The one movie Sylvester Stallone thought was “underrated”
Few have made a mark as permanent in the action movie scene as Sylvester Stallone. With a career spanning several decades, Stallone’s films have become synonymous with packed theatres, explosive action sequences, and box office numbers that would make anyone’s jaw drop. However, like the undulating path of any true artist, not every work of his has basked in the limelight of roaring success.
Beyond the overwhelming shadows of Rocky and Rambo exists an expanse of Stallone’s filmography that hasn’t quite hit the mark at the box office. In fact, some of the actor’s best works weren’t necessarily blockbusters – his collaboration with visionary directors like James Mangold on 1997’s Cop Land has yielded some of his most engaging and compelling films, even if they didn’t rake in profits by the millions.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Stallone shed light on a particular film he felt was unjustly overlooked. And while fans might speculate a myriad of choices from his repertoire, his pick might come as a surprise to many. “Believe it or not, I think Get Carter was really underrated,” Stallone reflected.
This 2000 action thriller, directed by Stephen Kay, was a remake of a British classic. However, according to Stallone, it didn’t receive its due adulation. “That was a big disappointment,” he added. “I learned the hard way that [remakes], even if you do it better than the original, there’s a tremendous nostalgia attached to the original.”
Financially, the film failed, pulling in $19million against a budget of $64m. Critically, the movie was panned, compared unfavourably to the original. The 1971 Get Carter, which had Michael Caine in the lead, was (and still is) hailed as a neo-noir, gangster masterpiece. Based on Ted Lewis’ novel Jack’s Return Home, the movie chronicled Caine’s titular Carter as his investigation into the mysterious death of his brother leads him down a murky rabbit hole of conspiracy and subterfuge – all while set against the beautifully bleak and grainy backdrop of Newcastle.
Kay’s remake transported the story to modern-day Seattle and imbued it with a self-aware, winking-at-the-audience tone that was utterly absent from Mike Hodge’s seminal 1971 original. Obviously, these new elements were an attempt to justify remaking such a highly revered classic, but for many, the new version was completely lacking in what made the first one so special.
Nevertheless, it’s a film that Stallone himself believes deserves a second look. While audiences can be understandably sceptical of remakes, particularly of European classics, there must surely be some weight in a star like Stallone maintaining his admiration for it. Perhaps a second viewing will reveal something new, and audiences will be able to overcome their nostalgia and agree that 2000’s Get Carter was “underrated”.
