Resgate Infernal

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.

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.

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

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.

Over the top unbelievable film and only worth a watch if there is nothing else you haven't seen before