The Specs
Released: July 17, 2012
Directed by: Adrian Grunberg
Rated: R
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Running Time: 96 minutes.
The Story
A career criminal pulls off the heist of a lifetime, but his getaway plans go south of the border when a high-speed car chase lands him in a hard-core Mexican prison community known as “El Pueblito.” Now, in order to survive, he’ll have to fend off corrupt cops, take down ruthless druglords and team up with a streetwise ten-year-old who has a few secrets of his own.
The Cast
Mel Gibson as “Driver”. spanning a long career, and appearances in movies like MAD MAX, THE PATRIOT, BRAVEHEART, the LETHAL WEAPON series, CHICKEN RUN, WE WERE SOLDIERS, and much more. He will also appear in the upcoming film MACHETE KILLS.
Peter Stormare as Frank. He’s appeared in a wide range of movies, as best known in villain roles, he’s appeared in films like BAD BOYS II, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, ARMAGEDDON, FARGO, LOCKOUT, and MINORITY REPORT, as well as in the MERCENARIES series of games as the voice of Mattias Nilsson.
Dean Norris as Bill. He plays Hank Schrader in the TV series BREAKING BAD, and had roles in both TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY, as well as the original TOTAL RECALL.
Kevin Hernandez as Kid. He’s also appeared in the movie THE SITTER as Rodrigo, as well as in MY NAME IS EARL as Oskar.
The Dissection
With this, Mel Gibson returns to the genre of an action adventure film since his break from action around 2005. He’s done more serious movies, but this one seems to fit more with the older movies he’s done. It’s more in line with LETHAL WEAPON.
Mel Gibson as Driver
The movie has some power in the acting department. Mel Gibson works his ass off in the movie and delivers a great performance. Gibson isn’t alone, as the rest of the cast, and even the kid actor to the surprise of some, work well in the movie. It helps to move the story in a way to avoid any substantial lull in the movie and to keep the action fresh for the viewer. While the movie isn’t that original in the content, it’s all very interesting to see.
Look wise, the movie style is very interesting. It is a high end production and it works well with keeping the camera work right for the scenes, as well as getting all the basic elements like editing and sound to the perfect area for the film. The locations as well work to give the movie a playground of sorts for the movie to go nuts in. Also, while the movie is rated R, it doesn’t go all out to go the mature route, and focuses on the violence and mayhem that occurs because of Gibson’s character.
There’s not a lot to complain about. The movie could have use some more details and examination of the characters, but it wasn’t really needed by the end of the film.
The Extras
The DVD and the Blu-Ray come with these special features.
The Verdict
GET THE GRINGO is one of the better films in Gibson’s filmography, and shows that while his image in the public has taken a beaten in recent years, the man can still make a great film. This movie is a return to form for Gibson, and if you liked his films and can ignore his recent transgressions, you should have a blast.
A MUST-BUY 5/5
Find and Rent GET THE GRINGO at Redbox
http://www.redbox.com/movies/get-the-gringo
View GET THE GRINGO online at Amazon Instant
http://www.amazon.com/Get-The-Gringo/dp/B008M34INW/ref=tmm_aiv_title_0
Get GET THE GRINGO on DVD at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Get-Gringo-Dean-Norris/dp/B0087DFIYA/ref=tmm_dvd_title_0
UK FANNERS: The movie will be released on Region 2 on September 24, 2012 on Amazon. You can pre-order the film GET THE GRINGO (also known as HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION) on Amazon.co.uk:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Spent-Summer-Vacation-DVD/dp/B0085MXRC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343622436&sr=8-1