Gun for Hire

I like British gangster films over American ones especially urban they're all feeling sorry for some gangster who's trying to get out of the business. Our boy here isn't trying to get out of the business, well he wasn't until a quarter million dollars landed at his feet. now he wants to grab the waitress and take it on the road. only problem is he stole money from his mob, that was stolen from the mafia. So now everyone wants him dead. the characters were believable, a lil more Micheal ironside would have helped.

They stole a lot of stuff from several all-rite gangster films to make a mediocre gangster film. There was some "Saving Grace", the reflection and repose of "Boiling Point" and then they tried to add in some John WOO type shoot-outs.

Here's a problem, who ever did this had too much pull with the props department, mobsters, and gangsters, don't have gunfights with "Bayonet Fixed, Belt-Fed" weapons. He even shot-up a bar carrying a WWI era 30cal machine gun.

The Butcher has a decent cast and a promising story line, but fails to deliver due to a crummy script and too unrealistic action scenes.

The wording of the plot outline is indicative of the incoherent bombastic dialogue in this film, it makes practically all actors appear wooden and insincere.

A lot of the budget was thrown at bloody shootouts, but no attention was paid to making them even a little realistic. In most shootouts the henchmen just stand upright blazing away without seeking cover or even actually trying to hit the protagonist. In another shootout the bad guys insist on shooting above the furniture behind which the hero is hiding. Not even film goons are that stupid.

These flaws ruin what otherwise could have been a palatable action film.

This is one of those movies where the "hero" uses one or two pistols to take out scores of bad guys shooting at him with machine guns. Yep, that's believable - not - but still kind of fun. So, 4 stars.

I gave this a solid 9 for me. I REALLY enjoyed it. I have watched it several times, I liked the story of an over the hill guy who needs a break and isn't getting it. His mobster boss considers him past it and treats him with disrespect. Then the movie takes off and is as merciless as you will get. I watched the unrated version and it was definitely extra gritty and bloody. I own both and even without the ultra violence the R vision is a good watch. Eric Roberts plays his character to a tee and we can't help but feel for him as he navigates thru the game set in play. I deliberately stayed away from spoilers since its got a few twists and turns well seeing for the first time watching the movie.

"The Butcher" gets high marks for a high body count, in other words lots of bang bang, but little else. Eric Roberts is his usual dependable quirky self, and it's nice to see Robert Davi and Geoffrey Lewis getting some work. This is however a very shallow movie, with everything revolving around the ultra violent scenes. The whole film has almost zero meaning. Eric Roberts never changes his sport coat throughout the entire movie, and really the movie never changes either. It is nothing more than just another weak plotted shoot em up, with little or no character development. I say avoid unless you need to see a bunch of seldom used actors in a meaningless movie. - MERK