A criminal (Mel Gibson) with a lot of stolen cash hops the border and ends up in an infamous Mexican prison, in one of the best movies you never saw!
From the opening scene of this crime thriller, when Gibson is peaking 100 mph in a getaway with style, I knew that this comeback film would encapsulate the actor as a badass and a force to be reckoned with. We have been proved this many times before, but there's something refreshing in knowing that this man can still hold the screen with such intensity.
I think I speak for many people when I say that in movies like this, I get a pleasure in seeing just how brutal the prison environment is and how much shit the main character can be surrounded with, because that makes his behavior throughout the film that much satisfying to watch.
The prison in Get the Gringo is full of corrupt guards and prisoners who pretty much run the place; there's even a special wing for upper-class prisoners who had connections. Gibson meets a young boy played by Kevin Hernandez, who hasn't been in many films but did well compared to many other child actors. He is being groomed by the big guy in jail who has a failing liver and will eventually require the boy's liver, since the two have a matching rare blood type. From there we have that bond between the two characters of Gibson and Hernandez, but for the most part, it's far from sentimental and the two reflect each other's rough backgrounds.
This film doesn't necessarily leave a lasting impression on me like Gibson's older movies, but for a decent standalone film, there's nothing inherently wrong with this one. There are a lot of Spanish subtitles, and that's not a problem for me, but it could be for some. Overall, this is something you could pop in if you're not looking for the next Lethal Weapon but maybe something entertaining and full of violence.๐
