Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) Reviews

• Great movie - stop giving it such a hard time!

  carldaly2005-01-03

  This movie has taken a lot of stick. It was slated by critics when it came out and was blamed for wrecking Nicolas Cage's career. The thing I don't think people get is that it's not meant to be an epic, Oscar contender of a movie, it's just some brilliant "Bruck-buster" action at its best. Fast cars, quick editing and a great soundtrack - it does exactly what it says on the tin. Also, for anyone who likes cars its a pure treat. It has everything: Ferraris, Mercs, a Hummer and lets not forget Eleanor! I think you'd be hard pushed to find a better action movie, and personally, a better movie at all!! Then again maybe that's just me!

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• Perfect casting and an precise sense of excitement make this flawed film successful. *** (out of four)

  Movie-122000-07-05

  GONE IN 60 SECONDS / (2000) *** (out of four) "Gone in 60 Seconds" is an energetic, slick, stylish action picture with high octane star power and lots of awesome looking automobiles. If you are a viewer interested in cars this production, by producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("Con Air," "The Rock"), is worth seeing just to feast your eyes on the glossy vehicles. Although the film secretes a stench of weakness in many areas, its precise sense of action and excitement make it a moderately successful summer thrill ride. The film stars Giovanni Ribisi ("The Mod Squad") as a young crook named Kip Raines, who, as the movie opens, fails to deliver a long list of expensive cars to the powerful criminal Raymond Calitri (Christopher Eccleston). When Kip's life is threatened because of such, his older brother, Randall "Memphis" Raines (Nicolas Cage), a retired but skillful car thief, is called upon to complete a task in exchange for his brother's survival: steel fifty cars-specified by model, color, year, and make-in only four days. Memphis disburses the first three days recruiting a team of bandits to help him pull off the heist. The crew includes Sara "Sway" Wayland (Angelina Jolie), a sexy yet gruff retired car swindler knowing Memphis through previous business, a fellow named Mirror Man (T.J. Cross), the aging and wise Otto Halliwell (Robert DuVall), as well as Tumbler (Scott Caan), Atley Jackson (Will Patton), Toby (William Lee Scott), and Donny Astricky (Chi McBrde). Contributing to the film's drive and tension is a subplot involving two police detectives, Roland Castlebeck (Delroy Lindo) and Drycoff (Timothy Olyphant), who suspect from previous experience that Memphis and his crew are up to no good and keep an extra close eye on them. There is not much time for character development here; the audience gets to know these people though their rugged lifestyles and assume tough personalities through the films hard core, stylish atmosphere. To make matters even worse for the film, the dialogue fails to define the characters with a gritty cultural tone. I am not stating I think profanity and vulgarism is necessary for thrillers to flourish; I actually honor the director's decision to sustain from extreme foul language in a movie that could have very effortlessly earned an R-rating. However, I do believe in a movie such as "Gone in 60 Seconds," to strongly develop the character's enlightenment, dialogue needs to be believable and authentic. In spite of problems, the characters are effective due to the top notch, perfectly cast performers responsible. Nicolas Cage's melodramatic performance is intense and convincing. Angelina Jolie's sleazy appearance is completely appropriate here. Delroy Lindo is deliciously sturdy and believable. Giovanni Ribisi, Scott Caan, Robert Duvall, Will Patton, and Christopher Eccleston provide persuasive supporting roles. The film contains standard structure, with a satisfactory first act that elaborates on the story's style and the character's motives, sets up a fast-paced theme of action, but lacks depth and strong character introduction. In the second act we run into a few more problems: the story wastes time during much of this segment, never really building up for the third act. While the middle of the movie occupies much time, and a sex scene provides a solid mid-plot, not a whole lot happens. The third act is pretty much a sheer adrenaline rush containing furious wall-to-wall excitement and one of the most intense car chase sequences ever filmed. The soundtrack to "Gone in 60 Seconds" contributes a great deal to the inspirational action scenes. It is scenes like the car chases that makes this movie work in spite of several destructive faults. Dominic Sena, whose career has mostly consisted of directing commercials, has an appealing style and a decisive attitude in "Gone in 60 Seconds" which will grant audiences with two hours of commotion, thrills, and excitement…but not much more.

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• Old fashioned cat and mouse chase with a charm

  watchhawk2002-09-16

  This movie doesn't tell you any new truth or treat your refined taste with amazing characters. It is just an old-fashioned chase movie of the good and the bad guys. The circumstances and the grand theft of 50 cars over one night is of course out of this world but it doesn't matter because Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie charm us out of it. After watching hundreds of car chase movies in my lifetime I didn't think yet another one would lighten my eyebrow. I was wrong. The smart and humorous execution of the car and car/helicopter chases was a great fun to watch; a good honest adrenalin booster. Perhaps I am little generous but I give it 8/10 for all the fun.

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• Gone, but not forgotten

  bowmanblue2017-01-12

  Also, poor Nicholas Cage, I knew him well... Once upon a time (possibly in Las Vegas) he was a Box Office heavyweight. Now... well, you can probably pick up one of his latest films from those buckets you find of DVDs for £2.99 in petrol stations. However, before his decent into depressingly-bad cinema, he made some pretty fun films. Yes, he's won an Oscar in his time for his deep and meaningful acting, but you won't find any of that here. Just fun. Nicholas Cage plays (basically) Nicholas Cage – only a Nicholas Cage who used to steal expensive cars, only to retire. However, his loose cannon of a brother steals (or doesn't steal – I forget – it doesn't matter!) for (or from) the wrong mobster in L.A. meaning Nicholas Cage the now not-so retired car thief must steal a load of flash motors in one night or his brother ends up in the car crusher (literally!). If you like fast cars driving even faster (and, judging by the 'Fast and the Furious' franchise a lot of people do) then this one is basically for you. It's an action film and it's pretty much by the numbers, but, when it's such fun, who cares? Everyone cranks their performances up to eleven and it all comes across as one of those adorable eighties and nineties 'over-the-top' action flicks (yes, I know it was made it in 2000, but it sure feels like a nineties movie) with a real cartoony vibe to it. You have Christopher Ecleston plays the 'evil Brit villain' much like any other evil Brit villains you've seen in cinema. Vinnie Jones and Angelina Jolie are on hand to show their faces, but feel a little underused for what they could have been. Ultimately, it's all on Nicholas Cage's manic shoulders and he does the film proud. It's loud, dumb and it's basically one long car crash that you'll probably be unable to tear your eyes away from.

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• Gone in Sixty Seconds: A Gearhead's Perspective

  Voodoo Child2001-04-05

  I feel that many of those who have reviewed "Gone in Sixty Seconds" have essentially missed the point of the movie. This is only peripherally a movie about car thieves. At its heart, this film is about cars. Many reviewers have criticized the film's characterizations and character development. Let's check the credits... uh huh, yeah, executive producer, Jerry Bruckheimer. I think it's a little unrealistic to walk into a Jerry Bruckheimer film and expect "Citizen Kane." That said, I thought the characters were certainly adequate. The villain was suitably unhinged and nefarious, and I thought Nic Cage did a great job as Memphis Raines. He is one of my favorite action stars; unlike Arnie, Sly, or Jackie, he can actually act, and this adds a whole new dimension to his characters that none of the other big action stars have. The closest comparison I can come up with is to the epitome of cool himself, Steve McQueen. The supporting cast was solid. Giovanni Ribisi, Robert Duvall and Angelina Jolie are all capable of far more than they are given here; all three of them could sleepwalk through their roles, but they do a solid job with what they're given. Angelina Jolie's character Sway was essentially throwaway eye candy; I would like to have seen the Memphis-Sway story developed further and made an actual part of the movie or scrapped altogether. Mirror Man is a wonderful character, and Scott Caan, one of my favorite young actors from his performances in "Boiler Room" and "Varsity Blues," did a good job in his all-too-brief role as Tumbler. Enough with the characters, let's move on to the real stars, the cars. Many reviewers seem to have been disappointed with the car chases, faulting them for failing to turn sufficient numbers of exotic cars into flaming, cartwheeling wreckage. I say, HALLELUJAH!!!! The cars Memphis's gang steals are not just transportation. These cars (especially the '67 Mustang "Eleanor," the '70 Hemi 'Cuda, the '70 Plymouth Roadrunner Superbird and that flamethrowing Merc,) are breathtaking, agonizingly beautiful. They are truly works of art on wheels. Would viewers have been up in arms if filmmakers had destroyed a Van Gogh on film for sheer dramatic effect? Hell yeah. That's how gearheads feel when watching priceless, historic automobiles meet ugly ends simply because a movie studio can afford to trash them to make a profit. That said, I was glad to see "Gone" avoid the destruction of any truly cool cars, other than Eleanor, and gearheads will be pleased to note that the Eleanor crushed in the junkyard was a junk '67, stripped of all useful parts and given a good paint job. While on the subject of Eleanor, many reviewers have said that it was a replica '67 Shelby, and was a bad replica. Well, yes, technically it was meant to be a '67 Shelby. A tricked-out, customized, bad@$$ Shelby. It's not a bad replica, it's a spectacular custom. No, no Shelbys left the plant looking like Eleanor. If only they had. Aftermarket lighting, ground effects, hood, wheels, nitrous, roll cage... the list of modifications that have been clearly made to the car goes on and on, and the end result is one of the most beautiful cars the world has ever seen. The chase with Eleanor was very well done, except for that horribly fake-looking jump (honestly, with 90 mil to blow, couldn't you make that look better?) and the activation of nitrous at 7000 RPMs (I know all car guys got a laugh out of that.) In the final assessment, this was a fun movie. If you want character development, get "Citizen Kane." If you want to see scads of cars trashed for no reason whatsoever, get the original "GI60S" or "Ronin" (home of the most overrated car chases in movie history.) If you want to see true-to-life, absolutely realistic car chase action, watch Steve McQueen's green '68 Mustang GT390 duke it out with the black Charger R/T in "Bullitt," or better yet, switch on NASCAR Winston Cup racing next Sunday. If you want to have a good time, enjoy a movie, watch some cool cars and some sweet driving, get "Gone in Sixty Seconds." Postscript- if you liked this, you definitely need to check out the James Bond film, "Diamonds Are Forever," home of another amazing Ford Mustang chase sequence.

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