Imagine yourself. Young, hot, recently married and looking to experience the ultimate adventure. For Cliff and Cydney, that is real life. However, soon after they begin their trek through the mountains of Hawaii, a double murder is discovered on the island. Should they leave? Should they press on? Or should they sit and wait it out? Those, and a whole lot of other pressing questions, help give David N. Twohy's A Perfect Getaway a much needed 'unknown' factor, creating intensity and animosity amongst all who impatiently look on.
Starring Steven Zahn and Milla Jovovich as leads Cliff and Cydney, the film kick starts with some archival footage from a wedding. Some good-byes are said and jealousy jokes hinted at, but before we can fully piece together the clues, we are taken to a series of breathtaking views that made me want to leave the theater and onto the first plane to the beautiful state of Hawaii. Luckily, I sat tight and opted to wait out the urges and make sure that the adventure was a safe one to partake in - I quickly learned that it wasn't.
Before we know it, our leading couple has had a wild encounter with a pair of hitchhikers, met a nice guy while crossing a dangerously slippery part of the trail and detoured to a cove that can only be described as paradise. It is here that the film begins to get edgy as clues are dropped and scenarios thrown out about the mysterious murder and the couple who could be responsible. Everyone is a suspect, everyone is a potential victim, and the simple fact that none of these pairs knows anything about the other only intensifies those simple facts.
As the trail stretches on and the suspicions continue, you can't help but get wrapped up in the characters and their thoughts. You think you know who did it, but that option seems to obvious. The other couple seems too far fetched and the last seems nearly impossible. The script is well written, the dialogue creating awkward moments amongst all involved as everyone's actions make them appear both innocent and guilty at the same moment. (It sounds impossible, yet you will fully understand when you watch the well edited feature.)
By the time the group has made it to their predetermined destination - a feat that takes nearly the entire film, you can't help but feel a sense of relief. Finally the trail is more guarded, the beach well occupied. But it is then, amid all the other people, when each is at its most vulnerable state. It is then that the final act is finally put into place, the killer revealed and the ultimate shock and awe effect felt.
There is no denying it; the twist came from left field. It was huge, unexpected and when looked at from afar, perfectly placed. The clues were there, the diversions played out carefully, and for the first time in quite a while, I smirked at being nearly tricked. I never thought they would do what they did. Sure I kind of saw it coming, but it just didn't seem right, possible or in the best interest of the film. Yet, somehow and someway, director David N. Twohy made it work, and boy did he do it beautifully.
As the closing credits closed out the adventurous story, I found myself entertained, excited and ready for a sequel. Okay, maybe not the sequel part, but you get the idea. The film isn't perfect, but in all honesty, what film is these days. It does get your blood flowing as you wreck your brain trying to figure out just how the story fits together, and for that, I was impressed. Throw in some supporting hot bodies by the likes of Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez and this honeymoon gone wrong is one definitely worth seeing from the safety of the mainland.
