Get Carter (2000)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Stephen T. Kay

Writers (WGA):

Ted Lewis (novel)
David McKenna (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 October 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The Truth Hurts

Plot:

Jack Carter, a mob enforcer living in Las Vegas, travels back to his hometown of Seattle for his brother's funeral...

Plot Keywords:

Funeral | Loss Of Loved One | Golf | Death Of Loved One | Loss Of Brother

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Sylvester Stallone	...	Jack Carter
Miranda Richardson	...	Gloria
Rachael Leigh Cook	...	Doreen
Rhona Mitra	...	Geraldine
Johnny Strong	...	Eddie
John C. McGinley	...	Con McCarty
Alan Cumming	...	Jeremy Kinnear
Michael Caine	...	Cliff Brumby
John Cassini	...	Thorpey
Mickey Rourke	...	Cyrus Paice
Mark Boone Junior	...	Jim Davis (as Mark Boone Jr.)
Garwin Sanford	...	Les Fletcher
Darryl Scheelar	...	Security Guard
Crystal Lowe	...	Girl #1
Lauren Lee Smith	...	Girl #2 (as Lauren Smith)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language, some sexuality and drug content.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Alphacine)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (No. 37609) | Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) (Canadian Home Video rating) | South Korea:15 | Mexico:C | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | Peru:14 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Morgan Creek Productions

Trivia:

When Doreen asks Carter why he went away for so long, Carter responds, "That's a long story." Doreen replies, "It's a long ride back." These lines were also spoken in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) when John Rambo is speaking with his Vietnamese insider.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Carter cuts off cellular phone link with Las Vegas there is a distinct cut-off tone. When two cellular phones are connected, there is no dial tone at any time.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jack Carter: Hello, Mr. Davis. My name is Jack Carter, and you don't want to know me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Stranded (2001/I)

Soundtrack:

Descents

slick editing can't hide the holes

By far, the most entertaining moment on the DVD of "Get Carter" is the hilariously outdated 1971 theatrical preview for the original version of the film, which starred Michael Caine. (Caine does appear in this Stallone update.) Sadly, this update stinks. Sylvester Stallone's Jack Carter, a Las Vegas button man, skips town without his boss's permission and heads up to his old stomping grounds in Seattle to investigate the mysterious death of his brother, whom he hasn't seen in five years. That's the pitch.

The action is surprisingly restrained and impressionistic. For example, when one of the minor bad guys gets killed, we see the result of a headlong plunge but not the actual slaying. But this kind of restraint doesn't dovetail with the promise of the previews: an ass-kicking Stallone in a Rat Pack suit. The director tries to gloss over the many plot holes with slick, faux-Fincher cuts and zooms, but he's just covering.

Here's the tragedy. Action-thrillers don't require good acting, but they sure are enhanced by it. Most of the actors in "Get Carter" have the ability to far outshine this genre, much the way the actors in 1998's "Ronin" did-within the context of the plot, the cast of "Ronin" delivered their lines with utter conviction.

Not necessarily so here. Those stars in "Get Carter" who have real talent weren't used enough, and those who don't have the strongest dramatic chops were given boatloads of screen time. Sly is wooden at times (as per usual), but has some fine moments.

Miranda Richardson, as Carter's widowed sister-in-law, is solid, but underutilized. Mickey Rourke, as an internet porn purveyor, has obviously been working out some more, but it's still apparent that he peaked in "Diner." The big surprise was just how much actual characterization they allowed Rachael Leigh Cook--as Carter's bereaved niece--to show off. Any one of these actors, given enough on-screen opportunity, might have saved "Get Carter" from its ridiculous plot holes and incongruities. But they didn't. Do yourself a favor: avoid this film.