Get Carter

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Miranda Richardson, Rachael Leigh Cook, Rhona Mitra, Johnny Strong, John C. McGinley, Alan Cumming, Michael Caine, Mickey Rourke
Directed by: Stephan Kay
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama
2000

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Jack Carter (Sylvester Stallone) returns home after his brother died in a mysterious car crash. He believes his brother was murdered, and will stop at nothing to get to the truth.

Review:

Tim: It took me quite a while to get around to seeing Get Carter. When I watched it, I was pretty excited- I like Sylvester Stallone more than I probably should, and this looked like a gritty film right in his wheelhouse. Unfortunately, this film is a complete misfire. It's badly edited, boring, and not nearly engaging enough. This is a film I expected to like, and was disappointed to find out it was actually pretty bad.

One of my biggest complaints with the film is the editing. I simply do not understand why it was edited in this manner. It came across as choppy and occasionally difficult to watch. I believe great editing draws you into the film- it makes the movie's world feel like the one you inhabit. The editing here kept me firmly planted on my couch- far away from the action I was watching on screen. It was disruptive, and a major reason why this movie fails.

The story was surprisingly dull. Stallone goes home when his brother is killed, and is determined to find out the truth behind the event. This immediately makes me anticipate a thrilling, exciting search for that truth. In reality, he just kind of plods along, getting bits of information from different people. The story lacks fangs- there's just nothing compelling about his search. Eventually, we find out all the facts, and the truth, when revealed, just caused me to shrug my shoulders. There was nothing exciting or interesting about the revelation. There was a few things I didn't anticipate, but I never felt engaged by the story. Everything just felt flat.

I appreciate that Stallone grew a sweet goatee for this film, but that's the most memorable part of his performance. He really just dialed this one in- he's not bad, but I never felt like he was giving maximum effort, either. It was completely average. I liked the casting of Rachael Leigh Cook, but her acting was pretty weak throughout the film. I did love John C. McGinley here, in an underrated performance. Alan Cumming added significantly less than I would have expected. Michael Caine felt like stunt casting (since he starred in the original film) and never felt like an authentic part of the story. I was glad to see Mickey Rourke get some work, but I wish he had a bigger part. There's some good names in this cast, but they simply aren't used to their full potential.

With as much talent as this film assembled, I'm shocked by how little I cared about any of the characters. There was no emotional connection, and the events of the film all muddle together. I got lost in the mediocrity of this film. Now, I know I'm being harsh with Get Carter, but I just expected much more from it. It disappointed me. I've seen far worse films, and I have to admit I was at least mildly interested in how the story would wrap up. This isn't a worthless film, and while I did not especially care for it, I wouldn't say it is one of the worst films I've seen, either. It is simply a weak movie and a failed attempt.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Get Carter (1971)