There’s a moment in A Perfect Getaway when one character says “red snappers,” when he really means “red herrings.” Since the movie is a thriller about a murderous duo at large on a Hawaiian island, your ears prick up immediately. Unfortunately, writer-director David Twohy has only provided us with two red snappers. One of three vacationing couples is guilty. Let’s see: There’s a frequently shirtless and tattooed pair of hitchhikers (whatever); an athletic man’s man (Olyphant) and his adoring Southern girlfriend (Sanchez); and timid, bespectacled Cliff (Zahn) and his new bride, Cydney (Jovovich).
Have we said too much? A Perfect Getaway spins into a black-and-white flashback during its big reveal, emerging as a much dumber but reasonably entertaining action film, prone to hand stabbings and long-distance human target practice. The aesthetic is closer to a grand finale of Survivor than anything else, and while all the actors do scrappy work, they don’t have much psychology to play with—unlike a fun, class-conscious wilderness tale like The Edge (1997). Those of us who have been waiting for the underrated Jovovich, the leggy cool at the center of the Resident Evil movies, to finally stride out onto a dramatic platform should hold out for her next one. And take cover.—Joshua Rothkopf
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