Nearly a scene-for-scene remake of the 1972 Steve McQueen-Ali MacGraw action-thriller, this time starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, then a hot-tempered, high-powered real-life Hollywood couple. Adaptation of Jim Thompson's novel about a fugitive couple utilizes original screenwriter Walter Hill's work with fresh additions by Amy Holden Jones...so what went wrong? The culprit appears to be the casting--and not only the leads, but of the whole picture. McQueen was such a vital presence on the screen, one would think Baldwin would be afraid to walk in his shoes (even stone-silent, McQueen had a cagey magnetism and a clock ticking behind those weary eyes). Baldwin isn't in Steve McQueen's league, but he isn't without a certain charm. Though he's arguably a more versatile actor than McQueen was, Baldwin isn't at his best in this type of vehicle (he doesn't stand out in his role--in fact, it's easy to forget about him whenever he's off-screen). Cohort Basinger isn't required to do much more than look good (and she does), but James Woods is artificially hammy in a silly mob-magnet role. Worse, a subplot involving another couple taken hostage by Baldwin's ex-partner is unbearable (it was gamey stuff in '72 as well). As for the action scenes, they're pretty old hat, which causes one to wonder: why even remake the original? *1/2 from ****
Review of The Getaway
