A Perfect Getaway (R) ★★

Review Date: January 5th, 2011

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

Cliff and Cydney are happy newlyweds headed to Hawaii for a quiet honeymoon on a remote portion of the island of Kauai. Their marital bliss is abruptly interrupted, however, when they receive word that just a few days prior, a pair of newlyweds not unlike themselves were murdered on Maui, and that the killers, believed to be a man and a woman, were still at large.

Dismayed by the unsettling news, Cliff and Cydney nonetheless resolve to move forward with their honeymoon, but start to become anxious when they encounter not one but two exceedingly strange couples, each of whom seemingly fit the profile of the killers. Miles away from civilization, unable to get a decent cell phone signal and seemingly surrounded by possible murderers, they begin to wonder if they might be the next victims.

WHO'S IN IT?

Playing the part of Cliff is Steve Zahn, a prolific character actor best known for supporting roles in films like Rescue Dawn and Sunshine Cleaning. As a jittery Hollywood screenwriter who too often lets his overactive imagination get the best of him, Zahn's performance is the most credible aspect of the movie. In the role of his wife Cydney is Resident Evil series star Milla Jovovich, demonstrating how truly unremarkable she can be when not cast opposite expressionless zombies.

Despite being saddled with most of the film's worst lines, Hitman star Timothy Olyphant proves convincing as Nick, a wild-eyed survivalist who claims to have served as an army special forces operative in Iraq. Laying it on a little too thick with the fake Southern accent is Kiele Sanchez, who plays Nick's equally suspicious girlfriend.

WHAT'S GOOD?

Director David Twohy (Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick) makes an earnest attempt at crafting a modern-day murder mystery, and for the most part, he does a commendable job of messing with audience expectations, setting the stage for a major second-act plot twist that proves every bit as surprising as advertised.

WHAT'S BAD?

Twohy is one of the more likable Hollywood directors, and it's good to see him back from the dead after the Riddick disaster set fire to his career. Unfortunately, he falls headlong into the M. Night Shyamalan trap with A Perfect Getaway, focusing too much on pulling off the big twist and forsaking just about every other element of the movie. To be fair, Twohy's film isn't nearly as dreadful as Shyamalan's recent Razzie-amassing efforts like The Happening and Lady in the Water, but its deficiencies are similarly multifaceted. Awkward dialogue, mediocre performances by Jovovich and Sanchez and an excessively aimless pre-twist plotline are just a few of the problems that plague the movie.

But my biggest gripe with A Perfect Getaway is that Twohy fills the story with so many seemingly important plot devices, which end up going nowhere that the film could very well be re-titled Red Herring: The Movie. At a certain point, you throw up your hands and ask, "Well then, is any of this s--t real?" And the answer is: No, probably not. But isn't Kauai beautiful?

FAVORITE SCENE?

Admittedly, the twist is pretty darn clever. Too bad we have to wait over an hour to see it.

PARTING SHOT

The climax features an excruciating scene in which a key character's cell phone, previously assumed to be out of service, receives a sales call from an Indian-accented telemarketer. Rather than simply hang up and dial 911, the character pleads with the befuddled phone company rep to alert the police, with predictable lack of success. All this while a deranged killer stalks the vicinity. Characters that stupid deserve to die.

Hollywood.com rated this film 2 stars.