Navarre Home Entertainment presents

Gone in 60 Seconds 2 (1983)

"Most times they would just get on streets and grab a camera and away they went."- Denise Halicki

Stars: Hoyt Axton, H.B. Halicki
Director: H.B. Halicki

MPAA Rating: PG for car crashes
Run Time: 00h:34m:42s
Release Date: 2003-09-02
Genre: action

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B+	B-	B	B+	B-

 

DVD Review

There is something about car chases and big crashes that seems to bring out the overjoyed toddler in me. The carnage of twisted metal and destruction is undeniably thrilling, while the high speeds chases captured on film make me want to go flying through the streets of my hometown with reckless abandon. Sooner or later I wise up and realize I will never be able to do these things, so why not leave them to the professionals like the late H. B. Halicki, the godfather of the car chase film.

Halicki's rise to car chase heaven began as a real estate agent and body shop owner before moving on to write, produce, direct, and star in the original cult classic, Gone in 60 Seconds. Popular in its own right during the 1970s, the film, and Halicki, were given new life when the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced remake made its way into theaters and on to box office gold. Halicki would create a trilogy of films including the original, The Junkman, and the nearly completed Gone in 60 Seconds 2 before his death on the set of the latter.

On this new DVD viewers are treated to both the unfinished version of Gone in 60 Seconds 2 as well as a compilation of scenes from the first film and The Junkman entitled Deadline Auto Theft. The compiled film features Halicki in the role of Pace, a veteran car thief whose latest job involves the pristine car of the daughter of the local police captain. Already at odds with each other, the pair square off in a nonstop battle that leaves numerous cars wrecked in its wake.

The film is what you would expect, given the overly kinetic style of Halicki; the chase scenes are breathtaking but the acting, script, and directing leave a lot to be desired. This is easy to dismiss as it is clear that no one really goes into films like this to see award-worthy work, just crashes and chases.

Gone in 60 Seconds 2 is simply a collection of scenes that were finished at the time of Halicki's death. There is a new vehicle nicknamed "the slicer," given its ability to flip any car by running into it, as well as a chase that has to be seen to be believed involving a semi truck that levels half of the city of Long Beach.



Rating for Style: B+
Rating for Substance: B-

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Each feature is presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio and given the age of the films and their shoestring budgets each looks better that I had expected. Colors are not at all washed out and have nice vibrancy, but the image appearing a bit soft at times. There are some moments where the print suffers from dirt and specks, but it is inconsistent.

Image Transfer Grade: B
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	yes
Dolby Digital 5.1	English	yes
DTS	English	yes

Audio Transfer Review: Each film is presented in Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS sound mixes. The sound is done very nicely, with terrific use of the surround speakers for the music as well as the action sequences. The dialogue is crisp and clear with no distortion evident, while the left and right speakers do a fine job of enveloping the room. I noticed very little difference between the DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, though if there were an edge, it would go to the DTS mix; it seems to have slightly better imaging.

Audio Transfer Grade: B+ 

Disc Extras

Full Motion menu with music
Scene Access with 13 cues and remote access
1 Documentaries
Packaging: Amaray
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: RSDL

Extra Extras:

1. Introductions by Denise Halicki

Extras Review: Aside from an introduction by Halicki's widow, Denise, the only extra feature on this DVD is a 45-minute Speed Channel documentary on the life of H.B. Halicki. Hosted by Denise Halicki and featuring interviews with crew member as well as close friends, this documentary offers everything you could ever possibly want to know about the director. Most interesting is the time spent covering Halicki's drive and determination to get the films made, along with his ability to plan out a single scene and nail it perfectly each time. This is a fascinating documentary that is a "must see" for anyone with an interest in its subject.

Extras Grade: B-
 

Final Comments

Overall, this collection of Halicki works is a terrific way to see just how skilled and passionate Halicki was. His direction had a natural energy and you could clearly tell that he was having the time of his life while filming each installment of the trilogy. For those who enjoy mayhem and destruction, this collection is just for you. For those who only know of Gone in 60 Seconds because of the bastardized remake you owe it to yourself to quickly become educated with H.B. Halicki. Recommended.

Kevin Clemons 2003-09-29