Director Stuart Rosenberg was so dismayed when he surveyed the finished film that he had his name taken off the credits. That should warn you just how bad this cheesy 80s action movie is. But on a certain level, there's a weird, voyeuristic pleasure to be gained from seeing so many good actors struggling with such awful material. Why is a personable leading man like Mark Harmon wasting his time in a badly-written glorified cameo? Why is a rugged, reliable old-timer like Ben Johnson slumming as an embittered father? And - biggest question of the lot - why is a dynamic, Oscar-winning talent as notable as Robert Duvall staining his amazing reputation on such a brainless, gung-ho production?
Harry (Harmon) is an American plumber who has just spent several months working in Colombia on an ambitious major water-plant. The day he is due to return home, he is kidnapped by jungle guerillas who say they will only return him safely if some of their colleagues are released by the American authorities. Since the Americans have no intention of meeting the kidnappers' demands, things look pretty bleak for Harry. Harry's brother can't bear the thought of losing his beloved sibling, so he hires a tough mercenary, Shrike (Duvall), and puts together an unlikely rescue team. Their mission, plain and simple: "Let's Get Harry!"
Coming hot on the heels of other rescue-in-the-jungle films (like Uncommon Valor, Missing in Action, P.O.W - The Escape, and Rambo), Let's Get Harry tries to be different by going for a South American locale instead of Vietnam. However, the story is utterly terrible, with totally unbelievable characters and situations, and an unhealthy attitude towards non-US citizens (who are here portrayed as corrupt, devious, violent, drug-fuelled and expendable). Other than Duvall, the performances are lazy and amateurish. Some reviewers would argue that I'm missing the point, and that the plot and characters have been intentionally sacrificed in the name of cheesy action - but the action is so intermittent (not to mention poorly filmed) that the film is a failure even on "mindless-adventure-movie" level. All things considered, Let's Get Harry can be summed up in three words: bad, bad bad!
Harry (Harmon) is an American plumber who has just spent several months working in Colombia on an ambitious major water-plant. The day he is due to return home, he is kidnapped by jungle guerillas who say they will only return him safely if some of their colleagues are released by the American authorities. Since the Americans have no intention of meeting the kidnappers' demands, things look pretty bleak for Harry. Harry's brother can't bear the thought of losing his beloved sibling, so he hires a tough mercenary, Shrike (Duvall), and puts together an unlikely rescue team. Their mission, plain and simple: "Let's Get Harry!"
Coming hot on the heels of other rescue-in-the-jungle films (like Uncommon Valor, Missing in Action, P.O.W - The Escape, and Rambo), Let's Get Harry tries to be different by going for a South American locale instead of Vietnam. However, the story is utterly terrible, with totally unbelievable characters and situations, and an unhealthy attitude towards non-US citizens (who are here portrayed as corrupt, devious, violent, drug-fuelled and expendable). Other than Duvall, the performances are lazy and amateurish. Some reviewers would argue that I'm missing the point, and that the plot and characters have been intentionally sacrificed in the name of cheesy action - but the action is so intermittent (not to mention poorly filmed) that the film is a failure even on "mindless-adventure-movie" level. All things considered, Let's Get Harry can be summed up in three words: bad, bad bad!