Get the Gringo

People might not find it all that pleasurable, but “Get the Gringo” is, refreshingly, 100% Mel.

Gibson knows how to play to the camera, and Grunberg is savvy enough to maximize what the star gives, spinning a slick package around the crazy scenario.

If the story doesn’t strain itself in pursuit of originality, it does build to a satisfying conclusion.

However agonising it is to admit it, this film isn't half bad, a sparky black-comic actioner with a cute "con trick" scene showcasing Gibson's Clint Eastwood impression.

There’s no escaping the fact that this is a nasty, vicious little film – the climax is startlingly unpleasant. But with its sharp dialogue, beautifully streamlined story and fistful of surprises, the Mel haters are going to have to find another brickbat for now.

Get The Gringo is a passable addition to the action genre but it might have been better had the need to keep Gibson’s fan base happy not been so pressing.

Gibson wisecracks with a weary panache, and the tech credits are sharp: production designer Bernardo Trujillo and director of photography Benoît Debie make El Pueblito look almost as disreputable as their leading man’s pebbledashed phizog.