Fast Getaway (1991 Video) User Reviews

Corey Haim

[ArthurJimbo · 5/10 · 22 March 2010]

This film did not work on many levels. Its been covered on other previous reviews. I would have to agree, and that is why my rating is a 6. There is nothing more aggravating than a movie with big gaping holes in it. Especially in regards to some of the action sequences being absurdly unrealistic. In most cases, these things ruin a film. Not so in this film! Its just not the type of film for some reason that is ruined by such things. Go figure. In my opinion, This films strengths lie in the talent of its lead and the fun that I had as an audience member who was able to suspend his disbelief. Mr. Haim completely makes this possible.

I rented this movie because I've always enjoyed Corey Haim. Im a child of the 80z so... I think his performance as an actor in this is magnificent! Im an actor myself and let me tell ya, it isn't easy! An audience member may think its easy because all they see is the finished product. But the mark of a good actor is that they make it look easy! The work involved is very painstaking to say the least. There are so many moments where Corey plays the love, humor, mischief, etc... Actors don't play those things on screen very well generally speaking. What a rare talent! I give Mr. Haim a 12 out of 10 here. The movie. A 6. Peace and Love and you will be missed Corey Haim.

Call Them Hooters, Dad!

[DasBobsWorld · 5/10 · 17 January 2019]

I honestly had not heard about this movie before. I actually found it while doing laundry on the free stuff shelf they leave down in the room after people move out. There as also four copies of Titanic on VHS and a tape of Eddie Murphy's Delirious. In case you were wondering. With all that choice how could I pass up a promotional copy of a Corey Haim movie I have never heard of...which also stars Cynthia Rothrock...weird.

The movie is about a weirdly overly enthusiastic kid and his dad who are a bank robbing team. They drive from town to town and rob banks and the post office, getting away using plans that are meticulously thought out to the last detail. They also talk about Cynthia Rothrock's chest a lot, or as Mr. Haim says "Call Them Hooters, Dad." In fact, the father-son relationship seems like it is really close. The main topic they talk about that isn't robbing banks, is boobs, and sex with ladies. Some hi-jinks they go through include Haim getting distracted by ladies, talking about ladies boobs, as well as having sex once, which he breaks his dad out of jail just so he can tell him. There are some really great car chases though, including a super fun one at the very end. Also, Cynthia Rothrock kicks everything including furniture and fast food. So, it's not all bad.

Fast Getaway is alright. It has a few fun moments, that mostly include some well-directed car chases. But, I wasn't too into the father-son sex talk plot line which took up most of the movie.

Mediocre Haim vehicle, but he looks great

[whatch-17931 · 6/10 · 10 January 2023]

The most notable thing with this movie might just be how strikingly handsome Corey Haim is here. The cover art doesn't do him justice at all.

Haim got pigeonholed into these often weird slapstick heavy movies. He does handle slapstick well so no problem there.

As long as you know you're getting a Haim slapstick movie, it's not bad.

But there are script and production problems here. The bridge across the canyon sequence (with Haim in a dress) is such a bizarre set piece, it feels like a hallucination. Beyond that, the gag where the two leads are falling goes on and on and on. It starts to feel like Bill and Ted or the like and quite out of place.

The final action sequence also somehow isn't as funny as it's trying to be. Perhaps because it feels like Haim's character really is in peril.

Worst writing since 'Cool as Ice.' (spoilers)

[vertigo_14 · 3/10 · 30 September 2005]

Good lord, I've got to stop wasting my money on movies from the post-1989 catalog of Corey Haim (except for Prayer of the Rollerboys, which was a decent surprise). This being, of course, yet another film in which those not so overly nostlagic will realize that Corey had hit rock bottom and would never recover.

Fast Getaway is the light-comedy adventures of a team of father-and-son bankrobbers. After a disagreement among their gang of four which included a clueless doofus and a black belt blonde, Nelson (Corey Haim) and his dad decide to rob banks alone. Only Nelson's dad expects it to be temporary, wanting his son to go legit so he can end up in law school or business school (the man has no clear idea of his expectations as to which graduate school track he expects his son to take other than whatever will allow an easy transition into white collar crime) much to the chagrin of Nelson, who loves the life of easy money. But, the team are not as invincible as they think they are when they're busted for robbing a bank in a squat town in Utah around the same time a stranger to the past enters their lives as does their scheming former partners.

It has all the depth of the notorious 'Cool as Ice' "action" film (ranked as one of the worst 100 movies on IMDb), and about as much of the same cheesy writing. I particularly enjoy the scene in which Nelson and dear old dad, trying to escape from the police by anchoring over a bridge, plunge thousands of feet straight down into shallow, rocky rapids and live to tell the tale...completely unscathed, mind you. Or, the finale in which brave Nelson is being dragged from a truck while holding onto a chain link fence that neither eletrocutes him or gets too hot to hold as it is scraped across the pavement for miles. Nor, does it flip with the sharp turns of the truck and the lack of support by his weight. And, I especially cringe at Corey Haim's half-concocted Italian-American accent that reared itself during random moments, not to mention his terrible array of slang, especially in many of the references to women.

Recommended for anyone who can watch any number of Corey Haim's early 90s disasters and actually find them enjoyable.

Decent Flick( don't know if you all will consider spoilage so I will mark it just to be safe.

[Justinsangel2-1 · 7/10 · 20 April 2005]

Corey Haim was excellent in this flick! Corey Haim plays a teenage bank robber who along with his father and 2 friends rob banks together. When things between the friend backfire and blow up, Nelson and his father set out on their own to pull of the biggest heist yet. When their plan backfires and his father is caught, Nelson is left with the mother he thought was dead. Together they plan to get his dad out of jail. When Nelson is kidnapped by the IL friends it is up to his mom and dad to find away to put aside their differences to save their son. Will his father be able to save his son from his ex friends or will Nelson be forced to work for them or die if he chooses not to.

Not all that great...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 2 August 2022]

Well, I had never heard about the 1991 movie "Fast Getaway" from writer James Dixon and director Spiro Razatos before now in 2022, as I happened to stumble upon the movie by random luck. And of course with it being a movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to give it a chance.

Now, I can't claim that seeing Corey Haim or Cynthia Rothrock on the cast list was particularly thrilling for me, as I can't claim to be a fan of either of them.

The storyline in "Fast Getaway" was actually adequate enough, so writer James Dixon was on to something there. And I will say that the movie started out well enough and managed to keep its momentum for the majority of the runtime. However, with only 25 minutes or so left until the movie ended, the air started to seep out of the balloon, and the movie lost its momentum steadily.

There is an okay amount of comedy and action in the movie, but this was by no means a particularly memorable movie. Nor is it a movie that I will ever be returning to a second time.

My rating of "Fast Getaway" lands on a four out of ten stars.

This entire movie was a fast getaway.

[Aaron1375 · 7/10 · 17 March 2010]

A rather entertaining (to me anyway) Corey Haim movie from 1991. It is a movie that is fast as the pace is fast as is the run time for this picture. So you do not have to invest a whole lot of time in this adventure, but to me it was a fun adventure. There is a gang of criminals that plan their heists to perfection. Everything is split second timing and the getaways are also to the letter. Well there are four members in this gang and as so often is the case there is a split as certain members get greedy and think they should get a bigger cut. So off goes two of the members leaving Corey Haim and his dad's character on their own and you find out quickly that the female and other guy in the gang are not nearly as effective without the other two. The brains of the outfit is the Corey Haim character and without him the other two are lost, so near the end of the film they kidnap him and force him to plan heists for them. The film is rather good, the cast is rather funny. Corey is good as the brains and I thought the guy playing his dad was rather good too as I loved the scene where they were falling off the bridge. Cynthia Rothrock plays the female of the gang and as I usually do not care for her in other movies she is okay here. She usually takes on this super guys in movies and once I saw a movie where she gets hit by this humongous guy dead on and she barely flinched, sorry not going to happen. She may be good at karate, but if she were to be hit as hard as it was depicted in that movie she would be unconscious on the ground. Here though she only takes on normal dudes and I figure she could handle them. There would later be a sequel to this film, but I did not enjoy that one at all.

Pop. Pop. Pop! Pop!!

[transcendingpictures · 2 November 2022]

Corey Haim is so obnoxious in this film. I mean, he's by and large a terrible actor. No range whatsoever. But his character is so annoying here. And when he keeps saying "Pop" to his dad every few lines... it's like nails on a chalkboard. The whole movie is a waste of time. Some of the action was decent, but barely. No wonder it went straight to video when it was tested for audiences, and everyone hated. The directing is awful. No sense of tone, pacing, acting, humor, tension. It plays so flat and lazy. Save 90 mins of your life, and spend it staring at a wall... that would be a better use of time.

"Not Bad Action-Comedy!"

[gwnightscream · 5/10 · 21 December 2014]

Corey Haim, Leo Rossi, Cynthia Rothrock, Ken Lerner and Marcia Strassman star in this 1991 action-comedy. The late, Haim (The Lost Boys) plays teenager, Nelson who has spent most of his life with his father, Sam (Rossi) robbing banks. Soon, they have a falling out with former partners, Lily (Rothrock) and Tony (Lerner). Nelson and Sam attempt to rob another bank without them, but get caught by police thanks to Lily. Nelson meets Lorraine (Strassman) who claims to be an old friend of Sam's, but after Nelson breaks Sam out of Jail, he learns she's his mother he never knew. Soon, Lily and Tony decide to get payback by kidnapping Nelson and Sam attempts to rescue him with Lorraines's help. I remember when this used to be on TV a lot years ago, it's not bad and Haim and Rossi were great together. I recommend this.

Good enough

[leonardconstantin61 · 7/10 · 14 October 2015]

This is a very entertaining movie with the likes Corey Haim&Cynthia Rothrock. Unfortunately i couldn't give this movie more than 7/10 because i didn't like 2 things about this film: Corey Haim dressed as womany(you could see that he was very embarrassed for acting like that)and Cynthia Rothrock's skills are wasted here a lil' bit. If she had more than screen time & more fights i think that this movie would have been a classic because Cynthia was in top form. But all in all was a good movie and Cynthia Rothrock didn't disappoint. Fast Getaway 2 isn't a good follow up unfortunately. This movie and Guardian Angel are my favorite movies with Cynthia Rothrock.

Movie for late night

[ebiros2 · 4/10 · 14 September 2012]

This must be one of those made for TV movie that's designed to kill 2 hours of the people who are watching it. The quality is good, but the story is pretty brainless.

Four crooks makes a bank heist. One of them is a teenage son of the boss, and the brain of the gang.The gang has a falling out, and father and the son team goes off on their own. The story then takes twist of its own, and goes deep into misadventures of all who are involved.

I kind of liked this movie. There were many movies like this in the '90s that came on at late nights.

Cynthia Rothrock is one of the gang, and she shows her kung-fu skill on this movie, but her acting is pretty one dimensional. She could have gone further if her acting improved after her 10th year mark, but it never happened.

These movies are made for late night entertainment, and should be watched in that vein.

I don't care what you think, I liked it!

[Alex-243 · 10/10 · 12 March 2000]

It's a shame this movie came out in 1991. I think it probably could've done much MUCH better, if it were an 80's flick. The movie had that classic 80's soundtrack, and fashion nailed. And I'm an 80's kid... So I guess I just kind of clicked with this movie. I has seen segments from it once before many years ago on television, and I decided one day to pick it up for kicks at the video store. and I liked it. Corey Haim did a good job playing an overly energetic criminal mastermind. I don't know exactly why I liked this movie. But it's fun, although it did leave a lot of questions left unanswered (which is why a sequel was necessary, but some of those questions still weren't answered)... What happened to Honey? The girl who laid him? Did he not EVER think of her again? Did Nelson's parents get back together? What about Sam being broken out of prison? Did the police just NOT care, and never looked for him again? Anyways... I'm going to stop critiquing a movie that I like. And just tell you, if you haven't seen this movie... Rent it, or see if you catch it on USA or something...

Underrated Family Film

[johnfanning-53228 · 7/10 · 15 August 2021]

This movie is sneaky enjoyable. The chemistry between Corey Haim and Leo Rossie as Nelson and Sam are undeniable. Unfortunately, it came out in 1991, and I say that because this movie gives me the impression had it come out in the late 80's, it could have had a theatrical release and maybe have been more successful.

The plot is unique enough, with a loving father and son who rob banks not just for money but for something of an adrenaline rush as well. They use the ploy of young Nelson (Haim) playing a hostage while his father Sam (Rossi) has a schtick of having the victims sing songs while escaping, which in itself also appears to be a fun challenge for them.

I had not seen this movie in over 20 years and re-watched it yesterday, and it was still kind of a fun ride. I would recommend watching it at least once. It's really not bad.

Rollicking father-son bank robbing team

[wrxsti54 · 6/10 · 4 November 2021]

The amazing car chase scenes in this movie actually save what is a pretty average film. The final scene in particular is one of the best you'll ever see. Sam Potter (Leo Rossi) and his 16 year old son Nelson (Corey Hiam) steal their way across banks and Post Offices in rural northern Utah and Colorado. Some of the footage is filmed in picturesque ski resort town of Park City and Provo.

Nelson is the logistics brainchild of the robberies where he is used as the innocent teenage 'victim' and Sam's crazy driving manages to evade any and all police pursuits. Their luck runs out when disgruntled former gangster partners betray them. Nelson is rescued from jail by a woman who is actually his mother but he doesn't know it yet and they devise a plan to bust Sam out of jail and escape to a new life as a happy reunited family in Canada.

Whilst filmed in 1990, it has a very distinct '80s feel with shoulder pads, skinny ties, pastel colors and jeans rolled at the ankle. One can understand the fame of Corey Hiam who was 18 when this was filmed. After rocketing to the top of the teen movie star tree after award winning performances in Lucas (aged 13), Lost Boys (aged 14) and License to Drive (aged 15/16), even by 18 his star was waning but his frenetic energy and pretty boy charm is infectiously likable despite the lightweight plot and B grade other actors.

Unremarkable, but enjoyable enough for what it is

[I_Ailurophile · 6/10 · 12 May 2022]

If a viewer sat to watch this without knowing anything of it, not even the year it was released, 'Fast getaway' reveals its nature as soon as it begins. We're treated to slightly dulled cinematography, a hot-headed teen protagonist, a father-son dynamic, light and ham-handed but sometimes unconvincing humor, and needless crass sexism in the dialogue and scene writing. None of these are exactly points in the movie's favor, and at no time could it be confused for anything but B-grade fare - while enjoyable, it's never robustly, actively engaging. Yet a little uncomplicated, cheesy action comedy has never hurt anyone, has it?

In fairness, the stunts and action sequences - mostly chase scenes - are done very well, and duly entertaining. Though we're treated to some tropes and predictable story beats, there are dashes of cleverness scattered throughout. Relegated to a small supporting role, it's nonetheless fun to watch Cynthia Rothrock turn up the playful smarm as conniving criminal conspirator Lilly, and there's minor gleeful energy in seeing her play opposite Ken Lerner as Lilly's notably less witty partner, Tony. Yes, Rothrock's martial arts skills are employed only to the same purposefully gauche ends, but that's no major fault. 'Fast getaway' will never be remembered for world-class acting, but the cast at large do a good job of embracing the spirit of the modest (if too often juvenile) romp.

Even bearing in mind the gawky, deliberate flavors that the film maintains, James Dixon's screenplay is a little overbearing at points. Even putting aside noted strains of sexism, the dialogue and scene writing is outright crude in some instances (boys will be boys, dontcha know, hyuk hyuk). The narrative is pretty unremarkable, not especially feeling any different from a slew of similar titles we've all seen at one time or another, and the same is true of the characters as written. The feature's technical craft, or rounding details like costume design, hair and makeup, and so on, are done well such as they are, but don't specifically inspire. 'Fast getaway' mostly occupies a familiar and well populated cinematic space, and it's hard for much about it to stand out.

Still, though definitely flawed, I can't say I didn't have a good time. The action is concretely ramped up at the climax, lending to a satisfying air of tension and suspense. Marcia Strassman lends a measure of welcome sincerity in her supporting role as Lorraine. All in all, I think my expectations were met rather squarely, if not in the ways I anticipated. It's nothing anyone ever needs to go out of their way to see, but if you're a particular fan of someone in the cast it's passable enough. Moreover, this is the type of picture to put on if you want something amusing but unsophisticated to help pass the time. I can't fathom any reason for 'Fast getaway' to earn a notably strong recommendation, but it's good enough as it is.

A nice simple film

[scott_land1984 · 10/10 · 10 September 2006]

A lot of people have bad comments about this movie. I loved it.

Its a simple story, with a small budget and good actors.

Corey Haim and Leo Rossi are a great team and act well together. The comedy and soundtrack are great. Although its a small film with small budget and no scope to be a big hit, it did make way for a sequel which i haven't as yet seen, so somebody must have liked it! I have always watched this film at least a couple of times every year and will continue to do so. If you haven't had the pleasure yet, i really recommend it as its a great 90's feel good movie...

Cynthia Rothrock is the best at what she does, never really made it to be a big movie star which is a shame as she must have done hundreds of films now?? She stars in this film as a feisty sidekick who helps the father and son team rob banks. I feel she is wasted in this film a little bit though.

Corey definitely carries this film, and is one of his best!

Decent Saturday afternoon entertainment!

[supertom-3 · 9/10 · 25 February 2005]

Those who have the old sky movies will have stumbled on a film of this nature at some point. An unsuccessful, middle of the road, piece of light entertainment from years back. Perhaps a lesser known film in a once big stars career. This film is one such film. It is simple entertainment and not in the least bit testing. Corey Haim, a one time box office dynamo like fellow Corey, Mr Feldman, was at this point growing old. He was at an age where we could no longer forgive his annoyances because of his youth, he was just plain annoying and audiences didn't watch his films. Soon after this film Haim, like Feldman (who in fact had far more acting talent than Haim) dropped into DTV obscurity. I remember watching another film of Haims; License To Drive which was more of a success yet the same simple formula of light hearted comical hi-jinks. Fast Getaway is worth a watch.

Co-starring is the pocket rocket herself, the queen of action, Cynthia Rothrock. This was the biggest film to date in her career and could have been a break through in her career, but the film flopped, so it wasn't. However from her showing in this Rothrock doesn't look out of place in a more substantially budgeted film than her DTV chop-socky flicks. Rothrock plays a real horny dynamo of a woman who by the end of the film severely beats the hell out of all her male co-stars. What we learn is two things: 1): She could kick their buts easily in real life, and 2): I would love her to kick the crap out of me! Rothrock is sexy, no doubt and the Haim and Leo Rossi (His father in the film) even discuss the plumpness and roundness of her boobies which in a strange way is almost in a way a conversation with the male audience as well! The film is about a bank robbing father and son team, who break away from their other two partners, after a ruck, including Lilly (Rothrock). Lilly was going out with Sam (Nelsons father) and when she wanted to cut out the young and annoying Nelson, Sam didn't like it. So what we have is a long seen where Cynthia absolutely kicks the living be-Jesus out of Leo Rossi who actually looked like he was taking a few hard shots there. Lilly with her incredibly vivacious sex drive disbands with the idiot Tony who revels in being her sex toy (lucky SOB!). They are soon rivals and of course the two groups face off down the line.

The film is funny. It's not laugh a minute, bawl out loud stuff and that's a reason it didn't do good business. However there's chemistry between Haim and Rossy and some decent dramatic moments. There's a fair bit of teenage angst compared to other films of this genre however they are not greatly handled because director Spiro Sparatozozoazoozoa or whatever his name is is actually a stunt co-ordinator by trade. His direction is incompetent but he pulls off some neat car chases throughout the movie. Haim is for the most part actually quite likable despite the hyperactivity, awful hair and fashion, but in truth if you've put up with modern teen stars in their films theses days, the likes of Feldman and Haim make a refreshing and far more likable change. This is basic teen-comedy fare that is a darn sight more enjoyable than recent big budget pap. At least I didn't finish wanting to insert a fork into my eye ball! **1/2

I don't mind saying it....I love this movie

[stevenfallonnyc77 · 8/10 · 23 September 2022]

Yes, "Fast Getaway" often seems like a cheapo straight-to-video movie. However, it does have certain pluses that elevate it above most of that lot.

First, Corey Haim plays this kind of role perfectly, and with charm. He was a talented guy, and this movie seemed tailer-made for him. Second, Cynthia Rothrock. She's hot and of course manages to get some chop-socky in (although there should have been a little more). Third, it's a fun plot, as a guy and his son are bank robbers who split with their two other partners and are on the run.

One thing though that really shines is the sweet relationship between Sam the father (Leo Rossi), and his son Nelson (Corey). Their love for each other is always evident as they share many adventures together.

And some of the adventures are pretty wild, from car chase getaways to a very exciting finale. There's also a sequence on a bridge that is beautifully shot and suspenseful.

No, this film won't go down in history as a "great movie" but you certainly have seen much worse. It's funny, exciting, and yes, even touching without becoming too sugary. This is definitely a movie to enjoy with a pizza and beverage of choice.

Fun action pic

[lor_ · 25 June 2023]

My review was written in July 1991 after watching the film on RCA/Columbia video cassette.

A pleasant, unpretentious action picture, "Fast Getaway" will appeal to video fans tired of overblown, hyped-up cinema. Typical of medium-range indie product today, pic had only brief regional test ruins this spring before its ancillary release.

Drive-ins are the natural home for this amoral romp depicting the misadventures of an itinerant gang of bank robbers that include Leo Rossi and his son Corey Haim.

Plot is set into motion when dissension spits up the quartet, leaving Cynthia Rothrock and Len Lerner with a grudge against Rossi and fils. They fink to the cops, and Rossi is caught. Haim's real mother (Marcia Strasman) claims the youngster but poses as an old friend of his dad's rather than coming clean with her true identity.

Haim's reuniting with his dad (he breaks him out of jail) and gradual return to a nuclear family are the subplots to a pic heavy on chases and stunts.

Debuting feature director Spro Razatos brings a background of stunt direction that pays off in several exciting sequences, notably a scene of our heroes hanging off a bridge far above a river.

Acting by the principals is fine, with Rossi and Haim a comfortable team and martial arts star Rothrock giving a good showcase combining her high-kicking violent streak with sex appeal. Beautiful young actress Shelli Lether is a find as the neighbor who ends Haim's lingering virginity.