Let's Get Harry

Does anyone else feel that Gary Busy was blatantly snubbed for an oscar for his role as the psychopathic, trigger-happy cocaine-fiend in Let's Get Harry? I mean, the man is pure genius. And Alan Smithee's flawless directing cannot be ignored. Let's face it--Let's Get Harry is simply one of the best films ever made. This movie has everything: an inexplicable plot, countless killings, a dirtball Columbian drug dealer who makes a fortune off of the work of an old man with alzheimer's who is happy with receiving a carton of cigarettes for a million dollar's worth of coke, and, of course...Busy, inflamed nostrils and all.

Part of the "men-on-a-mission" cycle of the action war films craze during the 80's Era, spreading the jingoistic 'feelgood' of the Reagan Administration, "Let's Get Harry", directed by the veteran filmmaker, Stuart Rosenberg ("Cool Hand Luke", "The Amityville Horror"), tells the story of a group of blue collar workers from the Midwest who hire two Vietnam vets for a mission to rescue the older brother of one of them, held captive in Colombia by a drug dealer.

Rosenberg disowned the film, apparently when the producers took full control over the editing process and the film's direction is then credited to Alan Smithee, the well-known pseudonym used by directors who don't want their involvement in a film.

"Let's Get Harry" starts with a sloppy staged kidnapping scene in Colombia, where Harry Burck Jr. (played by hearthrob Mark Harmon) and an American Ambassador become hostages of Carlos Ochobar and his personal guerrilla, then the movie cuts to a factory situated in Mid-America for the credits roll that looks & feels straight out from a Bruce Springsteen's song.

Harry's younger brother, Corey (played by the 'prince charming' from John Hughes' "Sixteen Candles", Michael Schoeffling), when the U.S. government fails to negociate with the Colombian terrorists, convinces his co-workers and Harry's old buds, Spence (played by the musician / Eagles frontman, Glenn Frey); Kurt (action cult favorite, Rick Rossovich, from "The Terminator", "Top Gun" & "Navy Seals") & Pachowski (Thom "Biff Tannen" Wilson) to "Let's Get Harry" by themselves with the help of an used cars' salesman, Smiling Jack (the scene-stealer Gary Busey from "Big Wednesday", "Lethal Weapon" & "Point Break"), who is funding the rescue, and the guidance & military expertise of a 'Medal of Honor' honoree turned mercenary, Norman Shrike (played by the legendary Academy Award Winner, Robert Duvall).

The movie then moves to Colombia and some of the "Uncommon Valor"'s tried-seriousness went downhill when the things started to look cheap: the sets, the three major supporting actors upstaging the 4 leads (who are the leads anyway ?) and the writing making use of the "suspension of desbelief" to levels beyond imagination (the Duvall character explaining to 3 blue collar guys who had never shot a gun how to fire and 5 minutes later they are all turned into Rambo). It looks like the movie was originally longer to explain some of the plot devices, but key scenes got cut in the editing room for pacing reasons to keep the film in the less than the 100 minutes mark (probably the reason why Rosenberg disowned the film).

It was released in the Halloween day of '86 and was a major flop, both critically and comercially, ending the careers of his rising young stars, especially Thomas F. Wilson and Michael Schoeffling, who had his last breath in Hollywoodland with the sleeper hit, "Mermaids" ('90) before giving up the acting business.

Busey recovered the following year with the major hit, "Lethal Weapon" and Rossovich with "Roxanne". Duvall went unaffected due to his status, but started taking only supporting parts.

In short, "Let's Get Harry" works as a piece of pure escapism (like watching a Cannon Group action flick with a bit more money spent), it got plenty of 80's 'feelgood' moments: the true friendship, the patriotism, the moral, the 'cheese', the 'on-liners' and an adequate synthesizer orchestration provided by Brad Fiedel (from "The Terminator" fame), that all together can put a big smile on the face of an 80's enthusiast.

7.5 / 10 in my book.

My review was written in May 1987 after watching the movie on HBO/Cannon video cassette.

"Let's Get Harry" is a well-made, but utterly routine action picture released by TriStar last October ahead of its current home video status. Pic is worth catching for two excellent (as usual) supporting performances by Robert Duvall and Gary Busey. Director Stuart Rosenberg took his name off the credits, reportedly due to a contretemps during post-production (pic was lensed in Mexico and Illinois in 1985).

Project originally was planned as a film by Samuel Fuller, writing and directing, in 1981; he is credited with co-writing the story. It's the trite concept (almost identical to another current release, Vestron''s "Nightforce") pf a grpi[ pf upimg gius. ;ed bu <ocjae; Scjpeff;omg. Deciding to take matters into their own hands to go to Colombia to rescue Schoeffling's brother Harry (Mark Harmon). Kidnapped along with the U. S. ambassador (Bruce Gray) by terrorists. These "terrorists" are actually drug dealers, holding the twosome hostage until their fellow dealers are released from prison.

Picture follows rigidly the cliches of this mini-genre: the old hand mercenary (Robert Duvall) who takes the youngsters under his wing; the hands-are-tied government official ("we don't negotiate with terrorists under any circumstances" is the policy line) and stereotyped bad guys. There's even a totally illogical female role written in, played by Elpidia Carrillo, who is cast in virtually every south-of-the-border Hollywood movie.

Fortunately, film is redeemed somewhat by Duvall, with shaved head and authoritative theping, as a gung ho medal-of-honor winner shaded differently than his similar roles in "Apocalypse Now" and "The Great Santini". Busey is also delightful as a smooth-talking car dealer who agrees to bankroll the mission if he can come along for a "hunting trip". Unfortunately both Duvall and Busey eventually are written out of the scenario, and the film dies without them around.

Lead roles are colorless, with Schoeffling doing an okay job but singing star Glenn Frey making little impression as one of his pals. Rugged he-man Rick Rossovich is cast against type as the wimp of the group.

I was Robert Duvall's character coach or model in Harry. He attended my training camp in Alabama in September 1985 before going on down to Vera Cruz Mexico for the location filming.

The major problem with the film was the director(s) and the editing. The actual script wasn't bad. One director quit, and the finishing director cut so much from the film that Duvall tried to keep it from being released, and the director ended up having his own name removed from the film and "Alan Smithee" (a name used to protect the guilty) credited as director.

Virtually all of the training scenes were cut where the plumbers become commandos, and the character development went with it.

Duvall wanted to make a good movie. The script called for his character to give a dying speech after getting shot. When he and I went over the scene, I told him after getting hit the way he was supposed to, he wouldn't be able to say anything. He played it that way.

When I finally saw the film, I was surprised to discover that not only had Duvall followed my advice on how to dress, etc., but that he had adopted my own personal mannerisms and way of talking. He never said anything about doing that.

I was disappointed in the final release, even more than most viewers. I know what's missing.

Frank Camper

In Columbia two Americans get kidnapped. One is the US ambassador and the other a plumber named Harry Burck ( Mark Harmon ) from a small town in Illinois. They are kidnapped by a drug-lord who wants some of his men released from a US jail. Harry's friends go to Washington to try and get the government to do something about it. They are stone-walled. Desperate they hire a mercenary ( Robert Duvall ) and head for Columbia to Harry's rescue! Daft idea huh? Yep. But our brave American heroes are determined to save their friend! It could have been a nice action-movie, but it's pretty bad acted and executed. Most actors are sleepwalking. Only Duvall and Gary Busey give slightly inspired performances. Can't really blame the actors though for this is terribly bad written with no logic or interesting dialog at all. Waste of time I'd say.