Review: Badly directed ‘Getaway’ can’t even get the car crashes right

Posted on September 6, 2013

“Getaway” is a car chase thriller starring Ethan Hawke (“Gattaca”) and Selena Gomez (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) that on paper would seem to have a lot of popcorn potential, but a lazy script, subpar acting and horrid editing destroy any chance of a decent movie.

The setup for “Getaway” is simple. Hawke’s character Brent Magra comes home to find his the place wrecked and his wife missing. He gets a call from The Voice (Jon Voight, “National Treasure”), who tells him he must follow his directions to the letter or his wife dies. Brent was once a professional driver and The Voice needs his skills for a special job.

“Getaway” was never going to be a good movie, but it could have been fun popcorn flick at least. Instead, the director and editor left the microwave on for about 15 minutes until all we have left are burnt husks of what we wanted. Frankly, it’s a waste of the wrecked cars and the talents of the stunt drivers who risked their lives to put it on screen.

The movie is rated PG-13 for intense action, violence and mayhem throughout, some rude gestures, and language.

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