Following the actor’s legendary 6-decade-long career, which witnessed him starring in some of the greatest pieces of cinema, Sir Michael Caine’s Get Carter remains one of his top entries to date. However, to fans’ surprise, the actor didn’t hesitate to star in Sylvester Stallone’s retelling of the iconic story, which didn’t manage to justify its existence and live up to the original’s standard.
But it appears it wasn’t the paycheck that allured Caine to come back and star in a supporting gig in the remake of one of his best works, as it was his bond with the Rocky star that convinced him.
The reason Michael Caine decided to star in Sylvester Stallone’s Get Carter
After joining forces to star in 1981’s Escape to Victory, despite a few hiccups, Sir Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone got along pretty well. This went on to kickstart their friendship and after two decades of Escape to Victory, the two reunited on the sets of Get Carter, a remake of one of The Dark Knight star’s most beloved works. However, the retelling of the iconic story with Stallone in the film didn’t bother Caine and on being offered to star alongside the Rocky star, he accepted the gig.
This decision of Sir Michael Caine was a result of his friendship with Sylvester Stallone, as he didn’t mind helping his friend’s vision to come to fruition. Unfortunately, the end result wasn’t received well by fans and critics but reflecting on it, Stallone claimed the film as one of his most underrated works.
Sylvester Stallone feels Get Carter is severely underrated
The remake of 1971’s Get Carter didn’t live up to the set expectations and even earned Sylvester Stallone a nomination for Worst Actor at the Razzies in 2000. However, the Rocky star begs to differ from the general reception towards 2000’s Get Carter, as he claimed the film as the most underrated movie in his filmography. Stallone further explained fans’ attachment to the original film also played a role in the failure of his version. He stated,
“Believe it or not, I think Get Carter was really underrated. That was a big disappointment. I learned the hard way that [remakes], even if you do it better than the original, there’s a tremendous nostalgia attached to the original.”
Whether Get Carter‘s low critical reception was deserved or not remains up for debate, Sir Michael Caine’s agreement to star in this project showcases the wholesome bond that the two share.
Get Carter is available to stream on Apple TV.
Source: IMDb