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Movies / On DVD / Narc
Narc

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Narc (2002)

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Reviews Counted:151

Fresh:126

Rotten:25

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: Jason Patric and Ray Liotta are electrifying in this gritty, if a little too familiar, cop drama.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong brutal violence, drug content and pervasive language

Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Jan 10, 2003 Wide

Box Office: $10,237,964

Synopsis: In homage to such classic films as "The French Connection" and "Serpico," writer/director Joe Carnahan's "Narc" explores the dark underbelly of the drug world with a compelling story about the... In homage to such classic films as "The French Connection" and "Serpico," writer/director Joe Carnahan's "Narc" explores the dark underbelly of the drug world with a compelling story about the intense psyche behind those individuals called "narcs," undercover officers who put themselves on the front lines of the war against drugs. Chipping away at the number of dealers on the streets, these brave men and women leave their loved ones behind each day as they throw themselves into the brutal world of drug abuse for one purpose only…to end it.

"Narc" tells the story of suspended undercover narcotics officer, Nick Tellis (Jason Patric), who is reluctantly drawn back onto the force to find the truth behind the murder of a young police officer killed in the line of duty. He is teamed with Henry Oak (Ray Liotta), the slain officer's partner, a rogue cop who will stop at nothing to avenge his friend's death. As Tellis and Oak unravel the case, the dark underbelly of the narcotics world reveals itself in surprising ways that are more twisted than either officer has seen before…and the mystery that slowly reveals itself threatens to destroy them both.

Nominated for the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah and winner of the Special Prize Policier Award at the Cognac Film Festival in France, "Narc" is written and directed by an innovative new voice in filmmaking, Joe Carnahan ("Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane"). The film stars Jason Patric ("Your Friends & Neighbors," "Rush") and Ray Liotta ("Hannibal," "Goodfellas"). An intense adrenaline rush from the first heart-stopping chase scene to the stunning dramatic climax, this taut police thriller also features rap artist Busta Rhymes ("Finding Forester," "Shaft") and Chi McBride ("Undercover Brother"). [More]

Starring: Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Busta Rhymes, Richard Chevolleau

Starring: Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Busta Rhymes, Richard Chevolleau, Chi McBride, John Ortiz, Anne Openshaw, Alan Van Sprang, Tom Cruise

Director: Joe Carnahan

Director: Joe Carnahan
Screenwriter: Joe Carnahan
Producer: Ray Liotta
Composer: Cliff Martinez
Studio: Paramount Pictures

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Release:

Mar 10, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

Audio:

  • Dubbed - French
  • Subtitles - English, Spanish

Additional Release Material:

Featurette:

  • 1. The Friedkin Connection

Audio Commentary:

  • 1. Commentary by writer/director Joe Carnahan and editor John Gilroy

Trailers:

  • 1. Theatrical Trailer
 
 
 
 

Reviews for Narc

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating)
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It's exciting to witness fresh talent breaking, and Carnahan deserves some serious respect for this impressively gritty piece of genre cinema.

Full Review Source: FilmFour.com | comment Comment
02/11/03
FilmFour.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
02/17/03
Hollywood.com

Nothing to hide here: Narc is the straight dope for gritty crime-story junkies.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
12/20/02
E! Online

The director is helped in no small part by his leading men.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
08/31/03
Alan Morrison
Alan Morrison
Empire Magazine

The opening tests the limits of an R-rating, as a drug fueled cop chases down a criminal that has no regard for civilians or human life...

Full Review Source: Trades | comment Comment
12/07/02
Alex Keen
Alex Keen
Trades

Puts the dirt back underneath the fingernails of a finely manicured Hollywood.

Full Review Source: Juicy Cerebellum | comment Comment
01/08/03
Alex Sandell
Alex Sandell
Juicy Cerebellum

As a whole, Carnahan does neat work with visuals.

Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | comment Comment
04/05/03
Andrea Chase
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews

Carnahan ... revisits the crime drama, breathing new life into it with style and grit.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
07/17/02
Annlee Ellingson
Annlee Ellingson
Boxoffice Magazine

Writer-director Joe Carnahan's visceral, hyperkinetic style mainlines you right into the story -- it's sort of like being pistol-whipped.

Full Review Source: Citysearch | comment Comment
12/19/02
Bill Pearis
Bill Pearis
Citysearch

Somehow, writer/director Joe Carnahan has developed a style after his first atrocious film and has now turned out a gritty, compelling drama.

Full Review Source: Denton Record Chronicle (TX) | comment Comment
01/12/03
Boo Allen
Boo Allen
Denton Record Chronicle (TX)

...crisp and stylish writing and direction by Joe Carnahan, who pays homage to the gritty police dramas of the 1970s

Full Review Source: Beach Reporter (Southern California) | comment Comment
12/19/02
Brian J. Arthurs
Brian J. Arthurs
Beach Reporter (Southern California)

[An] authoritative, skillfully performed picture.

Full Review Source: Modamag.com | comment Comment
01/12/03
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
Modamag.com

Smart script, believable story, lots of unanswered questions, none resolved in pat ‘Hollywood’ ways, great locations and set design, and good, dreary-looking, cinematography.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/10/03
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

You think you know where this is going, but it constantly veers off in directions you'd never guess - they took an ordinary police story and cranked it up a notch.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
01/10/03
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

Marred only by a mildly disappointing ending, it's a smart, hard-hitting drama.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
01/10/03
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Narc may not get an 'A' for originality, but it wears its B-movie heritage like a badge of honor.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
01/09/03
Chris Vognar
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Carnahan works with a rough-hewn classicism that recalls the tenacity and resilience of Hollywood in its glory days.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
12/19/02
Chuck Rudolph
Chuck Rudolph
Slant Magazine

The film grabs you by the collar from the opening scene and hardly lets go.

Full Review Source: Moviehole | comment Comment
01/10/03
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

Heavy, sweating, ill-shaved, and wearing cheap suits, Ray Liotta's Oak is in that middle range of movie characters whom we both dislike yet are fascinated by.

Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | comment Comment
01/28/03
D.K. Holm
D.K. Holm
DVDTalk.com

Carnahan keeps Patric's repressed guilt and desperation from slipping into somnambulism and keeps Liotta's manic energy organic to his character's rage.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
12/28/02
Dan Fienberg
Dan Fienberg
L.A. Weekly
 
 
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Latest News for Narc

May 03, 2007: Smokin' Joe Has Seen a "Sin City 2" Teaser
And by "Smokin' Joe" I mean Crazy Joe Carnahan, director of action flicks like "Narc" and "Smokin' Aces." Seems that Robert Rodriguez recently... More...

August 18, 2006: Trailer Bulletin: The Insane "Smokin' Aces"
Last week I was all set to share the all-new and seriously energetic trailer for Joe Carnahan's "Smokin' Aces," but the official site went bye-bye before I could... More...

October 14, 2005: Andy Garcia Joins Carnahan's "Smokin'" Ensemble
Variety brings word that Andy Garcia will climb aboard director Joe Carnahan's "Smokin' Aces," am action-comedy that's already packing some solid star power. More...

August 12, 2005: Carnahan Starts "Smokin'" for Universal
"Narc" director Joe Carnahan has been tapped by Universal to helm "Smokin' Aces," from his own screenplay. The action thriller is set to star Ryan Reynolds,... More...

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