‘Perfect Getaway’ Thrilling, Yet a Bit Too Cliché

In a world of romantic comedies, it's nice to see thrillers and horrors that surprise every once in a while. So far this year, we've had clichés as far as the eye can see, whether it be The Uninvited or The Proposal. Enter A Perfect Getaway, a follow-up to David Twohy's 2004 hit The Chronicles of Riddick. Getaway tells the tale of two couples, Nick and Gina, and Cliff and Cydney, on a trip to Hawaii. They soon learn of a serial killer in Honolulu, and suspect each other of committing the crimes. The plot has been done before, however the twist in the last 40 minutes is somewhat original (and by "somewhat original" I mean "rarely been done") and gripping. The sad part is that Twohy waits until the climax to pull out all the stops and show what he has to offer in the field of movies. In the beginning, Getaway is slow. It reminded me of the start of 2007's Vacancy (who am I kidding, pretty much the whole awful thing). But after Cydney and Cliff stumble across a pair of hitchhikers, you really wonder if they're the Hawaiian murderers. That's where the flick gets exciting.

Steve Zahn isn't known for thrillers. For what it's worth, he's not really known for anything except his last name ("The Zahn!"). More recently he starred in the indie Sunshine Cleaning, where in my review I said that he was pretty bad, both physically and actoral…y. What? However, an A Perfect Getaway-style movie is his niche. The same can be said of Milla Jovovich. As a supermodel-turned-actress, I wasn't expecting anything more out of her than providing eye candy for horny teenage boys, much like Megan Fox's sole purpose in both Transformers. She was surprisingly fantastic. Jovovich is the kind of actress that you'd see in, say, a Sandra Bullock-type role-either a ditzy bimbo or a mental psychopath. Meet in the middle; there's Jovovich. She'd be good in a drama; she could go beyond Perfect Getaway. You can't say that about Megan Fox.

A Perfect Getaway is thrilling, yet a bit too cliché. Zahn and Jovovich work magic, while Twohy waits until the climax to show off his directing skills. I admit, Chronicles of Riddick was probably better (we're waiting on the test results), although Getaway isn't that bad. Check it out sometime; it's the most fun cliché you'll have at the movies all summer.

3/5 stars.