David Twohy's summer hit offers up a surprisingly lean thriller devoid of all the fat typically associated with B-movies, and is both tasty and small enough in portion to not leave the viewer feeling lethargic.


A Perfect Getaway starts off with newlyweds Cliff (Steve Zahn) and Cydney (Milla Jovovich) spending their honeymoon on one of the secluded Hawaiian Islands. Their goal: trek the dangerous hike to a popular yet isolated beach known for its lavish beauty. However, Cliff and Cydney aren't the only ones interested in reaching that destination.


The first confrontation comes 10 minutes into the film when Cliff and Cydney bump into another couple looking to hitch a ride to the same destination. After a brief moment of passive aggression and awkwardness, the hitch-hiking couple opt to reach their destination by foot and decline the offer from Cliff and Cydney.


As Cliff and Cydney make their trek to the beach, they bump into Nick (Timothy Olyphant) and Gina (Kiele Sanchez), lovers who are also looking to reach the isolated beach side. It's during this journey that Cliff learns via mobile phone update that there are a pair of killers on the same island, and he and Cydney begin to question whether they have bumped into the killers already.


Twohy knows what the vision of his film is about and does well to keep the script concise. The meat of his story he creates through suspenseful or awkward moments that the various couples share among each other. This helps keep a steady rhythm within the movie and the film reaches its message in a timely manner. Additionally, the scenes are mysterious enough to keep the viewer guessing as to who the killers really are up until the point that Twohy throws his major plot twist in our faces.


In fact, A Perfect Getaway is a surprisingly complete film and most viewers will enjoy catching onto the subtle nuances and giveaways that Twohy drops throughout the film. While the twist itself is quite Hitchcock-like and even contradictory, it doesn't take away from what truly is a fun movie.


What makes A Perfect Getaway standout are the performances from its cast. Milla Jovovich and Steve Zahn fit the part of newlyweds very well but its Timothy Olyphant's role as a former Special Ops solider that truly shines. Olyphant's charisma and testosterone shine throughout the film and he virtually outshines pretty decent performances from Zahn and Jovovich.


In a summer full of highly anticipated sequels and debuts, few have proven to be worth the price of admission. A Perfect Getaway hits the mark and is neither a waste of time nor of money - something that only a handful of films this summer can boast.

4/5 stars

by Special K