Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Alan Smithee Esq. An overlooked gritty realistic police drama. Phenomenal acting with stylistic violence all wrapped up in a package that daringly blurs the line of right and wrong in regards to law enforcement. An engrossing thriller that keeps your eyes glued to the screen. Unique and engrossing visual style helps to escalate it even more.

NateWatchesCoolMovies Joe Carnahan's Narc is a proper old school ass kicking crime picture, and a blistering one that pulls no punches in the grit department either. Carnahan is clearly in love with the rugged action/genre pieces from the 60's and 70's that he grew up with, and every film he has made so far in his career has been reflective of that, starting with this excellent debut. He comes charging out of the gate as fast as his lead character breathlessly pursues a perp through a run down suburban neighborhood, a sequence of pure visceral brilliance that sets the tone and let's us know he means business. Jason Patric plays Nick, an under cover narcotics officer with a decorated past and the scars to show for it, working the dankest streets of motor city Detroit. When a recently slain fellow officer's case is reopened, he is picked to investigate, joined by the deceased cop's former partner, Lt. Henry Oak (Ray Liotta). In this case, nothing is what it seems, agendas are hidden well, and violence constantly simmers just below the surface of every interaction and exchange of dialogue. This is especially the case with Liotta, who gives a staggering career best performance as a cop on the edge of sanity, justifying his heinous actions on the body of his slain friend. No one knows how to lose their cool like Ray, but here he is downright terrifying, a wild eyed monster and the epitome of the guy not to trust, lest you be driven down the same destructive path. Nick uncovers more secrets than he ever wished to know, and it all comes full circle in an angry, pulse rocketing confrontation that serves as one of the best blow ups in the genre, and goes to show you don't need a huge epic gunfight to cap off your story with style and intensity. Carnahan wisely keeps the fireworks man to man, and intimate in nature, proving once again what intuition he has in the director's chair. Chi Mcbride is always reliable, here playing the gruff police captain, and Busta Rhymes proves yet again that he's one of the few rappers who can actually act, giving a pretty damn committed performance as a thug. Liotta owns this one in pure beast mode, but the team effort is what makes it so special, and a crime classic. Carnahan and Co. have done something timeless for crime films, and raised the bar on the intensity level one can attain when everything is in place, and firing on all cylinders. A powerhouse of a film, and a mini masterpiece.

Red-Barracuda An undercover narc is suspended from the force when one of his assignments goes violently wrong; he is coaxed back into duty to assist a maverick cop find the killer of a fellow officer.Set in Detroit, Narc is a pretty good example of an ultra- gritty police film. It certainly starts with a bang, with an opening chase scene that ensures proceedings are begun on a highly intense note. It's certainly a dynamic start and it is indicative of the overall approach that the film will take, i.e. one that will aim for grim authenticity. Having said that, it isn't above using cinematic techniques such as split-screen as a means of illustrating a scene, while it is also visually stylised enough to use a washed out blue tint that effectively makes the urban setting seem even more cold and uninviting. The drama in the main focuses on the two detectives in a good cop/bad cop dynamic. Jason Patric is quite broody and withdrawn and Ray Liotta is a live-wire cop who doesn't play by the rules. To a certain extent their characters are a bit clichéd to be perfectly honest but both actors do good enough work with them to make them interesting and believable. But like many films of the police procedural type, it's the central mystery that ultimately keeps things ticking along and there are some decent surprises sprung along the way, including an interesting and effective ending that rounds things off just fine.

Desertman84 Narc is a crime film about corrupt police involved in the illegal drug trade.It stars Jason Patric and Ray Liotta together with Chi McBride and Busta Rhymes.The plot revolves around the efforts of two police detectives as they search for the murderer of an undercover police officer and as they proceed in the investigation they engage in suspect tactics and give viewers a glimpse into the seedy side of undercover work.It is written and directed by Joe Carnahan.Suspended from the police force following an undercover drug bust gone horribly awry, Detroit undercover narcotics officer Nick Tellis is reluctantly goaded back into active duty in hopes that he can help to crack the case of a slain fellow officer. Promised reinstatement in the force in exchange for his efforts, Tellis is paired with the victim's volatile ex-partner Henry Oak and soon begins to actively seek the killer in an increasingly complex case. A recent father whose wife fears for her husband's safety and begs him not to take back to the dangerous streets, Tellis struggles with his conscience as he navigates a twisting road of half-realized truths, shifting loyalties and questionable agendas. With every step closer to Tellis gets to solving the troubling murder, he grows farther away from his wife and newborn son, and edges ever closer to a resolution so complicated that it threatens to devour his soul and shatter every preconceived difference he has ever made between cop and criminal.The screenplay is your basic renegade-cop narrative, with the usual formula and clichés about justice versus the law.Aside from that,it is more about a triumph of style over substance as Jason Patric and Ray Liotta make for one splendidly cast pair and their characters worth caring about despite the fact that the movie adds nothing new to the films of the same genre.