Remaking a movie is always a precarious prospect that requires balancing expectations set by the original with changing viewer sensibilities. Sometimes a director can hit a home run, like John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), a remake of The Thing From Another World (1951). However, most results are lackluster, like the 2002 remake of Rollerball, which lost the exceptional AI and social commentary of the 1975 original and missed the point in favor of violent action. Sylvester Stallone suffered a similar fate with his remake of the 1971 crime thriller Get Carter.
Stallone’s version of Get Carter hit theaters on October 6, 2000, with a stellar cast and a $63.6 million budget. Reviews were harsh, which likely contributed to the film’s poor $19.4 million worldwide box office. TheRotten Tomatoescritics’ score is an abysmal 11%, and the audience rating is only slightly higher at 28%. Even the Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus feels harsh, saying, “Michael Caine shows up to collect a paycheck, and so does everyone else in this rote, middling remake.” Caine starred in the original Get Carter, an acclaimed revenge thriller with an 85% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 84% audience score. So what ultimately went wrong with Stallone’s updated take?
Sylvester Stallone’s Remake Doesn’t Understand What Made ‘Get Carter’ Great
Get Carter is based on Ted Lewis’s 1970 novel Jack’s Return Home. Caine’s adaptation has a unique history, as it wasn’t acclaimed upon release. According to Geoff Mayer’s Guide to British Cinema, it received mixed reviews that praised the impressive visuals and Caine’s performance as Jack Carter. However, the overt violence and the protagonist’s lack of remorse for his amoral behavior proved divisive. Thankfully,the movie found a cult following, with notable filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie highlighting the crime thriller’s impeccable quality (via Financial Times). Shortly before Stallone’s remake, Caine’s version ranked 16th on the BFI Top 100 British Films of the 20th Century list. Total Film later surveyed British critics in 2004, who named Get Carter the greatest British film of all time (via BBC).
The 1971 release offers a simple setup where gangster Jack Carter investigates his brother’s death. As he digs, the plot and web of lies become more complex, turning the story into a gritty revenge thriller. Caine delivers a cold, calculated performance, and his motives feel justifiable within the criminal underworld, even when his methods are questionable. He brings undeniable charisma to each scene, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats, never knowing what line he’ll cross next. Director Mike Hodges captures bleak industrial areas that heighten the gritty feel, rejecting any sense of a glossy studio release. Get Carter isn’t just a fantastic crime thriller; it’s a quintessential genre classic.
Stallone’s thriller remake has a star-studded cast, including Rachael Leigh Cook, Miranda Richardson, Alan Cumming, Mickey Rourke, Rhona Mitra, John C. McGinley, and Caine as Cliff Brumby. Unfortunately, that’s where the production’s inspired choices end. To make the revenge thriller more like Stallone’s past work, the remake softened the original’s cold nihilism and Jack’s moral ambiguity. The plot follows a similar setup, with Stallone as Jack Carter, a mob enforcer investigating his brother’s death. He still crosses lines to find the truth, but Jack is more sympathetic, with the narrative focused on possible redemption. The ending even leaves room for a sequel.
The Get Carter remake is lost in early 2000s aesthetics and stylistic choices. The movie uses intense music to appeal to audiences of the era and ramps up the action, highlighting the gap since the 1971 film was praised for the beautiful simplicity of its score. The editing and frantic style created a visceral experience but lost the nuance that made Caine’s version work so well. Stallone believes it may be his most underrated film, stating in 2025, “It’s interesting that 25 years ago I was acting in one of my BEST films, the underrated Get Carter.” There’s a great story to tell, but despite Stallone’s claims, his star power and tonal changes spelled disaster for an ambitious yet misguided remake.
