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MOVIE REVIEW

Gone in 60 Seconds

MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for violence, sexuality and language.

Reviewed by: Chan Pederson
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Average
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Teens Adults
Genre: Action, Adventure
Length: 1 hr. 59 min.
Year of Release: 2000
USA Release:
Poster—Gone in 60 Seconds (Copyright 2000, Touchstone Pictures) Scene from Gone in 60 Seconds (Copyright 2000, Touchstone Pictures)
Featuring Nicolas Cage, Giovanni Ribisi, Scott Caan, James Duval, Robert Duvall
Director Dominic Sena
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer
Mike Stenson
Distributor Distributor: Touchstone Pictures (a division of Disney). Trademark logo.Touchstone Pictures, a division of Walt Disney Studios

Parking your car at the theatre might not have bothered you before, but once this film is over, you will wonder if it’s still there.

“Gone in 60 Seconds” may sound like a silly title for a movie, but it couldn’t be more accurate. This remake is a grabber from the beginning and doesn’t let go, contrary to what other reviewers (who are still buzzed by the ridiculous nature of “M:I-2”) may have said.

The story begins with Kit Raines and his buddies stealing a Porsche for a group of professional car thieves. Their actions do not go un-noticed and they are quickly pursued by the police. Although the thieves get away, all the cars they have stolen are impounded and Kit, having blown the entire operation, is held hostage.

Enter Memphis (Cage), the best car thief ever and Kits older brother. If Memphis is to save his brother, he must deliver all 50 cars in four days. What unfolds is a high-tech operation involving laser-coded keys, Italian exotic cars, and, of course, a top-end sport utility vehicle.

An all-star cast makes the film a joy to watch and has some of the best car chases on film. There are a handful of mild expletives and one short, although somewhat graphic, sex scene (including voyeurism). Nothing is fully revealed, but there is little left to the imagination.

There is an obvious moral dilemma throughout this film. Stealing is wrong, yet you find yourself cheering for the thieves. What redeems the film in the end are the choices each character makes and the directions they choose to go. All in all, it is a great film for those mature enough to deal with the suggestive scene and a few expletives.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Not horrible, but a “been there done that” feeling throughout. The trailers promised many great car chases, and though there are many, none are that memorable, most downright disappointing. Anjelina Jolie, who is a very good actress, was given a nothing of a character that seemed like the screenwriter just threw in there as a love interest, and Cage seems to overdo his role. Any decent memory of this film (sorry for the outrageous pun) is Gone in Sixty Seconds. My Ratings: [3/2½]
Jh, age 16
“Gone in 60 Seconds” is what will be remembered when someone thinks of big movie hits in the summer of 2k. The film grabs you even before you have a chance to get comfortable in your seat and takes you on the ride of your life. Nicholas Cage perfectly portrays a “good” bad guy making you cheer for what he is doing. While some say that the movie had no action till the last third I would disagree. If one can appreciate cars, meticulous planning, and seeing a team grow together, as well as seeing the love between brothers, you will find this movie a blast. One has to respect the job that the producers did on this—not only did they make it available to all audiences by eliminating possible opportunities to use explitives and or immoral behavior. It was also nice to see Nicholas Cage in action. I believe he was in top form in this movie. I respect his ability in that he drove 80% of the movie. One has to respect someone who can drive just as well (if not better) in reverse as they can in any of the forward gears. All in all I found this to be quite the film—a definite to view. My Ratings: [3/4]
Peter W. Jordan, age 18
Good acting all around in the film. For me there were three big treats. 1. Robert Duvall. I love this guy. I think he was the best actor in the movie and I love that glare of his that made it in the trailer. 2. Vinnie Jones: He played Sphinx, the one who didn’t speak until the end. And I loved him in “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrells.” 3. A lot of great action. I thought the movie came through big time in the car chase scenes. Granted, there was some language and a pointless love story that should’ve been left out. As for the morality issue, most of these people didn’t like returning to crime, but they did it to help someone out. Plus, who would want to see a movie called “Bought at the Dealership in 60 Seconds”? No one! I didn’t love it, but I did like it, and more that “Mission: Impossible 2.” My Ratings: [2½/3½]
Jason Eaken, age 16
…an excellent movie… did lack some moral values, like for one: stealing 50 cars is not exactly a normal thing to do and stealing is wrong… the movie is PG-13 material: the sex scene isn’t needed AT ALL, but I guess the filmmakers don’t believe that. The “S” word is abused along with A** hole…
Ryan Squitieri, age 14
…your usual fill-in-the-blanks summer movie. …better than “M:I-2”. …What the film lacks in a great story, it makes up with superb acting. …The film does merit its PG-13 rating [with] a lot of language (“a-hole” is overstated). It has violence and it is not a film for young viewers. …some sex and one explicit scene that include voyeurism. …I am concerned with value statements in the movie like “you have to work twice as hard if you are honest”… My Ratings: [3/4]
Douglas M. Downs, age 44
The movie was okay. …The action picks up at the end, so it’s fascinating towards the end. Overall, the movie is okay, but nothing special. There was too much talking and not enough breath-taking action. Also, the story was kind of weak and could have used some sort of support. …the profanity and sexuality is present, but kept to a minimum compared to other movies. My Ratings: [3½/2½]
Blake S. High, age 15
The good: the main character said that car theft was exciting, but its consequences weren’t worth the excitement… (sin is a fleeting pleasure… only for a season) He obeys his mother in leaving the city he grew up in, so that his brother does not grow up to be a car thief as well… the brother does end up a thief, which shows the consequences of sin. Further, he’s not the only one who has come to this realization… he and quite a few others struggle to return to the life of crime that excited them, that they realized was not as glamarous as it seemed to be… The bad: in general, the rating PG-13 does not mean what it used to… there was language that was clearly sexual, a scene where one couple is having sex (or about to) and another where a couple (definitely not married) are about to as well… there was no explicit pornographic nudity, but that doesn’t always mean much. …There was violence, a killing, gun chases. But these also showed something: the man killed led a life of violence and crime; the boy shot should never have involved himself in crime…
Raymond Dass, age 18
…the amount of foul language was not overwhelming. Cage gave a good performance as did the rest of the cast. I did hold my breath for a morally-just ending and was not disappointed. Graded the film an “8” on a scale of 10. Good chase scenes, beautiful cars, not too much violence (for me), and no nudity. My Ratings: [3/3]
Rick Resig, age 43
Movie Critics
…For the first three quarters of the film, there just isn’t much happening…
Michael Elliott, Movie Parables
…for a film like this, it’s unfortunately missing the requisite level of energy to make the action jump off the screen and pull the viewer into it… heavy profanity…
ScreenIt
…for concerned parents the overarching question is how the car thieves are portrayed. …the actual stealing of the cars comes off as fairly easy and glamorous…
Preview Family Movie and TV Review
…even hardcore escapists are bound to be defeated by the generic tough-guy twaddle and the impersonal “race crash explode” action sequences…
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
…unfortunately, it’s aptly titled… as the memory of the movie doesn’t linger long after exiting the theater.
NY Rock