The Getaway
It's better than the 1994 remake starring Kim Basinger and husband Alec Baldwin, but this 1972 thriller relies too heavily on the low-key star power of Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw, and the stylish violence of director Sam Peckinpah, reduced here to a mechanical echo of his former glory. McQueen plays a bank robber whose wife (MacGraw) makes a deal with a Texas politician to have her husband released from prison in return for a percentage from their next big heist. But when the plan goes sour, the couple must flee to Mexico as fast as they can, with a variety of gun-wielding thugs on their trail. MacGraw was duly skewered at the time for her dubious acting ability, but the film still has a raw, unglamorous quality that lends a timeless spin to the familiar crooks-on-the-lam scenario. As always, Peckinpah rises to the occasion with some audacious scenes of action and suspense, including a memorable chase on a train that still grabs the viewer's attention. Not a great film, but a must for McQueen and Peckinpah fans. --Jeff Shannon
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Last updated: October 19, 2009, 4:40 pm
The Getaway Cusomter reviews:
Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 76
(Albert J Campanoli, 2009-09-12) Always enjoy any movie with Steve McQueen in it - a classic and even better in blu-ray.
(Vitaly Altoiz, 2009-09-06) Disc came on time, however flimsy packaging seller used caused the disc to come off it's hub during the transit and bounce around inside the case. Perhaps a better packaging on future sold items would be a good idea.
(Dave. K, 2009-06-02) THE GETAWAY ***** Out of 5 Release Date- December 13th, 1972 Running Time- 122-Minutes Rating- PG Screenplay- Walter Hill (Novel, Jim Thompson) Director- Sam Peckinpah Starring- Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw, Ben Johnson, Al Lettieri, Jack Dodson, Sally Struthers and Slim Pickens Released in 1972 The Getaway is a classic 70s crime/drama with some action mixed in and has three Hollywood legends. Writer Walter Hill best known for his cult classic The Warriors, director Sam Peckinpah and the King of Cool Steve McQueen; The Getaway has all the right talent and all of that talent is put on full display with no doubt a classic film. The Getaway actually holds up rather well and in some areas it is a bit dated more due to the fact this kind of film has become a staple in film and TV as well. The plot has Doc McCoy (McQueen) serving time in prison and is up for parole, but it's denied. Doc ends up being released when his wife Carol (MacGraw) sleeps Jack Beynon (Ben Johnson), but there's more to it than that. Doc also has to take part in a bank robbery, but of course things go wrong and Doc and Carol are now on the run. The screenplay by Walter Hill was based off a novel by Jim Thompson and since I've never read the novel I cannot comment on it. Hill though does a solid job with the script. The plot has a good structure and the characters while not the most developed are interesting and well written. The Getaway mixes crime/drama with some action and a little bit of comedy. The movie is rather serious, but there are some light moments, which work well. Walter Hill's script may not be one of the all time greats, but it works well and is very well written and interesting. Director Sam Peckinpah creates a masterpiece of a film with The Getaway; the biggest complaint by fans is that at times the movie can be a little boring and I would have agreed at first, but seeing it again I would now disagree. While The Getaway can be slightly slow in some spots, I always found it interesting and in the slower scenes it better establishes the main characters of Doc and Carol McCoy. Peckinpah also creates some nice suspense in spots like the bank heist and his action scenes are well staged and very exciting. The final act has a classic film shootout that has to be rated as one of the best. The Getaway is probably my favorite Steve McQueen movie and probably my favorite role as well. McQueen is one of the classic tough guys of cinema and we just don't have any actors like this anymore. McQueen was a great actor, but in movies like this is where he really shines. He doesn't show a whole lot of emotion, which is perfect since it wouldn't fit the character. McQueen has the no nonsense tough guy persona down to perfection and he has to rate in the very least the top 3 greatest Hollywood tough guys. Like I said Steve McQueen was perfect in movies like this. His no nonsense tough guy persona works great here as well in his other movies. And he also makes for one of the greatest action stars of all time. When Steve McQueen sadly passed away far too young in 1980 a big part of cinema died with him. The days of actors like McQueen are long gone. Ali MacGraw I feel gets a little too much heat from fans of the movie for her performance; while it may not go down as one of the greats I do think she handled her role well and gives a good performance. Al Lettieri is excellent as Rudy Butler who is on the hunt for Doc McCoy and Sally Struthers gives a fun performance, but in typical fashion she's also a tad bit annoying, which also leads to one of the greatest scenes when McCoy hauls off and whacks her right in the face. Slim Pickens appears in a small role and nearly steals the show. I love the chemistry between McQueen and Ali MacGraw; there is a little bit of trust issues between the two well more of Doc has some issues with trust, but their relationship is quite complex and interesting and it's these scenes that the power really comes from in The Getaway. And like I said MacGraw gets a little too much heat. She's acting upon side a legend in Steve McQueen. When working with such an amazing talent like Steve McQueen was it's not easy to keep up with him. What I love about The Getaway is the hero isn't the typical hero. Doc McCoy is a criminal and while he is likeable he also isn't really the nicest of people. Despite what he's done he is a good guy I suppose, but he's not the typical hero who always does the right thing. These days in cinema you'll be hard pressed to find characters like that. Steve McQueen delivers a brilliant performance like I said he's the no nonsense tough guy with no fear and does what he has to do to survive. There is a reason why McQueen is known as the King of Cool! The Getaway is a classic film and still holds up today and is just as brilliant as ever. This is a must see for McQueen fans and those who haven't seen any of his movies The Getaway is a great place to start. The Blu-ray release has drawn some mixed reviews. The extras are the same as the DVD and are actually kind of weak. The picture quality though is very solid, but don't expect the full Blu-ray look. The Getaway was released in 1972 and obviously won't look as good as newer releases. But the picture is solid and while I haven't seen the DVD I doubt the transfer is that much better to warrant replacing it, while there is some grain I was surprised at how good it looked. Like I said you won't get the full Blu-ray experience, but the transfer is strong. The sound quality is weak though and that's the biggest flaw for the BD. The aspect ratio is 2.35: 1 and not 1.85: 1 like listed on the back of the cover. Overall the BD release was good, but if you have the DVD there is no need for this. I got the movie for under $20 so I would recommend the Blu-ray for the right price if not you might be better off with the DVD.
(Craig Connell, 2009-05-20) Comparing this to the 1994 re-make which I saw a few times before I saw this "original," I'd say there was less sex but more violence. This was a pretty rough film and it's interesting to note the "PG." Today, this would be rated at minimum PG-13. Also, a contrast between the two films, language-wise: back then you'd hear a lot more usage of the Lord's name in vain; nowadays, the f-word is more popular. Good guy Steve McQueen in here never utters a bad word and is still a tough, no-nonsense kind of guy. The rest of the characters are the same. There are no "talk before I shoot" hokey scenes or people missing from point-blank range. McQueen is great, as usual, and the rest of the cast is pretty interesting, too, from sleazy Sally Struthers (pre-"All In The Family" days) to "Love Story's" Ali McGraw to old-timers Ben Johnson and Slim Pickens. With either this or the re-make, you get a solid crime-action story with "The Getaway."
(Van Hamlin, 2009-03-18) The title of this review sums it up! The script was probably written on toilet paper or cocktail knapkins. The plot goes something like this; bad dude armed robber emerges from the slammer to pick up the loot and get out of Dodge City. Other bad guys try to stop him. Ex Con finds out his old lady was banging the opposition while he was in slammer. Paybacks are a [...]! The producer had to save this movie by filming some steamy scenes with McGraw & McQueen (plus others) and then getting allot of action scenes to wake everyone up for the steamy stuff! Some of the bad guys are just too animated to be taken seriously - you want to hear them say their lines in Japanese so you don't have a clue but it is funny! (Unless you actually speak Japanese - then you wish for Russian)