Get Carter tries to set itself apart from the standard action/gun-toting/shoot-em-ups that Hollywood has put out recently and does so quite well. Combining flashbacks with voice-overs and some better than expected acting, this film is able to distinguish itself from the rest of the pack. Sylvester Stallone, in possibly his best performance since Assassins, portrays the bad-guy-gone-good to a 'T.' He is able to showcase not only his own physical strength, but also his acting qualities as he shows his sensitive side while dealing with his niece (Rachael Leigh Cook). Speaking of his niece, despite the good acting, directing, and script, the most surprisingly refreshing part of the movie was Cook. In a departure from teenager-geared movies (She's All That, etc.), she actually seems to be taking on serious roles, and she definitely stands out.

The main premise of Get Carter is that Sly's (Carter) brother is dead and he comes back to his home of Seattle to find out if it really was DUI or if someone did him in. Carter's niece (Doreen), is going through her own hard times dealing with adolescence, her father's death, and other complex issues, and as both Carter and Doreen share a common bond, other than familial, both being seen as outsiders and going through rough times, a friendship develops. Get Carter takes both Carter's search for his brother's killers and his relationship with his niece and weaves them together through vivid imagery producing and visually dark, but stimulating, film that moves at a good pace and even involves some action for those of you who need that sort of thing.

While most critics are panning Get Carter for not really rising to the occasion, I feel that Stallone and Cook took the movie and made it extremely watchable. While there isn't really much new to the bad-guy-after-worse-guys plot (similar to Payback), director Stephen T. Kay is able to combine the better-than-expected performances of Stallone and Cook with a cinematography style that keeps the viewer interested, to meld a movie that will keep audiences enthralled for 2 hours. Hopefully career boosts for both Stallone and Cook will follow (with Cook taking more serious roles - I hope), as Get Carter lets both actors showcase their talent with a directing style that echoes that of Soderbergh (The Limey and Out of Sight) - creating a movie that I enjoyed, and most likely mainstream audiences will as well.

Genres: Thriller, Action, Drama, Suspense
Rated: R - http://www.outermost.net/mra/images/getcarter.gif
Runtime: 115 minutes
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