i simply do not get what certain people have against this movie . sure and it not a cinematic breakthrough and but it be very sharp and smart and focused . jack carter brother and richie and dy under mysterious circumstance . jack go back to his home town to check thing out and perhaps find out the truth . what he find be not all that easy to get to grip with . this be not your usual run of the mill revenge movie . the story have some layer to it and i be surprise to see that people do not appreciate that . jack carter be not a good guy . he be a bad man work in bad town do bad thing . always be a bad guy . but he reach a moment in his life when the thing that take place between him and his bos girl audrey and the thing that he find out about his brother and his brother family and all of them act a a catalyst . for once in his life he try to set thing right . how do he do that . by do what he know to do . he do bad thing . the guy he go up against be a little a out of the reach of the law . to wait for justice to set thing right be not a concept jack be familiar with . the only thing he know be to take care of his own dirty laundry . and at the moment his life be his dirty laundry . he be not there for his brother and for his niece and he miss some oportunities . time to set thing right . but he do only bad thing in this movie . he kill people by shoot them and by throw them out of the balcony and by beat them up in the elevator . why . because these be the same thing that would happen to him if he let his guard down . great acting performance form most guy in the movie . stallone seem to have find some serious act gene within himself . this be some of his best work and his best be very good . not only for the genre . although when look back at oscar ( his 1991 comedy ) and d tox ( a very underrated movie ) and copland i have to say that this be not a one off . no sir . when the script and the director and the rest of the cast be good he can act big time . michael caine make a very good movie call get carter back in 1971. i love that movie and be always one of my favorite to watch on turner classic movie . the remake and i felt and be just as good . sure it have the sort of usual happy end and but that be just the american way of end action movie . they love a hero . mickey rourke and alan cummings and michael caine and rachael leigh cook be very good in this one . somehow miranda richardson seem a little over the top in her angry widow or mother scene . michael caine act in this one simply because he know it be good . the movie could have be do without him and without a doubt . but he do it because unlike other remake and this one be just as good a the original . it have it own style and a somewhat different story and a happy end . otherwise and they be two very similar movie . and even if some consider the original a good and they should not write this one off . the layer be there and you just have to dig . and this only because the producer do not get this movie . the director and the cast and everybody get this movie and know what they be make except for the producer who seem to have be think of another movie . michael caine seem to have give his seal off approval to stallone act in this one . the producer want a classic 80 action movie . at least that what i feel . so and this be a very good movie . just a good ( or almost a good and depend on how you look at it ) a the original . it have great act and sharp directing and nice car chase scene and nice action scene and some great moment and some wonderful music and a simple yet effective storyline that keep you guess and want to see more . and a someone put it and crap like xxx and the fast and the furious ( plus sequel and at least be have some car ) and charlie angel ( plus sequel . could not even watch ) and other such teen hormone slang flash driven movie have a high rating and it simply isnt right . 7 . 5/10 .