A Perfect Getaway (2009)

Director: David Twohy
Cast:
Steve Zahn/Cliff
Timothy Olyphant/Nick
Milla Jovovich/Cydney
Kiele Sanchez/Gina
Marley Shelten/Cleo
Chris Hemsworth/Kale

Plot: Three couples are traveling through Hawaii when a pair of killers are on the loose. Could any one of these couples be the killer? Suspense ensues!

Review:
I'm not going to lie but i didn't go into this movie with very high hopes. I saw the trailer and thought it looked like a generic action/thriller. It didn't look good to me. But i went and saw it anyway. Color me surprised!
I actually ended up really digging the film! Granted it WAS generic and i did see a lot of the twists coming. And the big "ending" you won't see coming, i knew was going to come from watching the trailers alone...but it didn't tarnish my enjoyment of it. I had a great time watching this movie.
The characters were likable and i was rooting for all of them. My favorite would definitely have to be Nick and Gina. I thought they both kicked ass! I wanted to have fun and hike along with them. It has a slow buildup the movie, but it didn't' bother me. I like a slow buildup sometimes, but then it lets everything loose in the last act...and a great last act it is. We go through a lot of action, and suspense, and great chase scenes. I was LOVING it! The movie was full of tension.
The actors all did great and really made each of theri characters stand out. You can always count on Steve, Milla and Timothy though. Milla is a favorite of mine, so whenever she pops up in a horror or horror-ish film, it is always a pleasure for me. This movie is no different. I especially love when she has a good character to work with.
The direction was beautiful and he really milked the scenery for all its worth. I want to go to Hawaii!!! He milked a LOT of suspense and tension out of the film and at some points I was truly on the edge of my seat. There is one chase scene towards the end that I was biting my nails in anticipation for.
The soundtrack got the job done and echoed the visuals perfectly, but it all comes down to the script...and the script was pretty tight and clever. The dialogue was always sharp and witty and was my favorite part of the film.
Of course there are flaws. As smart as the movie was and as suspenseful as it was, i still saw the last block coming from a mile away. I just wish i didn't know how it was going to end, because i found it a tad predictable. This tarnished some of the suspense for me in the end. There were also a couple plot holes, and the "red herrings" were way too obvious. But i still had a great time with this movie. Another flaw I had with the film was with the characters of Kale and Cleo (ably played by Chris Hemsworth and the great Marley Shelton). They were drastically underused and I wanted more of them in the film. Plus there characters were obviously only in the film for one reason.
But overall, I was still surprised by this film. Sometimes I love having low expectations, because a film can seem even better.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10