A Grande Fuga

The first "Fast Getaway" was an enjoyable action-packed ride with likable characters, and this sequel is a bit on the slow side but still has a bit of charm.

Most of the characters return, and of course Corey Haim as Nelsen runs the show. His dad, played by Leo Rossi is underused but funny, and of course Cynthia Rothrock returns as Lily, but not using her martial arts skills that much at all unfortunately.

Nelsen's business partner Patrice is played by Sarah Buxton who is very gorgeous, and together they look to take down a counterfeit scam run by Lily, who has partners we never really get to know. In the middle of it all is a corrupt FBI agent (why, imagine that!) trying to take Nelsen down.

Not a mention is made of Nelsen's mom played by Marcia Strassman in the first film, and the development of the whole Potter family running to Canada seems to be ignored. But "Fast Getaway II" is still a fun trip but it definitely helps if you have seen the first and get to like the characters, as if this was a film with new characters it wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable.

any movie with corey haim in it is extremely cute!!! especially this movie, his sweet charm, and that sexy smile just make me want to melt!!!! Corey Haim deserves much applause for any movie that he makes, i just wish he made more movies recently.

Well, despite the venom of the other comment on this movie, it's not as bad as all that. If this movie was ever released at the theaters, that was a mistake, because it was designed to be a straight to late night cable film.

If you're a fan of the original Fast Getaway (and granted not that many are), then this is a nice little sequel. Corey Haim has always been my favorite for delivering light fun performances that give you the impression he was having fun at work, and this is another example. While the premise was cheesy, the bank robbery scam is a surprisingly interesting concept that I think a film with more backing should explore sometimes.

Also, while I've never liked Cynthia Rothrock in anything, I liked revisiting the chemistry that Haim and Leo Rossi had in the first movie. They are seem comfortable together, and it comes through in the father son relationship of the characters. I think Sarah Buxton was always an under used actress, but I enjoyed her in this film. Coincidentally, she was also in Corey Feldman's most underrated film, Rock and Roll High School Forever. Peter Liapis does well with a seriously flawed and two dimensional character of Renkin, the FBI agent who refuses to believe that Nelson (Haim) could ever be anything but a crook.

This movie is basically fluff. But it never pretends to be anything but. It's a nice 'nothing better on so let's watch some butt kicking and car chasing' movie. And if you're a fan of the Corey's in general, it's worth a couple hours when you're bored and watching late night cable.

As soon as 'Fast getaway II' begins, the movie endeavors mightily to illustrate that it's a faster, slicker, more hip follow-up to its predecessor. I don't necessarily mean that in a condescending way; scene writing does feel tighter, helping to build a more meaningful sense of freewheeling fun and excitement even as it's all a smidgen too pointedly over the top. This goes for David Robbins' original score, too, and Oley Sassone's direction. Protagonist Nelson is at least as unlikable here as he was in the first movie, though there is a slightly stronger air of sincerity about the feature in general. And, hey - four familiar faces return from the 1991 film, so that counts for something! In addition to star Corey Haim, Leo Rossi, Cynthia Rothrock, and Ken Lerner all reprise their characters, and that measure of continuity is welcome, even if there's an obvious and unexplained time skip from where one picture ended and this one picks up.

Unfortunately, the cast isn't the only element to return. There's more detectable intelligence and cleverness in the narrative, and in the dialogue, true. There's also strains of sexism, juvenile humor, storytelling tropes, and a certain neatness to some of the course of events that's less than believable. Mark Sevi's writing is more careful, allowing a more complex and mindful plot to develop in its own time, though the trade-off is a slowed pace and less immediate energy. Peter Liapis is duly stone-faced as Rankin, though I'm unsure if I hate the character because he's despicable as written, and Liapis succeeds in embodying that, or because the acting we see here from Liapis is about as dynamic as John Wayne. In a few too many ways, 'Fast getaway II' is quite a mixed bag. I don't mean to say it's bad, not by any means, but just as much as some aspects seem an improvement on its predecessor, others seem exactly on par.

One more element to consider is that a primary strength of the 1991 feature was robust action to complement the light comedy. Great stunt work and otherwise finely orchestrated sequences did much to build the entertainment in a picture that struggled to be especially noteworthy. 'Fast getaway II' carries itself with a more straightforward crime thriller vibe to pair with its comedy. While it can to an extent claim some of the same bombast, it almost entirely waits until the climax to show up - and at once feels both more overblown in comparison to the tone in the rest of the feature, and more restrained relative to the antecedent. Factor in a failure to actually resolve the plot, and I admit I'm a little befuddled.

Just as was true with 'Fast getaway,' I can't say I didn't have a good time in watching this. The value only just outweighs the faults and deficiencies, but it's not like this direct-to-video sequel had any pretenses of being something it wasn't. All the same, while more polished in its fundamental craft, 'Fast getaway II' lacks the more wild sensibility that helped to propel the first. If you have the chance to watch this, you could certainly do worse. It's most recommendable for fans of the cast, or as an uncomplicated movie to put on for a lazy afternoon. There's no need to specifically seek it out, but if flawed, it's good enough for what it is.

This very low budget comedy caper movie succeeds only in being low budget. Dialog is dumbfoundingly stupid, chase scenes are uniformly boring, and most of the on-screen money seems to have been saved for a series of crashes and explosions in a parking lot during the film's last five minutes (a briefly glimpsed port-a-potty early in that scene is certain to wrecked and spew crap on the film's chief villain--no prop is here without a purpose). The whole film is depressingly reminiscent of those that occasionally came out of Rodger Corman's studio when he'd give a first time director a few bucks and a camera--but without the discipline Corman would impose.