Gone in 60 Seconds

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer makes movies where pomp reigns over circumstance (The Rock, Armageddon), and Gone in 60 Seconds is no exception. It's a high-octane ride into the world of vintage cars and the thieves that love them, with the cinematography and accouterments of Los Angelino decadence all about.

Memphis Raines (Nicolas Cage) is a reformed car snatcher whose little brother (Giovanni Ribisi) has gotten mixed up with the mob. Memphis, reputedly "the best," must steal 50 classic cars in a single day or else his brother bites the bullet. Robert Duvall and Angelina Jolie are among the old buddies Cage's character assembles to pull off this epic heist, although the Oscar-winning talents of all three are largely wasted. This isn't a movie for fine acting, it's a movie about steel and speed on four wheels. And in this department Bruckheimer does fairly well, climaxing in an elaborate, adrenaline-packed chase scene with some sharp turns thrown in to keep things lively.