Review of Get the Gringo (2012) by Pete W — 17 May 2012

Get the Gringo isn't a great film, but it is a sufficiently entertaining one that if anything illustrates that Mel Gibson - in spite of age and personal issues - can still hold his own as a veteran action star.

To label this as a fully-fledged action movie is a bit of a stretch though. If you look to some of its promotional material, it implies a fast-faced plot and a plethora of bullet exchange. Essentially, however, it's a prison flick, where Gibson - who plays a career criminal who gets thrown into the joint after getting caught by the Mexican authorities - spends the better part of his time trying to survive the incarceration through the help of a young boy and his mother.

The most interesting aspect of the story is the prison itself; the dirty, gritty atmosphere, which runs like a small society, with stores, housing and some inmates living with their families. In this regard, it's quite original, but it unfortunately doesn't compensate much for the the thin and water-treading script.

Too often I found myself waiting for something exciting to happen, and when it finally does, it's very pedestrian in its execution. Adroit acting from Gibson makes it worthwhile though, and it's nice to see him back where he belongs again (not behind bars, but you know what I mean).

A decent action-drama, with an agreeable touch of dark humor. Just not really the kind that I'd be in a hurry to watch again.