E Unit

That was the original title, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation"? Get the Gringo is a much better title then.

Dr Mabuse

Did you read my post above yours or didn't you?

The re-title is LAME, particularly so after you watch the film.

Larry C.

I really don't like either title that much. It should have been called "Smoke 'em" for all the actual smoking and killing that goes on in the movie.

Dr Mabuse

Now I could get behind 'Smoking and Killing' as a movie title.

Holy shit that would be awesome.

DeputyDave

I just saw it on video last night. Pretty good film, it certainly seemed like the further adventures of Porter from Payback. That prison is just to the South of me and it is just like it is portrayed in the movie. About 14 years ago a man who worked for me in the warehouse (I was an operations manager for a trucking company) told me about his time in that prison. He was a Gringo living in TJ at the time and worked for a guy who organized the people who collect charity money on either side of the border (the Gringos worked the San Diego side). They turned in their money to him every night and all lived in the same building. Apparently the boss was also selling drugs because one day the place was raided by the police and everyone was arrested. There was no trial, no lawyers, he was just taken to the prison. He stayed there for one month without anyone telling him anything (he didn't speak Spanish) and then one day after a month he was released, free and clear.

My mother in law also had some stories. She was a hair dresser for the TJ rich in the 80's and one of her customers was a female big wig in the drug trade. When she was arrested my mother in law would go to the prison once a week to do her hair. She described a very nice apartment with TV, kitchen, living room, and bathroom. She got scared when she heard the woman ordering hits over the phone in her "cell" and never went back.

Most prisons in Mexico are what you expect when you think of prison. That one (if it is still operating) is a strange one.

E Unit

My bad, had no idea it was re-titled.

That is a real prison, and most, if not all the extras, are actual ex prisoners that were there. There's a couple of good featurettes on the blu ray that talk about it.

Supermallet

GoldenJCJ

After watching this I'm convinced Mel Gibson wrote it as an unofficial sequel to Payback. Gibson is essentially playing the same character, with the same voice-over narration, and the same motivation - getting back money he stole that he considers is rightfully his. In both movies, in order to get his money back he needs to go up against everyone from fellow criminals to corrupt cops.

Considering Gibson's character in Get the Gringo is never called by name they might as well have just called him Porter and gotten it over with. Instead the end credits list his character as "Driver" which just so happens to be Porters past job in Payback where he was Rosie's hired driver.

Get the Gringo seemed to suffer a bit from a low budget and the stink of Gibson's personal life inevitably permeates through the movie but if you can get passed that it's actually a pretty good flick and seems to be a return to form for Gibson.

I would have titled the movie La Retribución so it sounded like a off shoot of Payback but with a Mexican twist.

Why So Blu?

Remove "La" and 'Retribución' would be awesome.

Jules Winfield

Was decent. Second the Porter comments. Ending fizzles out a little but was pretty fun overall. Chuckled at the humping tents.

RonG617

I thought it was a pretty fun movie. I agree with the sentiment that it is a sequel to Payback. I think he didn't use the name Porter because he probably doesn't own the rights to Payback or the character.

Rival11

Saw this earlier in the summer when it was released. I loved it. Lot of good dialogue and Mel was in top form.

Thought it was a great idea for a film.....even if it gets a tad too unreal towards the end.

Charlie Goose

Like it a lot. Not as much as Payback, which is indeed very similar. Interesting twist on the standard prison movie.

Spoiler for this movie and for Man on Fire, also by Grunberg:

Supermallet

I liked it a lot, too. A lot of fun and I prefer Mel Gibson playing scumbags.

Why So Blu?

Grunberg was assistant director in Man on Fire.

The Bus

Meant to see this in theaters but missed it.

Solid Snake

Finally saw this, it's on Netflix.

I liked this thing a lot. It truly feels like a sequel to Payback. I could do w/o the generic mom and kid plot of motivation but otherwise... I really dug this. Pretty good movie.

Why So Blu?

It's about fucking time. Now go watch Blood Father and complete the "trilogy."