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Get Carter

Get Carter

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Carter II
Review: Although the "Get Carter 2000" script is another prime example of a Hollywood "dumb down" (e.g. "La Femme Nikita" and "Point Blank" turning into "Point Of No Return" and "Payback"), the basic plot, concerning a low-life thug investigating his estranged brother's suspicious death, remains intact. The film is big on atmosphere; the "noirish" rain-washed Seattle milieu does the seedy storyline proud. Stallone looks a bit peaked these days to play strongarm types, although it does make Carter's world weary burnout play more convincingly than his ability to intimidate people. Supporting performances range from good (Mickey Rourke, who has apparently been taking elocution lessons, as well as baths) to adequate (the wonderful Miranda Richardson has a thankless part, and original "Carter" Michael Caine is not given a lot to work with either) to grating (Alan Cumming plays his nerdy software billionaire villian too broadly). The film is still quite watchable, likely more enjoyable for those who haven't seen the original British film. We can only pray that Mr. T. doesn't appear in "Carter III".

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Should Have Left out the Vegas Line
Review: Not having seen the original "Get Carter", I have no basis for comparing the remake with Sylverster Stallone to the cult-classic one with Michael Caine. Remakes are inherently risky films to do because they are always being compared to the originals, especially if the original is considered anywhere near good.

Stallone plays Jack Carter, a Las Vegas mob enforcer who has traveled back to his hometown of Seattle to attend his brother's funeral. Carter goes there against the wishes of his boss Les Fletcher. Carter suspects foul play right from the get go as his brother Richie supposedly died while driving drunk. Carter doesn't believe his brother is the type who would do such a thing, and neither does his niece Doreen (Rachel Leigh Cook).

Carter does some investigative work and uncovers what really happened to his brother. His inquiries lead him to several unsavory characters like Richie's co-worker Eddie (Johnny Strong), his boss Cliff Brumby (Michael Caine, the original Carter), an internet tycoon named Jeremy Kinnear (Alan Cumming), and a former associate of his own turned internet pornography businessman named Cyrus Paice (Mickey Rourke).

The action involving Carter's attempts to find out what happened to his brother are clearly the strong parts of the movie. The weak ones involve the scenes from where the movie gets its title; the ones where Carter's Las Vegas employer attempts to either bring him back to Vegas or to take him out.

We learn that Carter is having an affair with Fletcher's girl Geraldine (Rhona Mitra). Fletcher is after Carter for this. That part of the movie seemed like more of an intrusion to what was really going on than anything else. It would have made more sense to the movie if Fletcher was trying to stop Carter because he would eventually uncover his own involvement in his brother's death. The reasons for Fletcher's attempts on Carter were not strong nor well developed.

Unfortunately, that part was supposed to supply the tension to the movie (Can Carter get them before they get him?). It ultimately failed to provide that tension.

However, "Get Carter" was able to partially overcome this weakness with some solid performances by Stallone, Cook, Rourke, and Cumming. Stallone in particular played the part of Carter real well and didn't resort to that stupid neck stretch thing he always seems to do.

The film also suffered from too many camera gymnastics. Several times the speed of the scenes was increased for no reason whatsoever. These sped up clips added nothing to the movie and only served to fill some down time. Maybe if only one or two scenes like this were thrown in it would have been acceptable; but, they were too many and too often to be useful.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: This is not "Payback"
Review: "Payback" was this straightforward story of a ruthless man with one fixed idea: getting the money which was due to him. It was dark and violent and the movie worked because the Mel Gibson's character was not calling out for our sympathy. "Get Carter", also a remake, is following a similar linear story line and gritty atmosphere but is failing in that the movie producers decided to make the Sylvester Stallone's character likable (being Stallone, I guess). And this is where it slips for the worst. Why did they have to put so much (twisted) morality in this guy? The scene I really hated is when Carter throws the bartender who abused his niece by the window after he tells him "what would you think if it was your daughter" and "you already killed yourself (by abusing his niece and other women)". But is it the Carter who in the same movie sleeps with his boss's wife and who beats bad payers to a pulp? Where is the morality here? This just does not make sense.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: STALLONE IS THIS ONE OF THE BEST
Review: NO OTHER ACTION STAR CAN BE IN THIS KIND OF ROLE AND PULL IT OFF LIKE STALLONE. VAN DAME AND TOM CRUISE ARE TOO SHORT, BRUCE WILLIS NOT BUFF ENOUGH AND ARNOLD CAN'T CAN'T EVEN TALK, OR REALLY MOVE. HE CAME BEFORE ALL THESE GUYS AND AFTER ALL THESE YEARS HE IS THIS BETTER THAN THESE GUYS. THE MOVIE STARTS OF SLOW DOESN'T HAVE THAT MANY ACTION SCENES BUT, OVERALL IT'S CAMERA USE, TWO CAR CHASES, AND STALLONES STYLE MAKE IT A FILM TO WATCH.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Forget "CARTER"...get CAINE!
Review: The original GET CARTER! (1971)is regarded as one of the most gripping, unvarnishedly brutal gangster dramas ever filmed. It is an anti-hero magnum opus where Michael Caine as thoroughbred British hood Jack Carter remorselessly pursues vengeance: He is a very "bad" bad guy out to wreck havoc on the kingdom of the bad like a 1 man Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The film is fascinating because...though Caine's Carter never appeals for audience (or thug-peer)sympathy, his unrelentant courage earns "sympathy for the Devil".

This said in admiration, I believe the Stallone remake is simply a classy mess. The "Rocky" version fails to engage as the character study the original was. Its character parade of sewer-rat "bottom feeders" is often repugnant. Sly is his usual buff-bad, cool dude self. But his likeability is contrary to what CARTER incarnates. This is clear in the "karma" of other actors from Mickey Rourke to important cameo-playing Michael Caine. These are venomous thugs who kill "friends" indifferently. Brutality...the fight between Stallone and Rourke is climactic example...is hatred-as-technique/life-style for these hell burnt-out cases. Who cares what happens to them?

This key to the film's failure is manifestly demonstrated when Sly/Carter has Alan Cummings...epicence and insolently smarmy in the role of thug-wannabee ( but) premier yuppie WIMP...on his knees. "BE A MAN FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE!" Sly commands, his revolver against the head of groveling Cummings. When Carter relents in mercy, the gut reaction isn't relief but disgust this punk didn't get his "computer wizard's" brains blown-out. A similar "hollow man" reaction (to me) occurs when Sly tells Rachael Cook...playing, Doreen, his slain brother's porn-ring/sexually abused daughter...she's "SPECIAL". The fact is there's nothing too special about a spoiled, defiant girl who went-out looking for trouble...and found it to the MAX. The orignal film succeeded because it did not attempt to make Carter a "good" guy. Nor was hood life in the fast lane(...everything all the time...) meretriciously glamorized. The classic GET CARTER! is a study of evil. It's unpretentiously good and violently bad for the right reasons. The movie works. Sly as redeemer/redeemed Jack Carter doesn't. Why? Sly plays a Good Guy. Caine played Carter as tough-as-nails Bad Guy. The remake has Rocky ride-off into the sunset. The original had "un-Happy Jack" about to get his brains blown-out. If you want to see why "they" remade GET CARTER! forget "Carter"...GET CAINE!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: One of Stallone's best! (not to mention best remake)
Review: I haven't seen the original GET CARTER, I must say this stands well on its own. I have liked many other Stallone movies (JUDGE DREDD, CLIFFHANGER, FIRST BLOOD, DEMOLITION MAN) but GET CARTER was a different movie.

This movie is about a man who tries to come back to a family (his brother's) who he walked out on so many years ago. The only connection his niece has to him is a picture that sits around. But Jack Carter learns that his interrogating people only makes the people he's trying to get in touch with grow farther from him.

But yet Jack does not stop his quest to prove that his brother did not die in an auto-accident. As he goes deeper into the world of filth under Seattle, Jack uncovers Cyrus Paice, a man who likes to project porn on the Internet for money.

As Jack comes closer to the truth, he realizes that if he'd have been there when they needed them, none of this would have ever gone down. Jack begins to get in touch with his niece, and eventually develops a new sense of family and honor.

I recommend this one for fans of PAYBACK, Stallone, Crime-dramas, or just somebody who likes good movies. This one is like the case of BATTLEFIELD EARTH. The reviewers hate it and people don't like it and it bombs. But I liked both this movie and BATTLEFIELD EARTH. But you'll have trouble finding it. I had to drive for a while to find a place that had it, 'cause Movie Gallery's six copies were all out.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not bad...BUT!
Review: First of all I'm still new to DVD's. I was in Blockbuster Video and they had this one and a few more previewed ones for sale .... So I bought it.

I've not seen the Michael Caine original (yet) so I can't compare the two films. I thought that this one was okay, but I had some big problems with it. There's a lot of similarites between this movie and "The Limey" (if you've seen it you'll know) and that bugged me. It's like director Stepher Kay decided to remake THAT movie.

My main problem is that when everything's resolved there seems to be a scene missing (and it wasn't in the special feature deleted scenes) between Stallone and Miranda Richardson in which he explains why his brother (her husband) was killed and what for. Instead you get the "seeya around" scene between him and Rachael Leigh Cook.

Mickey Rourke is pretty good, but his demise is sort of....anti-climatic.

John C. McGingley is good (as always) and he gets his trademark swear word in ...

The subplot with Stallone's girlfriend back in Vegas just doesn't work. You wonder why it was even in there.

Still, with all the annoyances I have to say I liked the film...but, it could have been so much better.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Doesn't Touch the Original, but it's still a Worthy Effort.
Review: Like Mel Gibson's Reworking of Lee Marvin's "Point Black", ("Payback") Sylvester Stallone's "Get Carter" is an Enjoyable, yet Watered down Remake. Both Mel and Sly make Their characters Far more Likeable, and in Doing so, they Lose what made the Originals Classic films.

Sly's Carter is a Vegas Debt Collector who heads off to Seattle when his Brother Mysteriously dies. He meets a Lot of Sordid Characters on his little Holiday, including Miranda Richardson as Gloria Carter, Sly's Brothers Wife, Rachel Leigh Cook as Doreen Carter, Gloria's Daughter, the Wonderfully Smug Alan Cumming as Computer Genius Jeremy Kinnear, Michael Caine (whose presence only reminded me of the Superior Original) as the Shadowy Cliff Brumby, John C McGinley as Hometown Henchman Com McCarty, the Criminally Underrated Mickey Rourke as Cyrus Paice and the Stunning Rhona Mitra as Geraldine, Sly's Link to the Underground. They all give Restrained, Mature Performances that Perfectly Fit the Feel that the film is aiming for.

The Scenes where Stallone and Rourke face off are worth Purchase Price Alone, I simply Could Not Choose who I wanted to come out on Top. They are Two of my Favourite Tough Guys. Gretchen Mol makes a Good Impression in a very small part. (an Extended Cameo that has Good Performances from her and Sly, but it Worked Better in the Original) Her scenes, as well as Rachel Leigh Cook's scenes, nearly all feature Sly, and they are the films Best Scenes, Acting wise.

Action wise, the film is subdued. There are two well-staged Car chases that have been a little Over Edited, they still Achieve their Goal. Sly dishes out some Harsh Beatings, but the film never becomes a Full On Action film like Most of Sly's Resume. Fans of "Copland" should enjoy this, the two films share a lot in common, eg. Mood, Tone and Performances. In the End, the film is more of a Triumphant Return for Mickey Rourke than it is for Stallone... In my opinion, Stallone never left.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better than "Payback"
Review: I've never seen the original Get Carter and I don't want to see it either-- I'm not a big fan of Michael Caine. I think this movie does good by itself though. I certainly liked it more than Mel Gibson's undramatic Payback, which was more or less just a bunch of pointless car wrecks and shootouts. Stallone does a good job in this movie, I've always thought he's a good actor even though the script or direction in his movies is sometimes bad. But this movie's pretty good. Check it out. Oh ya, the supporting cast is really good also.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: quality film
Review: i gave this film five stars because i believe sly did a good job and the truth is i dont care for micheal caine much this remake was total cleaned up compared to the 1971 version i like it better this way as jack being a kind and yet violant person if you like the first one you probably will not like this one but still worth renting


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