers. The perfect getaway is a little thriller that serves its purpose; it entertains but if you're expecting more then that you're going to be disappointed.There's a big twist that adds originality to this genre which is usually full of clichés, but honestly, I saw it coming. If you're an avid movie goer you'll probably figure it out,if not, chances are you'll be surprised.Having said that the script is very well written and well thought.The locations are beautiful and the acting is great by all parts,specially Steve Zahn who has been getting better and better roles lately.As I said, The Perfect Getaway is an entertaining little thriller but its far from being a great movie. Just manage your expectations and watch it for what it is.

6.5/10

A Perfect Getaway - Surprisingly Good

[jonathanruano · 7/10 · 7 November 2010]

"A Perfect Getaway" is a whodunit murder mystery, set in Hawaii, based on a clever mind game that plays with the prejudices of its audience (including myself). It does this so well that you will probably not figure out who the killers are until you are two-thirds into the movie. I was tricked because although I knew something deep and sinister was going to happen, I had no idea what the twists were. What is more, I could not dismiss this mind trick by saying that the film was arbitrary and the facts could prove that any two characters were the murderers. In fact, the evidence could only point one way. The problem was that I did not attach significance to certain events because my own prejudice made me think that another couple were responsible for the rash of murders.

That is the achievement of this film. But "A Perfect Getaway" does have a few weaknesses. The chases, the violence and the "look behind you" scenes were generic and could be found in any Hollywood action film or thriller whose goal is to get by on cheap thrills. It surprises me how the film director, the producers and the screenwriters could make a movie with an intelligent set-up, a pretty smart plot, only to lose their nerve and go for a tacky ending. There was also a very silly scene in the end with four medical students who decided to believe the murderer's story over the story of the woman whose leg had been stabbed. Perhaps, it is a cultural thing. But I suspect that if this film was being madein Europe, the medical students would have been depicted as far more intelligent than they are in this film.

But those weaknesses are in the last twenty minutes and this movie lasts for more than 1 hour and 30 minutes. So overall, there are enough good things in this film to recommend the picture and give it 7 to 7.5 out of 10. I also want to point out that Milla Jovovich, on this rare occasion, gave a good performance as Cydney Anderson. I actually believed in her performance. Steven Zahn was interesting as Cliff Anderson. But my favorite performance in this movie was Timophy Oliphant as Nick who seems easy going, laid back and decent, but who has this crazy energy and seems to harbor demons that occasionally come to the surface. Kiele Sanchez also does a good job playing Nick's love interest, Gina.

A tasty slice of entertainment...

[Siamois · 7/10 · 27 December 2009]

With his latest film, director and writer David Twohy has once again crafted a story that stands on its own yet features characters we wouldn't mind revisiting in future movies.

A Perfect Getaway features a simple premise. Cliff and Sydney (played convincingly by Zahn and Jovovich) are having their honeymoon in Hawaii, while serial murders of young couples in the area are reported. The viewers are in for a thrill ride as the duo meet other tourists along the way, many of which appear alarmingly suspect.

For a major part of the film, these two hook up with Nick and Gina and the relationship between all four is fascinating to watch. Actors Olyphant and Sanchez are wonderful playing these parts and the chemistry between all four actors makes the movie work.

The cinematography and pacing of this film is as effective as what was seen in Pitch Black, although both movies obviously go for a slightly different feel. Twohy effectively makes Hawaii look like a paradise but also a remote, isolated and potentially menacing area. This makes the film both eye candy and a great thriller.

If anything, the movie could have been an instant classic but is ruined by a final confrontation that lets the viewers down and seems to take the easy road. It is almost anti- climactic in the way it unfolds.

Much like Pitch Black, the movie is still pleasant in that it mixes light humour with the drama and tension. Twohy firmly intends to entertain first and foremost without pretension and this is what makes the movie work. The film also makes for a pleasant repeat viewing, which is why it deserves a solid 7.

Get the popcorn out and enjoy the ride!

Excellent- suspenseful, action-packed, darkly humorous, a good time at the cinema

[Meven_Stoffat · 7/10 · 10 August 2009]

Today we went to the theater to see the new David Twohy film "A Perfect Getaway". I had been anticipating it for a while- It had Milla Jovovich and Steve Zahn, two notoriously good actors, and it looked brutal and fun. So we went to the cinema to go see it. And I walked out VERY satisfied! At 98 minutes, A Perfect Getaway is a great mix of suspense, dark comedy, action, and good acting!

Two newlyweds named Cliff and Cydney go on their honeymoon in beautiful Hawaiian mountains. They decide to backpacking to this beautiful beach, Along the way they meet a couple, the guy's name is Nick and the Girl's name is Giele. Nick is a former US Army officer, and Giele is a sweet southern girl who has learned tricks for things like hunting. They go along with them.

However, there's two killers who have done killing on the same island, and this causes many people to be worried. However, the four realize the further they go, the closer they get to being maimed by the killers...

This is the perfect thriller, and hands down one of the best movies of 09. Twohy is a filmmaker I'm not fond of, I did NOT like either of the Riddick films, and even more so, he's just not a great filmmaker in general. But here he takes a simple concept and turns it into a complex, multi-layered story that has the audience on the edges of their seats for the 98 minute runtime.

Halfway through, the film takes an interesting turn with a shocking plot twist. Instead of just saving the twist until the end so it can be OMGZ SHOCKING, it is revealed halfway through. Then we go and discover how that twist is possible in a 10 minute B&W flashback that shows us how it's possible. Even more so, for the first half we're worried for one couple. Then after the twist, we're worried for the others. Rarely ever has a good thriller ever done that. I earned new respect for Twohy upon watching this happen, and it's part of what made me walk out of the theater at the end going "Whoa, that was an effing good movie." The film is not without it's dark comedy too. Don't let the trailer fool you into thinking it's a brutal and ugly film that'll disturb you. It has a good deal of dark comedy in it. It's done in the most subtle way possible- it's not randomly placed, it's well placed. And the best thing is, a lot of it happens in the horrible stuff. There are couple scenes where we're not sure if we should be going "That's HORRIBLE!" or just laughing our butts off. Very well done, and very effective too.

So in short, without the stupid "Are you ROGUE?" logo before the film's opening scene, I have not a single complaint about this movie. It was a day at the cinema well spent, and definitely worth the 98 minutes. I knew it was going to be good, but even then I was surprised by the movie. Don't miss out on this film, because it's an excellent thriller, and one of the must see movies of 2009.

the filmic equivalent of a decent beach-reading book

[Quinoa1984 · 6/10 · 10 August 2009]

One of the things you'll read about in the reviews of A Perfect Getaway, if you're the kind of guy or gal who does that sort of thing, is that there's quite a TWIST (in caps) that happens at about 2/3 of the way into the movie. I didn't see the twist quite coming, though thinking back there were a few clever touches, some a little subtle (i.e. a simple quick cutaway to a fidgeting with a ring on a finger, if that doesn't spoil too much), but it's something that goes on a little too long in explaining, and becomes a little too ludicrous to take really seriously (the meth is the thing that made it stupid for me, or just not explicable). And yet, after this twist comes around, the movie becomes a guilty pleasure, a bad-ass action movie with lots of running around (and with crazy frame changes!) and shooting and jumping and slashing of hands and fingers... for twenty minutes.

Before this happens, we're fooled into believing this will be a thriller with characters to care about and even with their quirks or suspicions as "normal" people, and it's fairly well acted to boot. Hell, we even get one of Milla Jovovich's best performances, maybe the one where she actually has to do real *acting* as opposed to Resident Evil posing, since her films with Luc Besson. It's also lots of fun watching Timothy Olyphant as a self-proclaimed 'G-Damn American Jedi' who, according to himself and his Mississippi woman 'Can't be killed'. And it's beautifully shot in Hawaii, with the only suspicion to have here is that the crew of Lost had to battle for gorgeous locations.

A Perfect Getaway is made by a confident professional (David Twohy) and acted by some really good actors, and it doesn't entirely work from start to finish. But there's some really terrific scenes and a BANG of a third act. You don't have to rush to see it, but I dare you to change the channel when it comes to cable.

A Perfect Getaway- Misinterpreted

[lilrach9 · 8/10 · 6 June 2011]

A Perfect Getaway was a surprisingly good movie in my opinion, but it was very misinterpreted. Reading other reviews, I noticed that many people think that the first half of the movie and the second half are inconsistent. However, if you watch the movie again, you can see that it is not. Watching it a first time, the film makes the audience believe that Zahn and Jovovich are worried that the other people are the killers. Watching it again, you can actually tell that Zahn and Jovovich are actually just worried that they are going to get caught. And they also might just be worried because they are intimidated by Olyphant. That is what makes this movie very well planned in my opinion. It is never completely set in stone that Zahn and Jovovich are the killers, it only makes the audience think that by the way they word their conversations. Watching it again, with the knowledge of the ending, you can put things together and realize that there is a completely different conversation going on, you just do not know it yet. I think this film was such a good mystery movie and really made you think. The acting was great and so was the cinematography. It is definitely at the top of my list for awesome movies.

a really big twist that...

[MLDinTN · 7/10 · 27 June 2010]

I didn't get while watching the movie, but after reading some of the comments here, it makes more sense. While watching the movie, what I didn't get was how did that girl watching the video camera all of a sudden know who the killers was, but it has been explained in these comments. I plan to go back to watch it a second time to see all the "clues" I may have missed.

But the general plot of the film is a couple, Cliff and Cydney, are on their honeymoon in Hawaii. They begin a 11 mile hike to a beach. Along the way, they run into some girls that tell them about a couple murdered on another island. There are 2 other couples around besides Cliff and Cydney. One couple they are very suspicious of, and the other one, Nick and Gina, they decide aren't so bad so continue the hike with them.

It's sort of slow in the beginning, but gets better once you get to the goat killing.

FINAL VERDICT: Don't read any spoilers before watching. I thought it was entertaining.

"Let's add a twist... Because we can!"

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 2/10 · 24 August 2009]

Ah, thrillers, the genre that can either hit or miss, because of it's wonderful "twist" endings. Now when I saw the trailer for A Perfect Getaway, I have to admit that I was intrigued, the advertisement said that it had a great twist ending, and for fun my boyfriend and I always like to go to these movies and try to see who can guess what the ending is, whoever guesses first and correctly will buy dinner, lol. So I happened to be right on this one, well, we both did, we pretty much figured out from the beginning, even though the director was trying to be "sly" about the whole thing, but never since The Perfect Stranger with Halle Berry and Bruce Willis, have I seen such a pathetic twist ending. This is one of those movies that is the "let's have a twist ending because we can" while I would have been perfectly happy if this was just an average thriller/horror movie. Instead we don't get the best from the actors and a very silly movie.

A young couple, Cliff and Cydney are celebrating their honeymoon by hiking to a remote beach in Hawaii. The couple comes across two hitchhikers, Cleo and Kale, and a group of frightened hikers discussing a double murder in Honolulu of another newlywed couple on the island, with the victims having their teeth pulled out, and they begin to question whether they should turn back. Unsure whether to stay or flee, Cliff and Cydney join up with another couple, Nick, who claims to have a titanium plate in his head and be a former special forces operative, and his longtime girlfriend, Gina, a former butcher. Far from civilization or rescue, everyone begins to look like a threat and nobody knows whom to trust. They later see Cleo and Kale getting arrested under the suspicion of murder. Gina and Cydney reveal that each thought that the others were the killers, and the group continues to the beach. Even though everything seems to be in the clear, things are not always as they seem.

A Perfect Getaway is seriously a ridicules movie that made no sense whatsoever, even with the ending being that Cliff and Cydney are the killers, why the heck in the beginning when we, the audience, are trying to figure out who the killers are, we get friggin' obvious Bonnie and Clyde type of girl and guy who are not too subtle on the "we are the killers" look. So it's like pointing out the typical creepy janitor in horror movies, you know that they're not the killers and then you have Cliff and Cydney who are talking about the other couple being the killers and it makes no sense. In fact neither does this paragraph, this movie has me so confused, lol. But point being, A Perfect Getaway was a waste of time and money. I strongly recommend you stay away form it, it was pretty lame.

2/10

If you think you know who dun it, think again! Well done!

[brusimm · 8/10 · 22 December 2010]

It's hard to say anything about "The Perfect Getaway" without giving away the great way that director/writer David Twohy brings this classic tale of "screaming, running for your life" movie to the screen.

Some may call the first hour a bit slow but it's really the perfect build to the final act. Dialog and plot developments keep the viewer's mind fully guessing as to who might start killing whoever! And if you've never seen this movie, and never looked up any spoiler outlines, I'm guessing your guess will be wrong. Until the reveal, I couldn't decide who it was that's going to snap, even when I thought it was becoming obvious.

Timothy Olyphant is awesome in this role, as is the rest of the primary cast, with Chris Hemsworth being the angry hitchhiker and Steve Zahn & Milla Jovovich playing the part of the honeymooners.

I give Twohy 2 thumbs up for making this movie fresh, engaging and confusing.

Not bad at all

[RonKlijn · 7/10 · 4 January 2013]

I watched the movie, because someone recommended it to me as a movie you should give a chance. That's exactly what it is. Reading reviews here some think there is an inconsistency in the behavior of two people. I also had that feeling, but thought it wasn't the case and just a feeling. I looked at the scenes were this could have happened again and can now safely conclude the movie is fully consistent. It's not a masterpiece, but in it's genre it's truly a nice ride. It keeps you thinking all the way through. Good acting, great scenery. Movies with story lines in which you don't know exactly were it goes right until the end are rare. This is one such movie.

Horrendous twist

[danielmanson · 3/10 · 11 February 2021]

There are just way too many issues and inconsistencies with this film for me to like it. And it's a huge shame because the first 45 minutes or so I was fully invested in what's going on. Now I normally don't like doing reviews with spoilers, but since the plot is such a joke I can't not talk about it. So I'll sum up now and below are the issues I had with the film.

So overall it's a poor watch, poor twist that feels like a slap in the face and just not a good watch. It spends 45 minutes of not a lot happening for it to derail and just start going all over the place. I don't recommend.

The plot issues.

One moment just completely derails the film and single handedly ruins the whole thing. The "twist". And here's why: So the first 45 mins you are following these 2 couples on vacation and there's a murderer loose and couple no1 frequently talk to themselves about who it could be? Could it be couple no2? Note, they talked about it amongst themselves. Nobody else can hear other than husband and wife. So obviously the big twist is that it is in fact couple no1 who's killing. And it's just such a giant slap in the face to the audience. Why would they talk to themselves about who is it, if it's them? It's honestly so stupid and poorly done.

From then on it's a bit of a battle as they attempt to kill couple no2. Even though they had thousands of times they could have quite easily have done it with a lot less hassle. It's all just so stupid.

A third couple is introduced for about 15 seconds and it sets out it could be these and they are hunting them down. No no. They just ignore that whole storyline for the entirety of the film.

I'm honestly angry at this film, it could have been done so much better than it was. I'm going for 3 as the cinematography was good as was the acting. But that's where it ends.

Good Thriller with Questionable Twists

[Michael_Elliott · 18 August 2009]

Perfect Getaway, A (2009)

*** (out of 4)

The "old dark house" genre was made famous back in the silent days as we'd get a group of people in one house with the idea that one of them is a killer. That basic idea continues with this film, although instead of a house we're treated the beautiful locations of Hawaii. A newlywed couple (Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich) are on their honeymoon in Hawaii and decide to go on an eleven mile hike. Half way through the hike they learn that another newlywed couple were butchered. The film then has our couple meeting two other couples (Timothy Olyphant/Kiele Sanchez, Marley Shelton, Chris Hemsworth) with the possibility that one of them are the murderers. This 97-minute movie is pure buildup for the final ten minutes when the twist is revealed. I certainly won't reveal the twist but I must say I was somewhat letdown by it but not enough to really enjoy the film. This is the type of movie that gives you a rather simple idea and then works every little inch out of it and in the end we're left with a pretty tense little thriller that is sadly being marketed as a horror movie, which might keep some people away. The film benefits from the great locations, terrific acting and some nice direction. All six leads do a terrific job and it was great seeing someone like Zahn get the leading role. He's basically played supporting roles most of his career but he has no problem carrying the film here. He and Jovovich have great chemistry together and work well with the other cast members. Olyphant clearly steals the film as the ex-soldier who is hiding a few secrets of his own. Another very positive thing about this film is that the majority of it takes place during the daylight so there's nothing jumping out of the shadows at night. I think it's brave to try and build suspense during the day but the director pulls it off perfectly. The 2.35:1 aspect ratio picks up the entire beauty of the island, which really becomes a character all by itself. The film is up for a lot of debate over the twists and turns it takes, which is good. Discussion never hurts a movie and I'm sure people will be discussing what happens here. I personally found it to be a cheat but a lot of thrillers do this. No matter how one feels about the twists there's really no denying that there's still a lot of fun and tension building up to the final moments.