The Getaway (2002) (VG)

Director:

Brendan McNamara

Writers:

Katie Ellwood (writer)
Brendan McNamara (writer)

Release Date:

21 January 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

The kidnapping of Mark Hammond's son leads him on a journey through London as he does jobs from the kidnapper, Charlie Jolson, criminal empire. Meanwhile, DC Frank Carter searches through the empire for answers. |

Plot Keywords:

Kidnapping | Prostitute | Bomb | Gang War | Yardie

Cast

Don Kembry	...	Mark Hammond (voice)
Richard Hards	...	Charlie Jolson (voice) (as Ricky Hards)
Joe Rice	...	DC Frank Carter (voice)
Anna Edwards	...	Yasmin (voice)
Michael Preston	...	Harry 'The Hat' (voice)
Dave Golds	...	Jake Jolson (voice)
Paul Burfoot	...	Eyebrows (voice)
Mick Oliver	...	DCI Clive McCormack (voice)
Jim Darrah	...	Grievous (voice)
Elwin 'Chopper' David	...	Jamahl (voice)
Russell Levy	...	Nick Collins (voice)
Paul Swaby	...	Liam (voice)
Vic Robinson	...	DI Joe Fielding (voice)
Wai Tsang	...	Bobby Lee (voice)
Chee Kin Chan	...	Fu Shan Chu (voice)
Chun Wah Kong	...	Kum Dong (voice)
Wai Yuen	...	Johnny Chai (voice)
Jason Parker	...	Big Walter (voice)
Symond Lawes	...	Sparky (voice)
Colin Robinson	...	Winston (voice)
Marvin Eastman	...	Tyler (voice)
Winston Thomas	...	Jerome (voice)
Katie Ellwood	...	Suzie Hammond (voice)
David Ramsbottom	...	Detective Constable Harris (voice)
Ben Brudenell	...	Detective Constable Ryan (voice)
Robert Jones	...	Reggie (voice)
Brendan McNamara	...	Republic Bartender (voice)
Joe Barnes	...	Alex Hammond (voice)
Ross Mackin	...	Bethnal Green Crew (voice)
Paul Webb	...	Bethnal Green Crew (voice)
Amanda Dawkins	...	Layla (voice)
Alfie Chan	...	Triad (voice)
Keta Parker	...	Yardie Gunman (voice)
Chris McKay	...	Yardie Gunman (voice)
Trace Fuller	...	Yardie Gunman (voice)
Stevie Wren	...	Bouncer (voice)
Kevin McSherry	...	Telephone Repairman (voice)
Martin Stobbard	...	Police Radio (voice)
Simon Wood	...	Police Radio (voice)
Jerry Shaw	...	Police Radio (voice)
Rebecca Rice	...	Police Radio (voice)
Tanya Clarke	...	Police Radio (voice)
Orlando Khota	...	Soho Crew (voice)
Gary Taylor	...	Soho Crew (voice)
Louise Almeida	...	Lapdancer (voice)
Laura Chen	...	Lapdancer (voice)
Erin Ryan	...	Prostitute (voice)
Alistair Lindsay	...	Beat Policeman (voice)
Liz Hill	...	Beat Policewoman (voice)
Vicky Lord	...	SO19 Officer (voice)
Karla Sutherland	...	Policewoman (voice)
Denise McCallum	...	Yardie Girl (voice)
Paul Cutting	...	Touch of Class Bartender (voice)
Patrick Borg	...	Van Driver (voice)
Piluca Martin	...	Bystander (voice)
Ron Festejo	...	Pedestrian (voice)
Dominic Robilliard	...	Pedestrian (voice)
Miki Grahame	...	Pedestrian (voice)
Shawn Layden	...	Pedestrian (voice)
Ben Harvey	...	Pedestrian (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jon M. Gibson	...	Pedestrian
Philip Hayden	...	Police Chief

Directed by
Brendan McNamara

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Katie Ellwood		writer
Brendan McNamara		writer

Produced by
Kenneth Chan	....	assistant producer
Katie Ellwood	....	assistant producer
Darren Yager	....	producer

Original Music by
Andrew Hale

Production Design by
Simon Wood

Art Direction by
Sam Coates

Makeup Department
Melanie Gibson	....	makeup artist

Art Department
Ben Brudenell	....	3D artist
Chee Kin Chan	....	3D artist
Ben Durrant	....	3D artist
Julian Gibson	....	3D artist
Susie Green	....	3D artist
Ben Harvey	....	3D artist
Elaine McSherry	....	3D artist
David Ramsbottom	....	3D artist
Damon Rayner	....	3D artist
Mike Rouse	....	3D artist
Ian Wood	....	3D artist
Wai Yuen	....	3D artist

Visual Effects by
Dalia Al-Husseini	....	3D artist

Stunts
Richard Dwyer	....	stunts
Rodrigo Gonclaves	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Claire Nightingale	....	camera operator

Animation Department
Tamsin Aston	....	animator
Stephen Blair	....	animator
Lloyd Burr	....	animator
Steph Hoddy	....	animator
Gavin Moore	....	animator
Francis O'Brien	....	animator
Matthew Rennie	....	animator
Tara Saunders	....	animator
Dave Smith	....	animator

Music Department
Johnnie Blackbourn	....	music consultant
Shawn Lee	....	musician
Andy Ross	....	musician

Other crew
Stuart Ashley	....	programmer
Laurent Benadiba	....	programmer
Jim Bulmer	....	programmer
William Burdon	....	director of programming
Alex Carlyle	....	game designer
Andrew Frost	....	programmer
Trevor Hermes	....	police consultant
Naresh Hirani	....	director of programming
Gary Knox	....	police consultant
Chun Wah Kong	....	game designer
Archie Lawes	....	voice-over
Gaelle Leysour	....	localisation coordinator
James Payne	....	programmer
Duncan Robson	....	motion capture: Artem Digital Ltd.
Darren Shaw	....	police consultant (as P.C. Darren Shaw)
Martin Stobbert	....	police consultant (as PC Martin Stobbert)
Vanessa Wood	....	location manager
Arthur Yarwood	....	programmer

Production Companies

• Team Soho

Also Known As:

Getaway 1 (International: English title) (informal title)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:MA | Ireland:18 | UK:18 | USA:M

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Team Soho

Trivia:

28 Square miles of London were digitally recreated. Boroughs included are: Marylebone, Chelsea, Mayfair, Islington, Paddington, Bethnal Green, Southwark, Whitechapel, Knightsbridge, Soho, Hoxton, Shoreditch, Brompton, Westminster, Lambeth, Vauxhall and The City.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the beginning of the game, when Suz and Alex are walking down after leaving the building, Alex is holding Suz's right hand. But, in the next shot, when Yasmin approaches the two, Alex is holding Suz's left hand.

Quotes:

DCI McCormack: What the hell do you think you were doing?
DC Frank Carter: I was trying...
DCI McCormack: Don't answer that. I'm not finished. Why didn't you call for backup.
DC Frank Carter: I was responding to...
DCI McCormack: Shut it! Who asked you? It's all over for you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) (VG)

Not so much a game as much as it is an "interactive movie" and on that level, it works.

"The Getaway" is not a video game version of the Sam Peckinpah heist flick or even of the Walter Hill remake. It's a British gangster movie in the vein of Guy Ritchie's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". Or is it a video game? It certainly seems like a movie, but it's not.

For years, game developers have been wanting to create a so-called "interactive movie". A product with the look and feel of a motion picture, but one where the viewer is totally in control of. For the most part, they've failed miserably, as is the case of the horrible FMV titles from the Sega CD days.

However, most recently, programmers have come close to such a thing, just play "Max Payne" and you'll realize how much game makers have evolved the concept. Still, I've never played one such as "The Getaway", a gritty, in-your-face gangster opus with characters that use the "F" word so many times that you would think Quentin Tarantino had something to with the script.

In fact, like Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction", the story of "The Getaway" is structured in a very nonlinear way. The two central characters, an ex-gangster who's been pulled back into the "life" and a rogue cop share the spotlight in telling the tale from their own different perspective.

It's us, the players, who could use some help controlling these characters in putting them to good use. As great as the "movie" is, it's the game's controls that need to be polished. Moving these two characters around is, for the most part, a chore. In the name of "realism", the makers have decided to get rid of the usual standard for video games.

There are no health bars (you look tired as you get shot), no maps of the city (London) you constantly drive in or even direction indicators (you have to rely on your turn signals). This is a bold move on part of the makers, because we gamers love games because of the very reason that they get us away from realism. We don't really care for realism in video games. At least the way it's played out in this product. It makes for a very frustrating game expierence.

The reason the "Grand Theft Auto" games are so fun and addicting is the way it constantly relys on a "virtual" world. "The Getaway" is the opposite, I know most players will look at this as a "Grand Theft Auto" ripoff, but it's far from the truth. "GTA" is a parody of recent American gangster pictures, "The Getaway" is a dark, unnerving action game that isn't comical in any way. Its a step in the right direction in bringing the "interactive movie" to life. In that way, it works, but there still is room for improvement.

I'd give it *** out of **** (Good)