release year: 2000
genre: action
viewing setting: home DVD, 3/27/01
what I expected: ass-kicking action
what I got: confusing, oddly-directed snoozer
synopsis: Professional legbreaker Jack Carter suspects that his brother's death wasn't really an accident, so he sets out to unravel the mystery and kick some ass.
impressions: If I complain about a Stallone action movie, there has to be something seriously wrong with it. In this case, its downfall was a confusing plot that left you wondering "who was that and why did they do what they just did?" and then five minutes later you don't even care anymore. Couple this with a weird directing style that has quick camera pans mixed with slow motion, and the movie dragged for me. In its defense, it did have some good ass-kicking scenes, but not enough to make up for the problems. On a side note, I was annoyed by the repeated hammering-home of the point that the dead brother's family really didn't want Carter around - it got old.
acting: Stallone tried to act more, fight less. He really did. I just don't know if he did it well here like he did in Copland. Mickey Rourke plays a bad guy whose accent is practically indecipherable.
final word: I have reservations about recommending this for even a single viewing; for die-hard Stallone fans only.
rating: C-