Get Carter
Warner Brothers (2000)
Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
In Collection
#890
6*
Seen It:  Yes
(6/13/2011)
085391858324
IMDB   4.7
102 mins USA/English
DVD  Region 1   R
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)
Director Stephen T. Kay
Producer Mark Canton
Neil Canton
Elie Samaha
Writer Ted Lewis
David McKenna

The original Get Carter (1971), directed by Croupier's Mike Hodges, stars Michael Caine as Jack Carter, a mob enforcer who returns to his hometown after the suspicious death of his brother. The plot has a breezy, improvised feel and Caine is fantastic, an amoral man who would sleep with any girl or torture any guy to get what he wants. In the American remake, Sylvester Stallone plays a sanitized version of Jack Carter, a guy who is violent but ultimately moral. It doesn't work nearly as well. The whole movie seems like it's been crafted around the Stallone persona, which gives it a manufactured rather than spontaneous feel. Admittedly, that is not helped by the film-school pyrotechnics of director Stephen Kay, who fills the frame with so much unnecessary camera movement that it really feels like he spent more time setting up the camera shots than he did on the script. Moving the story from a small town north of London to Seattle works better because of the subplot concerning Internet porn, of which Seattle is a virtual hotbed. The downside is that it allows for Alan Cumming's portrayal of a Bill Gates-like billionaire as a near-retarded boy-child. Other actors fare better with their roles, particularly Rachel Leigh Cook and Mickey Rourke, though Michael Caine's presence only serves to draw unfair comparisons to the original. That said, if you buy both versions you will learn more about the state of Hollywood at the turn of the millennium than with a year's subscription to Variety. --Andy Spletzer
Edition Details
Chapters 28
Release Date 2/13/2001
Packaging Snap Case
Screen Ratio 2.35:1
Subtitles English; French
Audio Tracks ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
FRENCH: Dolby Digital 5.1
Layers Single Side, Dual Layer
No. of Disks/Tapes 1
Personal Details
Purchase Date 9/8/2002
Owner Thomas Eisenmann
Store Best Buy
Purchase Price $14.99
Condition Excellent
Reviewed Widescreen Review
Bit Rate 384 KB
Anamophic Yes
Links IMDB

Features
Anamophic
Includes director’s audio commentary, deleted scenes (there are about seven, including the original ending), cast and crew biographies, the theatrical trailer and the international trailer for Caine’s version

Widescreen Review
Story Synopsis:
Before you read this review of Get Carter, please take note of the number of producers involved with this film (there are 12). Now, remember their names, and check the review of Battlefield Earth in this issue. Note the number of producers (there are eight) and their names. As to my frequent claim of too many producers spoiling a movie...? I rest my case.

Reprising the 1971 role made famous by Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone stars as the hired gun, Jack Carter in Get Carter, based on the novel, Jack’s Return Home by Ted Lewis. In this version, Carter works out of Las Vegas and travels to Seattle (the original took place in England) to avenge the death of his brother who he believes was a hit by mobsters but made to look like an accident. There is little relief to be had from the abysmal dialogue uttered in this film. For some real laughs, watch the theatrical trailer and prepare yourself for the last line (uttered by Stallone as Carter): “You haven’t seen bad yet.” Oh yes, I have. (Laurie Sevano)

DVD Picture:
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 DVD exhibits images that are sharp and detailed, with excellent clarity and definition. Though the picture is mostly crisp and solid, some scenes exhibit a soft focus for effect. The picture has a stylized dark character, but contrast and shadow delineation are impressive throughout. Colors are clean and well defined, with rich hues, natural fleshtones, and deep blacks. The appearance of edge enhancement is minimal. On rare occasions, fine details shimmer slightly, but pixelization is not distracting. (Suzanne Hodges)

Soundtrack:
The soundfield offered by this Dolby® Digital 5.1-channel soundtrack is highlighted by the nicely recorded and spatially distributed music score, which is occasionally prominent in the soundstage. The use of dimension for sound effects is usually moderate and notable, with the split surrounds providing for effective spaciousness and immersion. The soundstage delivery is pleasing and satisfying throughout, with both quiescent and sonically prominent scenes benefiting from the spread throughout the listening space. The dialogue production is remarkable, with nicely recorded, natural sounding voices seemingly matched to their visual surroundings. Deep bass is delivered with general satisfaction, particularly with the music, along with minor .1 LFE utilization. This is a nicely produced film soundtrack in which the elements come together for an effective presentation. (Perry Sun)

This Disc Contains The Following WSR-Rated Superb Qualities:
Reference Quality