Review of Cutaway (2000) by Kevin S — 12 Jul 2008

I'm torn. The movie lover in me finds Cutaway bordering on 'unwatchable'. The acting is second rate, the script is full of holes and the direction is, at times, amateurish. But, the skydiver in me never tires of popping this one in the DVD player.

Guy Manos, the director, is one of the most sought after stunt coordinators in the business and his reputation as a skydiver is almost unparalleled. Tired of the phony, green-screen wind effects of such films as Drop Zone and Terminal Velocity, Manos set out to make a REAL skydiving movie with actors who were REAL skydivers. Enter Tom Berenger and Stephen Baldwin. Both actors completed training and did many of their own jumps in the film.

In the end, what Manos has given us is a realistic film that stinks. Even jumpers don't seek this one out for its plot, we watch it for the action, the relative work, the free-flying, and the CReW. In short, Cutaway has very narrow appeal.