Continuing my plan to watch every Sly Stallone movie in his filmography in order, I come to his first movie of the new millennium 2000's Get CarterPlot in A Paragraph: Jack Carter (Stallone) a mob enforcer living in Las Vegas, travels back to his hometown of Seattle for his brother's funeral. During this visit, Carter realises that the death of his brother was not accidental, but a murder. With this knowledge, Carter sets out for revenge. This is a strange case, and certainly a missed opportunity!! The movie doesn't seem to flow right, and that's probably due to the fact that there were lots of changes during the production of the movie. Director Stephen Kay clashed with Franchise Pictures, the financier, over the tone of the film. Kay wanted the film to be more of a character driven "anti-revenge" film, while Franchise wanted a more traditional Stallone action picture. Sly who was trying to move away from action pictures agreed with the director, but 15 (yes 15) producers and poor test screenings who complained about the lack of action in a Stallone movie, resulted in lots of footage on the cutting room floor, several reshoots and and two new endings later, it's totally different in tone to what was intended. Michael Caine's character who was also only in one scene in the original cut, but test audiences liked him and they transformed the movie to give Caine a bigger role. It's sad and disappointing that Sly saw this as another character driven movie to follow up 'Copland' with, but it ended up as nothing more than a routine action flick, that is quite forgettable.Most of Miranda Richardson's scenes seem to have been left on the cutting room floor, and John C McGinley simply disappears from the movie despite being great in it. Alan Cumming is fine and Mickey Rourke is an intimidating presence to go against Sly's Jack Carter, Whilst Michael Caine does what Michael Caine does. But it's Rachael Leigh Cook who is brilliant here. The scene between her and Sly on the rooftop and is the best scene in the movie. I actually consider that scene one of the best scenes of Sly's career. It's just a pity the the rest of the movie wasn't filled with such scenes. As a remake it's awful, as a stand alone Stallone move, it's about as watchable as 'Tango & Cash' and 'Cobra' but without the cheese.

I'll keep this short and sweet. First off, Sly, does not deserve a Razzie for this. It's a great comeback, after his bestest in 98's Copland, and he's very good in this role, a trifle menacing, yes. In fact I'd rather watch Sly than Caine, who ironically plays a shady villain in this. Caine's dull expressions and deadpan looks he brought to the Carter role, though indeed, he was much more menacing, just somehow created a real dullness, where Stallone adds a lot of flare to the role, (the actors business) someone you don't want double cross, one guy, so lucky for having Carter spare him, was a moment I found gruelingly tense. Again it's family vengeance for Jack Carter, who leans on people who are late with their payments by use of physical force. One term to describe these heavies are called Shylocks. Stallone is given great dialogue, and has some great acting support from Miranda Richardson, very strong, Caine, character actor, John Mcginley as one of Sly's own, and another baddie Mickey Rourke, no longer a pretty face. He's given some great dialogue too. Jack who's brother was caught up in some dirty dealings involving prostitution and making sex tapes, his need to get to the bottom of this really grows, especially when his niece (Rachel Leigh Cook-very good) is caught up in it. Then he really steams. Here's a guy who's not gonna stop until he finds his man, where he doesn't like outside interruptions, like from Mcginley who he pummels the s..t out of in an elevator, to the racey tune of an instrumental "Jingle Bells". Again here's a livelier remake I like better than the original, which some great action sequences, including a thrilling car chase, hey, but what's a Sly movie without action.

This movie is just not worth watching...It starts slowly with a stupid scene, the whole movie goes from one scene to another within seconds, even the fighting and the killing are shorten and you find yourself watch half a fight and then the result of the fight...There is a plot... but while watching you just get lost, details are moving too fast and the only long shots are the important clues (so you immediately know it's a clue) and the drama talks.The editing and sound mixing is super bad, in order to fill it all in 102 minutes you can hear talks starting from the scene before and only a few seconds later you can sea the real scene. The video editing is not a hit either, a lot of flashbacks and other trite scenes.Shortly, not a recommended movie.

A Las Vegas "fixer" (Sylvester Stallone; those who don't pay their debts when expected are greeted by this enforcer) returns home to Seattle after a considerable absence upon the knowledge of his brother's death. While on its face, the brother seemed to have been drunk behind the wheel and hit a tree, it turns out after some investigation that the crash could have been a ruse to cover up shady activities.A bartender, a porn "businessman" (Mickey O'Rourke; a real sleaze in this film) perhaps hooking girls out of a club he runs, a Harvard-educated computer whiz (Alan Cumming, in a rare straight role; he's a real weasel, always whining and pee-in-his-pants scared), and a pub owner (Michael Caine, who deserved a bit better than this underwhelmingly limited supporting part, considering he was the star of the original this film was inspired by) all factor into the results of Stallone's investigation. Meanwhile, Stallone's Vegas boss wants him back regardless of the investigation into his brother's murder. Gretchen Moll, the boss' mol, had been having an affair with Stallone, while the always-awesome John C. McGinley (making the most of a small role; most couldn't take the scraps he's given and make them a full course meal like John does here) shows up in Seattle to inform Stallone that the boss insists he returns no questions asked. Of course, Stallone isn't about to leave Seattle until those responsible for his demise are brought to justice (his brand of justice, of course). There's always somebody trying to thwart the investigation, and Stallone remains determined to see the course, with lots of car chases (and, especially, crashes), leveled faces from heavy punches landed, and quivering punks about to crap their pants. Personally, despite a lot of flak this remake has endured, I think it isn't too shabby actually. Stallone, when inspired, can deliver a good performance. He could always crack wise and look all muscled in Demolition Man or Tango & Cash (both of which are pleasures I can enjoy all the time), sending up his action star image, but when required, he had the pathos and wherewithal to apply his acting skills when the right role came along. Like something totally critically maligned (and less regarded) such as Eye See You, or even critically lauded by not as popular with the public (Cop Land), Stallone seemed on his A-game. Even the disaster film, Daylight (which I think should be re-evaluated by all of Stallone's fans; I think this is a good one that could find its audience), was an outlet for Stallone to flex his acting muscles. In Get Carter, this part asks him to portray a damaged character with a not-so-glamorous rep. In fact, his brother's wife, played by a rather wasted Miranda Richardson (her caliber of an actress seems miscast in an action thriller), doesn't even want him around while a young Rachel Leigh Cook (you know, I rather like her the more I watch her; some of the teen stuff she wasn't that challenged, but here is a part that is tough, playing such a girl surrounded by corruption and evil) confides in him because there's no one else around to listen. I think the best acting bits are between Stallone and Cook; here, the vulnerable side of the roughly-hewn, stewing, anger-seething Stallone is visible, while Cook can let down her guard and speak openly with him. A CD containing recordings of a drug-induced rape of a minor and a hooker (Rhona Mitra, simply stunning, even as she's glammed down into trampy dresses and make-up) the dead brother was involved in an affair with both could shed light on the false car crash and its purpose. With intense exchanges between O'Rourke and Stallone, which soon lead to fisticuffs (first, O'Rourke gets the better of Stallone, but later the results are reversed), and a shifty Caine who seems to be hiding something (he just has that way about him that can't be trusted) provide some intrigue in the film. I wasn't a fan of the photography (a lot of close proximity, in-your-face shots, and the camera rarely holds still very long) in the film, nor was the editing style much to my liking (I prefer compositions to last past two seconds), but Stallone's star appeal (and charisma), as well as, his sincerity in the developing storyline held my interest. If he cares in the part, it shows. It sure as hell did in Cop Land; I think, while his career was starting to decline as the 90s made its way into the early 2000s, he had some of the best performances since the early days when Rocky announced him as a major star.