May 29: Get the Gringo- 150th Review!

**REVIEW #150**

"A career criminal (Gibson) nabbed by Mexican authorities is placed in a tough prison where he learns to survive with the help of a 9-year-old boy."

Get the Gringo is a fine example of Mel Gibson's ability to kick ass. Yes boys and girls, he still has it in him. Forget his racist rants and drunken tantrums. Forget his domestic abuse and his seemingly abandoned Australian accent. He is still an action star and Get the Gringo proves it. I can only assume this film didn't get a large release because of Gibson's personal life issues and bad public image but it really deserves one. It has a great story, fun action, and a rather unique (yet entertaining) setting. It's a lot like Lethal Weapon, set in Mexico, but instead of Danny Glover as his partner, Gibson teams up with a 10 year old boy with a "magic liver". 

Oh, I forgot to mention the clowns...(yes that's Gibson)

The story follows Gibson's unnamed character who's a career criminal that finds himself locked up in a Mexican prison. The prison, however, is not your usual Shawshank and is actually its own, self-contained town called "The Pueblito", run by a crime lord and his thugs. Living in the prison is a kid (again, no name) and his mother. Gibson runs into the kid and the two bond over cigarettes and a drink (no, really) and he finds out the kid's previously mentioned "magic liver" is the perfect match for the crime lord who is slowly dying from liver problems. Because of the important organ, the kid is watched like a hawk and thus Gibson's new friendship with the boy raises a lot of red flags. A bunch of shit goes down (including a badass shootout in the middle of the prison) and Gibson finds himself owing a big favor to the crime lord. He's sent out of the prison and Mexico altogether, and has to track down and kill, surprise, another crime lord in the US (played by the creepy awesome Peter Stormare). The film blends action, chase, spy, and hit-man elements into a somewhat over-the-top ride that really keeps your attention.

With the awful luck Gibson's character has, you can only assume his boy Jesus left him out to dry and die in Mexico.

I would definitely recommend Get the Gringo. I saw a trailer for it awhile ago and have been waiting for my chance to watch it and it really did deliver. Sure, parts of the film are very formulaic and predictable (even cheesy at times) but the entire thing has so much style and clever writing that it's faults are easily forgivable. The film does have a lot of the dialogue in Spanish and I found some of the subtitles a little difficult to read, but even the missed bits don't hinder the story. Get the Gringo can be found on demand as of now, and I am not sure of a DVD release date, so it may be hard to watch. If you can, track it down because it's very much worth your time and a semi-nostalgic reminder of Mel Gibson's ability to kick ass. 

The Good:

great combination of action, drama, and comedy that turns a could be disaster into something you want to watch

The Bad:

knowing that Mel Gibson probably doesn't have many of these (if any) left in his "talent" 

The Ugly:

Mexico prisons, even if they are the "world's shittiest shopping mall"

Overall: 7.5/10

Trailer:

Also, please feel free to comment on any (and every) post. This time of the year is rather difficult when it comes to Netflix and DVD releases and I could use some suggestions of what to watch. I'll reward comments with virtual high-fives and fist-bumps, as well as an empty promise to change your life.