H.B. Halicki was famous for his extravagant car chases that involved tons of stunts. Ultimately his knack for pushing the limits was ended with a tragic accident involving a water tower while filming the sequel to
Gone In 60 Seconds. I was initially confused because I knew of the Nicholas Cage film of the same name but was unaware that it was actually a remake of a film from the Seventies. So when I heard this was a sequel I thought he died recently. No he actually perished in 1989 while making this sequel.
Anyways this disc released by Navarre has both the unfinished sequel Gone In 60 Seconds 2 and what is billed as the third in the series Deadline Auto Theft, which could more aptly be called a mixing of the first two films.
If you're familiar with any of the 60 Seconds films, you know the story: Elite car thief has scant time to deliver 50 cars, stolen according to specific needs. They're named after women and represent some of the rarest cars in the world. Really this is an excuse to execute a ton of car chases and a triple-digit number of car crashes, as our bushy-haired heroes speed throughout the greater Long Beach area with Smokey in pursuit.
Both films offer the wonder and excitement of destroying perfectly good property for no reason at all! In fact there's not much here to actually like storywise. Just one massive collision after another with the so called hero escaping death time after time. Unfortunately in real life death doesn't always play nice and Halicki paid that price. Still there's plenty of action here for those who dig destruction to find, including a a Battlebots-looking wedge car called "The Slicer" that is way cool. As long as you don't expect anything alone the lines of the Nicholas Cage movie you won't be disappointed.
The Disc:
DEADLINE AUTO THEFT comes in a 1.78:1 presentation that has been enhanced for 16:9 displays, while the assembled footage from GONE IN 60 SECONDS: 2 is in a 1.33:1 open matte presentation. Both films show the aging of a low budget independant film but still are easily watchable. Sounds on the other hand are MIGHTY impressive with both a DD 5.1 and DTS track available. If anything the car crashes provide plenty of workout for your home theater. I am so pleased that a little company like Navarre thought enough to provide the DTS track here.
As for extras there are a few which starts with the forty-five minute biography, The Life and Times of H.B. Toby Halicki, hosted by his widow Denise, which feature interviews with friends and members of his crew. His poor widow was only married to him for 6 months before his death.
Another excellent feature is the addition of a "Crash Counter" which lets us keep track of every single wreck in each of the films. I must admit its pretty cool to watch and keep track of these since there are so damn many. Of course there is also the standard trailers and new introductions by widow Denise Halicki.
bottom line:
As far as wrecking cars goes this guy certainly knew what he was doing. Still with a plot that is non-existent basically and really old 1980's special effects this is more of a novelty than anything. Still worth a look if you just love seeing Dukes of Hazzard type Police Chases.
3.5 out of 5
By - Brian Gray
1/2
