Plot: A hard-living bounty hunter captures a wise-ass criminal, but then the two must work together to evade the crooked cops and trigger-happy mercenaries trying to kill them both.
The Getback is now streaming on TUBI which I consider one of the best streaming services as it is a great place to watch old-school action pictures like Hard Target and the Rambo movies.
The Getback stars Theo Rossi and Shane Paul McGhie and is a fun throwback to classic buddy movies like Midnight Run and 48 Hrs.
Rossi plays jaded bounty hunter Mal Cooper who is charged with bringing in Jake Gordon (McGhie) so he can testify in a case against Alonzo Beaumont (Anthony ‘Treach’ Criss). I won’t go into any more story details as there are a few twists and turns that I don’t want to spoil. The movie mostly involves Mal and Jake trying to avoid various hired killers as someone wants Jake silenced before he can testify.
What ensues is a briskly paced action comedy with fight scenes and shoot-outs while still giving us characters to root for; I particularly enjoyed Jake’s story with his mother which was surprisingly heartbreaking.
I’ve always been a fan of Theo Rossi as he can bring a swagger to his characters, making for either an intimidating villain or rugged hero. He’s 100% the good guy here so we are behind him and Jake wanting them to complete their mission. It’s not going to be easy, and you wonder if they will both make it out alive.
The only issue I have is that it’s pretty obvious who the real villain is early on, but it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment and it’s refreshing to see this kind of film still getting made.
With a script from Chad Law and Gary Charles The Getback has a few laughs but is a little more serious than you may expect and that’s no bad thing as it keeps things more grounded.
I loved the character of Gus (Ritchie Montgomery) who provides some of the humour and despite his gruff exterior he has a heart of gold. I like that even a supporting character such as Gus gets a backstory where we end up understanding why he is the way he is. Kim Coates is always a welcome addition to any movie and he is perfectly cast as Mal’s untrustworthy boss.
Overall, The Getback is the kind of movie we don’t see much anymore so I’m glad there are likeminded people who still create these kinds of pictures as I feel like they are made just for people like me. It’s got fight scenes, shoot-outs and a decent bodycount with two appealing leads making it well worth checking out.
