In the deluge of DVDs being rereleased lies a new cut of Gone in Sixty Seconds, which continues the trend of adding new material, usually more explicit, to an already existing movie in order to convince consumers to buy the same movie again. But whatever was added to Sixty Seconds does nothing to enhance a movie that is very predictable, although somewhat entertaining.
Sixty Seconds is the kind of movie whose story you already know even before you read the blurbs on the keep-case. The story is just a formality to get to the real reason producer Bruckheimer made the movie; to provide a thrill ride sporting lots and lots of sleek sexy cars (and a sleek, sexy Angelina Jolie to boot).
One Last Score
Continues the trend of adding new material to convince consumers to buy the same movie again
Bruckheimer alumnus Nicolas Cage plays ex-car thief Memphis Raines who has found a happy retirement running a go-cart center for kids. But his kid brother Kip (Giovanni Ribisi) has bungled a boost involving a Porsche and is very hot water with hotheaded fence Raymond Calitri (Christopher Eccleston). Raines is dragged out of retirement and given an ultimatum: steal 50 cars in three days or his brother dies.
In order to complete this daunting task, Raines must gather all his former car thief buddies including Sway, played by a blonde and dreadlocked Jolie, and the sage-like Freb (Robert Duvall). They have all found difficult but honest careers after their former lives, so it takes little convincing for them to pull the last great score. It is not for greed, but to save Raines’ brother.
I would not be giving away too much by saying that the last car is the most difficult, in this case a Shelby sports car that has been something of a Holy Grail to Raines, or that everything would run smoothly until one of the younger kids screws up and jeopardizes he whole mission because of his hotheaded ineptitude.
This is a classic “ex-criminal comes out of retirement for one last score” formula that even has the tenacious cop (Lindo) watching his every move. Because “Sixty Seconds” sticks to this formula, it is hard to be disappointed; the movie delivers exactly what it promises: superficial character development that leads to fast action.
Yes, these elements make the movie predictable, so we expect some excellent action scenes to make up for it. And we are not let down, even though most of the stunts are excruciatingly ridiculous.
DVD Extras
Fans might come back for a new edition, but they might feel ripped off by how little the ten minutes or so of extra material contains. The “Unrated” label might entice some fans of Jolie, but the added sexuality would have garnered an “R” rating, and much worse material can be seen every night on HBO or even FX.
The other special features are short featurettes that offer nothing more than small sound bites featuring director Dominic Sena pontificating about the various approaches used to film the chase scenes. One feature, “Action Overload,” is just a quick montage of various chase scenes. Couldn’t they find anything better to put on this DVD?
The most embarrassing extra is the “Conversations with Jerry Bruckheimer,” which provides some insight to the “philosophy” of a Bruckheimer film, which is to immerse the viewer into the story. It then it gives a filmography of his movies that reveals that this feature must have been part of the original 2002 edition because it lists projects that never came to fruition. We’re still waiting for “Affirmative Action,” the new vehicle starring Ben Affleck and Will Smith.
A stupidly fun action car chase movie that looks and sounds very good on DVD might not deserve much of a special treatment, and it should not be hyped up as something it is not. It is still fun, especially if you haven’t seen this movie before. Just don’t hold out for that “money shot” that gave this edition the “Unrated” moniker.