“There are only two ways out of their Hawaiian honeymoon hideaway, by foot or by Kayak” – the Helicopter pilot tells newlyweds Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Mila Jovovich), so this was the big first clue to what was ahead in A Perfect Getaway.

As they make there up a trail to their little beach haven they come across another couple a volatile Kale (Chris Hemsworth) and his dippy girlfriend Cleo (Marley Shelton) who try to grab a lift. But too hot the things up another couple comes along this time in the form of eccentric ex-special ops marine Nick(Timothy Olyphant) with his metal plate skull and his “little buddy” machete knife and of course not forgetting his Southern Belle Gina (Kiele Sanchez). As Cliff and Cydney decided to tag along with Nick things seem too hot up when the three pass by three girls who tell them there’s been tourist hiking killers(a couple) in the area! 3 couples? 1 killing couple? who can we trust?

This movie as Jimmy Hill the ex-football (soccer) commentator would say “It’s a game of 2 halves” well this is a film of 2 halves. The first half is the build up with tension levels rising and I have to say a little bit on the ridiculous side that you have to laugh sometimes, eccentric with the best ones between Zahn and Olyphant… red herrings or was it red snappers? Cliff the budding struggling movie script writer and nick the “American Jedi” fires away with plenty of film suggestions for Cliff to mull over, then there’s the passing walkers telling them “there’s lot’s of twists and turns ahead” This film has more twists and turns than a roller coaster convention in Blackpool, trying constantly to put you off but if your a smart arse there was plenty of clues there, just trying to decide which a true which are not. Throw eccentric couples, a southern belle who likes to skinny dip one moment then skin/gut a goat, lots of passing talk, a so-called hi-tech phones that can’t get a reception and people wondering around secretly scaring the crap out of you, so who’s the killer?!

Well after the half time refreshments (its a game of 2 halves!) the movie steps up a gear and the killers are revealed! its now cat and mouse chase time which were excellent well considering Twohy wrote Fugitive back in the 1990’s (he does do chase scenes well), a lot of violence and a little gore (how to carve yourself a tattoo with a penknife). The way the reveal was done I did like, just the flashback scene was a little O.T.T, though this was a over-the-top type of movie but in in good decent way.

A Perfect Getaway was a decent movie, it was a good B movie good for those people who are having withdrawal symptoms from the lack of a decent quality summer blockbuster. The movie wasn’t perfect it had its flaws, many of the characters worked well with each other which was good as well. David Twohy seems to do well when he’s not working with massive A-Listers and produces a decent average movie which entertains but no more.

★★★ | Paul Devine

Mystery, Thriller | USA, 2009 | 15 |Momentum Pictures | 14th August 2009 (UK) | Dir.David Twohy | Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant, Chris Hemsworth

This was posted originally at The Peoples Movies | 25th August 2009