Let's Get Harry is an excellent action movie, as far as low-budget,throwaway action movies go. Don't expect state-of-the-art specialeffects,a deep and meaningful plot, or Oscar-winning performances by any of thestars (however, it should be noted that Gary Busey, arguably, gives oneofhis best performances). What you will find, however, is a movie thatwillentertain fans of the genre for 102 minutes. Basically, it is a CharlesBronson movie without Charles Bronson. As for racial insensitivity,anyonethat finds insensitivity within this movie is not a true fan of the genreand probably ought to stay away from action movies in general, as anymoviewhere white people aren't being slaughtered is offensive to them. Thepurpose of Let's Get Harry is to entertain, not to providethought-provokinginsight into US/Colombian relations.

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&#39;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?<br/><br/> 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&#39; demands, things look pretty bleak for Harry. Harry&#39;s brother can&#39;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: &quot;Let&#39;s Get Harry!&quot;<br/><br/> 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&#39;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&#39;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 &quot;mindless-adventure-movie&quot; level. All things considered, Let&#39;s Get Harry can be summed up in three words: bad, bad bad!

I was afraid to see this as here has 5,1 and only 19 reviews... all this would lead to a terrible movie. Instead when I saw it a month ago I found myself in the minority as I liked it very much.<br/><br/>American engineer Harry Burck (Mark Harmon) is in Colombia for the opening of his company&#39;s pipeline. Unfortunately a group of rebels arrive for kidnapping an American diplomat and in the process, Harry is also kidnapped. News arrive to his brother Corey and his friends Bob (Thomas F. Wilson), Kurt (Rick Rossovich) and Spence, that soon discover that the kidnapping of Harry was orchestrated by drug lord Carlos Ochobar. Before heading to Colombia they enlist the help of car salesman Jack (Gary Busey) and mercenary Norman Shrike (Robert Duvall), that gives the group some basic training in military tactics. Once there they encounter resistance, spend one night in jail because they are set up by one of Shrike&#39;s contacts and taken to a plane (all but Kurt escape from it). When they finally reach Ochobar, there is a big shootout (where Norman and Jack are killed) and save Harry, and before leaving they make the camp explode.<br/><br/>So, does it deserve the hate and bad reviews? Absolutely not! The acting, while not outstanding, is very good. Robert Duvall as usual plays an endearing character (and a bit of a macho too here), Gary Busey gives one of his best performances, and the others (Wilson, Rossovich) are all entertaining. The soundtrack is very soaring, and the action sequences, despite lots of shootouts, explosions and deaths are great and they were justified.<br/><br/>Overall, an action movie much better than its reputation might suggest, and also one that can be enjoyed not only by fans of the genre. Worth watching and a lot of fun.