Harry (Mark Harmon) is an engineer on loan to Colombia building a water plant when during a visit from a U.S. diplomat for the unveiling rebels attack and kidnap the diplomat and Harry. News of the kidnapping reach his brothers and the U.S. government's insistence that they do not make deals with terrorists leads the brothers to organize their own rescue mission.
Despite director Stuart Rosenburg having hidden behind the pseudonym of Alan Smithee* suggesting this might be a dud I found this to actually be entertaining. Yes, it's a ridiculous premise of a seasoned soldier of fortune accepting a job to take green troops into a dangerous rescue mission, but then we don't watch action movies for their logic.
*Alan Smithee was a pseudonym directors would hide behind if they were dissatisfied with the outcome of a film, usually claiming it was out of their control, as a way not to be associated with it. The use of the pseudonym seems at least a little gutless to me as the actors are front and center in a film no matter how bad the film is in the end result. The pseudonym originally came into being for a legitimate reason for a film that was directed by two different directors and neither wanted to take full credit for another director's work; and interestingly that film was praised by critics as was its new director Alan Smithee.
With a recognizable cast that includes Robert Duvall, Gary Busey, and Glenn Frey in main roles, Elpidia Carrillo in a supporting role, plus Jerry Hardin and David Hess in bit parts it is not lacking in talent. It is actually one of the better of the pure mercenary movies; independent soldiers rather than commandos.
Certainly it is not the best of the pure mercenary movies, The Wild Geese and The Dogs of War occupy those spots, but beyond those most mercenary movies are duplicitous and not very good and Let's Get Harry is at the least a notch above those by not going the usual route of a mercenary film and having some plot twists along the way, as well some decent pacing.
Certainly it is not the best of the pure mercenary movies, The Wild Geese and The Dogs of War occupy those spots, but beyond those most mercenary movies are duplicitous and not very good and Let's Get Harry is at the least a notch above those by not going the usual route of a mercenary film and having some plot twists along the way, as well some decent pacing.
Let's Get Harry is hosted on Internet Archive. You can stream it here.
If you would prefer to download it, here is a direct link to the mp4 file (444 Mb).
No comments:
Post a Comment