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The most helpful favorable review
The most helpful critical review
74 of 83 people found the following review helpful:
For true fans of the original classic: here's the lowdown
First of all, I've loved this movie since I was 6 years old. My mom and dad saw it in the cinema -- more than once -- while they were dating in 1974. To say the least, this title holds special significance in my whole family. Which is why it's great to see it re-released on both VHS and DVD for all to enjoy. For those of you who, like me, have every scene, every line,...
Published on December 12, 2000 by B. J. Rowan
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140 of 158 people found the following review helpful:
WARNING TO ALL FANS OF THE ORIGINAL FILM...
First of all, I love this movie. I was quite surprised to discover it's release on DVD, and needless to say, I grabbed it. There is no doubt that this disc is loaded with extras, but sadly, the claim that the film has been "fully restored" is extremely misleading. The advantage of these review forums, is to provide insight, from someone who has already bought...
Published on December 1, 2000 by Nathan Martin
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140 of 158 people found the following review helpful:
WARNING TO ALL FANS OF THE ORIGINAL FILM..., December 1, 2000
First of all, I love this movie. I was quite surprised to discover it's release on DVD, and needless to say, I grabbed it. There is no doubt that this disc is loaded with extras, but sadly, the claim that the film has been "fully restored" is extremely misleading. The advantage of these review forums, is to provide insight, from someone who has already bought the product, to those interested. And, that's what I'm here to do.Here are the DVD's special features, as listed: LETTERBOXED PRESENTATION (1.85:1), REMASTERED SOUNDTRACK (in Dolby 5.1 and DTS), NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN FOOTAGE, AUDIO COMMENTARY: Jack Vacek (Cinematographer) and Warner Leighton (Editor), 3 TRAILERS (The original theatrical trailers for "GONE IN 60 SECONDS" and "THE JUNKMAN", and another for the remastered version of "GONE IN 60 SECONDS"), EXTENSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTO GALLERY, DVD-ROM CAPABILITIES, INTRODUCTION with Denice Halicki (H.B. Halicki's widow) and "Eleanor". Sounds very enticing, right? That's what I thought. Hell, to be honest, I really didn't care about the extras, as long as I could get H.B. Halicki's original classic on DVD! Naturally, I immediately put the DVD in. Then, my dissapointment began. Now, what the packaging WON'T tell you, and what I'm about to, is that this isn't, in fact, a "fully restored" version of the film, but rather, one that has been doctored. Unfortunately, the entire film has been RE-SCORED with crappy music, supposedly aimed at "updating" this classic film, thereby dumping ALL the music from the original cut. Yep, the catchy opening title "GONE IN 60 SECONDS" tune is gone, along with the "SUPERMAN" tune, and everything else, as well. Needless, to say, I am very disappointed. Why do people feel the need to mess with movies, like they do? I don't think H.B. Halicki would have been proud with what his widow has done with the rights to the film, so far. I probably wouldn't have minded this DVD release, if it had offered the original mono soundtrack on a separate audio channel, like most other remastered DVD's offer. Then, I would have been fine with it, as long as I could have the version I wanted to see. Instead, anyone with hopes to get a brand new copy on either DVD or video of this classic car theft film, in it's original format, are pretty much screwed. And, that's too bad. So, my advice is to stick with the original out-of-print MEDIA Home Entertainment release. Believe me, that tape will still be in great demand for years to come. One more thing, there is a website: www.gonein60seconds.com. Perhaps, this would be a great place for true fans of the film to file their complaints. And, who knows, maybe someday we will see the original version released in a respective manner on DVD.
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74 of 83 people found the following review helpful:
For true fans of the original classic: here's the lowdown, December 12, 2000
First of all, I've loved this movie since I was 6 years old. My mom and dad saw it in the cinema -- more than once -- while they were dating in 1974. To say the least, this title holds special significance in my whole family. Which is why it's great to see it re-released on both VHS and DVD for all to enjoy.For those of you who, like me, have every scene, every line, every sound effect of the original movie committed to memory, you will be shocked when you play the "remastered" version. For one thing, the picture is beautiful. It's never looked so good. And the soundtrack has never sounded so good, either -- because it's been completely redone from scratch. That's the other thing. The sound effects are all new. Gone are the authentic, live-recorded engine sounds, tire screeches, and other hard effects. Gone also is the original music, including my favorite tune, "I Do Hope The Man Doesn't Catch Me", and the title song, "Gone In Sixty Seconds". For someone looking for a true re-release of the authentic, original film, this is disappointing. But for me, someone who already owns an original copy of the old MEDIA videotape release of the film, I see this remastered version just as a fun modernization of one of my favorite flicks. The new sound effects are beautiful. I am a sound designer among other things, and some of the new crashes and guttural V8 engine sounds made me drool. They may not be true-to-life anymore, but they are great in their own right. It's almost surreal, seeing all these old muscle cars, but hearing crystal-clear digital stereo effects. By contrast, the disturbingly mono original dialogue track underlaid beneath them sounds almost ridiculous! Fortunately, there is no need for much talking during the 40-minute chase, easily the highlight of the film. In short, to really enjoy the remastered version of Gone In 60 Seconds, you've got to take it for what it is -- a modern "refreshment" of the original film. It's been remixed to appeal more to the same young crowd who enjoyed the 2000 remake with Nicholas Cage. If you are a true Gone In 60 Seconds fan, however, don't stop here. Go in search of the original 1974 film in all its glory, on its original video cassette. A true fan must indeed have both, for the audio differences between the two versions are so distinct, you could almost consider them two separate films.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
I liked it more than I thought, February 5, 2001
After learning that the 2000 movie was actually a remake of a 1974 movie, I got the bug to watch the original. I had a hard time finding it.I read some reviews that said to skip this 25th anniversary edition and watch the original Media VHS release. I was lucky enough to get my hands on both this weekend. I liked this movie much better than I thought I would. True, the real highlight is the car chase, everything else is just filler, but it was still a fun movie. I've read complaints about the remastered anniversary edition available on this DVD. Let me say that after watching both versions, this DVD has a much better, cleaner picture than the old VHS tape. The sound wasn't bad either. My only beef with the anniversary edition was the new soundtrack, everything else was just fine. The anniversary edition on DVD features a generic new pop synth soundtrack. Most of the time, I really wasn't listening to it. But, if you are going to have those 70's hair styles, sunglasses, clothes and sideburns, why mess with the 1970's music? Yes, it was dated, but the music went along with the movie and added to at least a couple scenes. The original soundtrack should have at least been an available option as an alternate version to watch, even if it was recorded in mono. If that had been done, I'd have given it another star. As is, it's not bad. The music is a little distracting because it doesn't go at all with the rest of the movie, but if you can get past that annoyance, this DVD is certainly watchable. It left me wanting an old Mustang.
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58 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
Not as bad as the critics say, November 27, 2000
Gone in 60 seconds is story about a retired car thief who is forced back into the business when his kid brother ends up on the wrong side of a psychotic gangster. Nicolas Cage's assignment is simple enough, for $200, 000 he must steal 50 cars ... or his brother dies.This movie was blasted by every critic that I saw, however, I think that the critics were overly harsh. Gone in 60 seconds is a high adrenaline, car chase film that requires the viewer to use the same powers of "willing suspension of disbelief" that are necessary for most of Nicolas Cage's action films. Nicolas Cage and a fairly impressive supporting cast (including Robert Duvall, Delroy Lindo, Angelina Jolie) give decent performances despite a script that under used them. Giovanni Ribisi is perfect in the role of Nicolas Cage's over confident younger brother. Great acting, however, is not what this film is about. This film is about fast cars and lots of action, which it delivers. After a brief introduction to the characters, we get to watch how the thieves stalk the individual cars, a part that I found interesting. After this point, it is pretty much a none stop car chase scene, which was fairly well filmed and has a pretty good soundtrack to keep your adrenaline pumped. This may not be the most original or deepest film out there but it is another good action film that is worth renting.
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40 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
A 100% kick-ass guy movie!, December 6, 2000
When it comes to reviewing movies like Gone in 60 Seconds, the critics are just plain stupid. You can't rate this film on Grammy Categories. This is a flick about cars. Sexy, fast, adrenaline pumping, loud, oh-my-god-it's-in-digital-surround-sound cars. There's nothing like hearing a Supercharged-Nitrous-pumping 1967 Shelby GT 500 Mustang in Digital Surround. I don't care what the critics gave this movie. With a kick-ass cast and supporting stars with names of Porsche, Lamborghini, BMW, Hemi Cuda and Ferrari just to name a few; you can't go wrong. And there was actually a plot. You have to remember this is a 100% guy movie. When I stepped out of the theatre I heard booster wanna-be's revving up their ladies all over the parking lot. That's what this movie is about. If you actually try to rate this movie, you'll be dissapointed. But if you just sit back, relax, and picture yourself in the driver's seat, you'll absolutely love it. I'd recommend it to every guy who has ever exceeded the speed limit. (and come on, how can you give a movie with Angelina Jolie in it a bad rating...)
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
Looks Great, Sounds Awful, January 28, 2001
Like the early CD releases of classic albums, sometimes technology gets a little overzealous and tries to re-invent something that doesn't need re-inventing. Unfortunately the DVD release of Gone In Sixty Seconds is about the worst example I've seen yet of the phenomenon, taking the bottom spot away from the botched remixes of all the old ZZTop albums of the 70's. This is a five star film for me, one of the ten greatest films of the seventies. A DVD edition should be a boon to all fans of the film, and while it does provide some insights with the director's commentary and the additional features, for some reason the "restorers" seemed to be trying to compete with the new (and extremely mediocre) Nicholas Cage version of the film. The totally redone musical sound track is utterly awful. It doesn't fit anything in the film at all, doesn't befit a film of the 1970's, and stomps all over some wonderfully scored moments in the original. Even the title theme song has vanished, replaced by an electronic mumbo-jumbo that sounds as if it was lifted from a bargain porno film. The plusses are that the movie can be seen for the first time in letterbox format, the visual looks fabulous, and the commentary and extras are interesting, but I was so disgusted with the opening scene I immediately jumped ahead to discover that the entire sound track had been doctored. This is not a restoration, it's just a mess. I am still hoping for, and waiting for, a true DVD restoration of the film. I doubt if we'll see a Dolby surround-sound version of "Citizen Kane" any time soon... heck even my kids know that high-tech sound wasn't around back then and certainly not on Halicki's budget. Some films, horrific as it may sound, were actually recorded in monophonic! This DVD release is as much of an insult to the original as if Hank Williams Jr, Garth Brooks, and Barbara Mandrell re-did all of the songs in Robert Altman's Nashville. It is an insult to the fans of this film who have kept it alive all these years. My pan n' scan VHS copy is in a safe place for now, just in case I want to see the real thing.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
Great movie for car guys and gals, March 26, 2001
The Muscle Car era is not gone. It's recorded for history by H.B. Halicki. This film is about the cars. No blood, no nudity, no cursing, minimal plot and acting, just good clean action fast and gritty. If you want a "slick" production featuring excellent acting and subplot with totally dubbed sound (a high-tourqe Chrysler starter on a Shelby GT? PLEEEAAAAAASE)see GI60S (2000) with Nick Cage. If you want to see (and in the original MegaVHS release "hear") those muscle cars in action in the wild this is your film. Put down that wrench, have a seat, turn up the subwoofer and understand why hot-rodding a Honda in Y2K doesn't compare to a wound-up big block in 1974.NOTE: For maximum viewing pleasure I recommend pulling the mono sound track from the original MegaVHS release and dropping it over the "new enhanced" stereo soundtrack on this release and burning it to a new DVD of VHS. That way you can have the great new wide screen digital video with the original sound and get all those sweet engine sounds. The dubbed stereo sound effects and the new "Music" on this aniversary edition steals some of the original 70's flavor of this classic.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Great movie but not the best Blu Ray quality., February 9, 2007
This review is from: Gone in 60 Seconds [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
I have had the chance to watch several movies in BluRay and HD DVD. This movie stays to it's wonderful action and great story. Although if you are looking for a movie with an excellent picture this one is not it. Not having this movie on DVD helped make the purchase easier. I have always enjoyed the intense action and the excellent acting which don't always go together. Overall that is what makes this an excellent fun film to watch.
Now on the Blu Ray scale. In many Blu Ray movies you either get two things. A picture that is almost crystal clear with no distortion or a movie with grainy hd picture. I was disappointed when I made this my first blu ray movie. I almost began to think that this was a blu ray standard. Although after watching other movies I know better. I don't believe they spent as much time as they should have transferring this movie over to hd. That is generally the problem with some movies. And for the price of Blu Ray players and the Blue Ray Discs you should only have the best picture. So I only consider this a worthwhile investment for people who have either never seen the movie or have not bought the dvd version.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
the movie is great, but the dvd STINKS, September 9, 2002
This is one of the all-time greatest car movies every made. the chase scenes are spectacular. Unlike some other reviewers, I found the plot plausible and intriguing. HOWEVER, the dvd RUINED this movie. Although the bonus features are great, they cheaped out and didn't include the original score. Instead of the funky 70s music that totally fit the mood (stuff) that I could have whipped up on my home pc in about 10 minutes. The missing songs and score totally ruined this otherwise terrific movie. You also get to see Halicki's widow insert herself all throughout the special features to the point of nausea. She even credits her own PARENTS with the making of the dvd! WTF???
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27 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
Pure Action and Revving Engines, June 12, 2000
High-voltage, testosterone-driven, non-stop action highlight "Gone In 60 Seconds," directed by Dominic Sena, and starring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie. Top car thief Memphis Raines (Cage) retired from the life once he awoke to the fact that all of his friends were either dead or in jail. But the main reason was that he wanted to keep his younger brother, Kip (Giovnni Ribisi), from following in his footsteps. Now, six years later, Kip is in trouble; he's become a car thief anyway, and when he botches a "boost" big time, the man he works for (Christopher Eccleston) brings big brother back to make amends. He gives Memphis seventy-two hours to deliver fifty cars, of specific make and model, or he will kill Kip. By the time Memphis gets his old crew together, including Sway (Jolie), the girl he left behind when he retired, and scopes out the cars he'll need to boost, he has one night in which to do it. And if all fifty, and not one less, are not there by 8:00 a.m., Kip dies. There's not much story here, not nearly enough to warrant the star power involved, but if you're into fast cars, and the sound of a revving engine does it for you, this movie will keep your attention. For Cage, the character of Memphis isn't much of a stretch; none of the characters are for any of the actors, for that matter, as they're basically one dimensional, and nothing you haven't seen before in just about any action movie ever made. To give credit where it's due, however, they all do their best with what they're given, and actually bring a level of credibility to the overall proceedings. Jolie looks good, as always, but her talent is wasted here, as her part is, basically, nothing more than window dressing. Rounding out the excellent supporting cast are Robert Duvall (Otto), Delroy Lindo (Detective Castlebeck), Will Patton (Atley), Chi McBride (Donny), Vinnie Jones (The Sphinx), and Scott Caan (Tumbler). There's plenty of great action sequences in this film, many of which will keep you on the edge of your seat, and Sena keeps the tension high throughout with the help of a driving soundtrack and some good editing. The big question is, of course, will Memphis make it in time? Which gives it the suspense it needs to keep it at least somewhat interesting, for there is just enough unpredictability in the story to keep you guessing as to what the final outcome will be. "Gone In 60 Seconds" is basically one long car chase, with one bit, especially, leading up to the climax, that would make Evel Knievel proud. All in all, this movie is a lot like cotton candy; it's not a meal that's going to satisfy your hunger, but if that's what you're in the mood for, you might as well go for the best there is, the kind that's sweet and melts in your mouth. And if that's where you are, and that's what you're hungry for, you've come to the right place.
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![Gone in 60 Seconds [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51yNvu8yjcL._SL160_SL90_.jpg)
