Review of Get Shorty (1995) by Spangle — 16 Apr 2016

Overall, Get Shorty is a pretty fun and entertaining crime comedy/thriller. John Travolta turns in a truly cool and calculated performance as this loan shark turned wannabe Hollywood producer. He really makes this role his own.

Additionally, it is well-written and the plot is compelling. I never found it overly funny, but this was not a major problem in and of itself. The main detraction here has to be how truly generic the film is.

From beginning to end, it is completely derivative of every film about Hollywood and/or crime that came before. This is obviously not ideal and it leaves you feeling as if you had seen this movie dozens of times before.

That said, it is a fun film with very well developed characters, good pacing, and strong writing. Overall, Get Shorty works as both a satire of the crime genre and on its own as a crime film.