Grand Theft Auto

Ron Howard’s directorial debut, Grand Theft Auto follows young lovers Sam (Howard) and Paula (Nancy Morgan) as they decide to elope after her parents demand that she marry a wealthy scion (Paul Linke’s Collins Hedgeworth) – with the couple’s decision to steal her father’s Rolls Royce triggering a cross-country chase as they’re subsequently pursued by dozens of oddball characters (including Rance Howard’s Ned and Clint Howard’s Ace). It’s a thin premise that’s employed to watchable yet far-from-engrossing effect by Howard, as the first-time filmmaker’s ongoing emphasis on pursuit sequences inevitably lends the proceedings a decidedly monotonous quality – with the novelty of the over-the-top chases wearing off in as demonstrable and firm a manner as one might’ve feared. There’s little doubt that Grand Theft Auto‘s affable atmosphere is, as a result, due primarily to the efforts of the film’s stars, with Howard’s effortlessly charismatic performance ensuring that the viewer can’t help but root for Sam and Paula’s success. (The palpable chemistry between Howard and Morgan certainly plays an instrumental role in perpetuating this feel.) By the time the frenetic and excessive demolition derby finale rolls around, however, Grand Theft Auto has cemented its place as a passable debut that runs out of steam long before it reaches its crowd-pleasing conclusion.

** out of ****