DVD Review: Gone In 60 Seconds (1974)

Fans of tight bellbottoms and stilted acting: H.B. Halicki’s original “Gone in 60 Seconds” is the Holy Grail.

Halicki’s fast-and-furious 1974 thriller is chock full of women with skyscraping AquaNet-infused hair and, of course, plenty of cops-and-robbers car-chase sequences. Unfortunately, despite multitudes of overly-tan men with enormous sideburns, the original “Gone in 60 Seconds” can’t hold a candle to director Dominic Sena’s 2000 remake—skipping the “fine wine” stage, aging has just turned the film to vinegar.

The greatest failing of Halicki’s supposed masterpiece is the script. A significant amount of dialogue is given as voice-overs during car-chases or while the main characters are repairing stolen vehicles in the auto shop. Thus, the viewer is so focused on the action on-screen that he/she completely ignores the voice-over comments.

And yet, even without abundant voice-over, the original “Gone in 60 Seconds” would be utterly confusing. The audience is plunged into a network of thirty-something men who talk too quickly and run around town looking for expensive sports cars to steal without adequate explanation.

Sena’s remake was a complete overhaul of Halicki’s melodramatic original. Not only is the storyline linear and understandable, unlike Halicki’s, but the acting is exceedingly better.

However, even though Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie undoubtedly add major star power to the new version, Halicki’s version is still marginally validated by its 40 minutes of car chases. The automotive craziness and special effects are almost as heart-pounding and realistic as that of the remake.

While many critics insist that remakes are never as good as originals, H.B. Halicki’s original heist extravaganza contradicts conventional wisdom. Even with special features about Halicki’s life and extra car chases, the Collector’s Edition of “Gone in 60 Seconds” is stale and massively overshadowed by the newer model.