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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 rotten rating)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
01/18/03
Boston Phoenix
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
01/10/03
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

If Carnahan keeps wrenching this material back an inch or two from cliché, it's only an inch or two.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out

...Liotta is put in an impossible spot because his character’s deceptions ultimately undo him and the believability of the entire scenario. Too bad.

Full Review Source: Metro Times (Detroit, MI) | comment Comment
01/20/03
Anita Schmaltz
Anita Schmaltz
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)

In the end, the movie collapses on its shaky foundation despite the best efforts of director Joe Carnahan.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
01/10/03
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The story and characters are nowhere near gripping enough.

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
02/08/03
Christopher Tookey
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

A chokehold of a movie, grabbing us but not ultimately engaging us.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
06/11/03
Duane Byrge
Duane Byrge
Hollywood Reporter

Has true grittiness, but the plot's a little murky and the characters a little too familiar.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
01/09/03
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If only Narc had its originality in check, this could have been more of a chilling visceral ride into depravity.

Full Review Source: Movie Eye | comment Comment
01/12/03
Frank Ochieng
Frank Ochieng
Movie Eye

An empty exercise, a florid but ultimately vapid crime melodrama with lots of surface flash but little emotional resonance.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
12/23/02
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

Narc can only remind us of brilliant crime dramas without becoming one itself.

Full Review Source: New Times | comment Comment
01/10/03
Gregory Weinkauf
Gregory Weinkauf
New Times

The twist that ends the movie is the one with the most emotional resonance, but twists are getting irritating, and this is the kind of material where the filmmakers should be very careful about raising eyebrows.

Full Review Source: UK Critic | comment Comment
02/16/03
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic

As a director Carnahan definitely has the goods... Unfortunately the script is your basic renegade-cop narrative, with the usual hoo-ha about justice versus the law.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
04/09/08
J. R. Jones
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader

Sometimes it seems a director tries to pack in as much harsh footage as an R-rating will allow for its own sake. That itself is a violent act. The audience is the victim.

Full Review Source: Looking Closer | comment Comment
01/15/05
Jeffrey Overstreet
Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer

Over and over, every gesture and character in Narc summons up yet another movie.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
12/19/02
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
Los Angeles Times

Feels like an R-rated episode of NYPD Blue, with its only real distinction being that neither Nick nor Henry are characters we're particularly attached to.

Full Review Source: Contra Costa Times | comment Comment
01/09/03
Mary F. Pols
Mary F. Pols
Contra Costa Times

Narc isn't bad, but it's also nothing too far removed from the usual cops'n'robbers fare that passes through the multiplexes on a regular basis.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
02/26/03
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

There are things to admire about Narc, but they're individual things, not the movie as a whole.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/10/03
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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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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