Bullet
Tags: cult, violence

Plot synopsis:
Nearing retirement, maverick Los Angeles-based detective Frank "Bullet" Marasco is assigned to hunt down the notorious drug baron Carlito Kane, following a tipoff from Leroy, who is later whacked to death with a golf club due to interrupting Kane's golf game. Bullet and his team storm one of Kane's hideouts but fail to capture him.
The plot thickens when Governor Johnson's daughter is kidnapped by Kane along with her boyfriend, in a bid to save his son Manuel from execution via lethal injection. Kane streams the execution of the boyfriend on a phone to the Governor and says that his daughter is next if they don't stop the execution of his son. Thereafter, Bullet send his grandson Mario to a community park where Kane exacts revenge on Bullet by kidnapping his grandson. Eventually Bullet himself is abducted too, but only for a brief period of time, as he is able to escape. After a lengthy car chase, Bullet successfully evades Kane and his men but gets ambushed by them once again the next day.
Finally, Bullet calls it quits as a civil servant and resigns, secretly becoming a vigilante and goes to his cousin for weaponry to take Kane down. He proceeds to interrogate one of Kane's aides, killing her in her bathtub after she fails to fully cooperate. Panicking, Kane and his closest subordinates retreat to a desert where Bullet starts to kill Kane's henchmen one by one, including his grandson's four kidnappers. The final showdown between Kane and Bullet has the latter emerge as victor. Bullet reunites with his grandson and rescues Johnson's daughter. The victory is sweetened when Manuel Kane is publicly executed. Bullet, his daughter and his grandson savour the evening at the beach, just as the credits begin to roll.

Review: It's a pity that the grittiness of this film made it unacceptable to so many, but for those of us who have known people stuck in the quicksand of inner-city life despite their best instincts (and loved them in spite of their mistakes), "Bullet" rings so sadly true.
Rourke, Adrien Brody, and particularly Ted Levine elevate a depressing little gangland story to the level of an epic commentary on the degredation of life at the end of the 20th century.
Bullet, superbly directed and acted out with a profundity which we rarely witness in movies of this genre, had been treated with utter injustice for it was released directly to video.
If you, like myself, don't think too highly of it, then consider this your first boarding call.The "Bullet" spoken of in the title is the film's central character, a 35-year-old Brooklyn heroin junkie (Mickey Rourke).
The film begins with his release from the pen after serving an eight-year sentence, and then proceeds to closely follow the lives of him and those around him -- the parents, an eccentric little brother, a completely shell-shocked headcase of a big brother (Ted Levine, creating yet another standout psychotic), as well as various players in the substance supply industry (Tupac Shakur makes his last screen appearance as the druglord Tank, and does a decent job in a rather thankless role).
I'd summarize the plot more clearly if I could, but the fact is, these people's lives just aren't that simple."Bullet" is one of those rare movies which somehow leak through the cracks and make it into production with their soul (or lack thereof) intact.
The "uncool" dregs which are far less likely to break out the one-liners after offing someone then they are to strip the corpse of all valuables and sell them for drug money."Bullet" wastes no time whatsoever on making it's characters presentable.
I saw Bullet about a year ago after really getting into Mickey Rourke films and i have to say i really liked it a lot.
I can see why some critics flushed it, yet not all of them the film is very different from Rourke's usual work and nothing like other ghetto greats like 'Boyz n the hood' and 'Above the rim'the film has a kind of quirky way about it especially since it's story centres around a Brooklyn born Jewish junkie(instead of African-American)and his rivalry with drug dealer Tank (a small yet great cameo from Tupac Shakur)and also his social problems with friends Lester (who he thinks might be gay) and his two brothers Ruby (Adrien Brody)a painter who is looking for a way to get out of the whole street life and Louis (amazingly played by Ted Levine) who is a freaked out ex-soldier who still thinks the war rages on.
Sometimes I wonder how many people who watch these movies, (gritty street, criminal activity types), know what they are seeing?
This film has a feel of a home movie mixed with real actors.
However there is an added component of the family being Jewish, and honestly, this is the first time I remember seeing a Jewish family being portrayed in middle-class, "street" style (if anyone has suggestions for other examples, email me).By the time it's over you feel like you know the characters, or that you've met people exactly like them if you've ever lived in a moderate to large sized city.
Mickey Rourke as Bullet is great, as usual.
who knows maybe heroin houses are the forerunners to crackhouses and I just don't know it.) Lots of sad junkies doing their various things (shooting up, giving blowjobs for drugs, buying, selling, ODing.) Weaknesses in the film have less to do with the plot and the actors as it does with what seems to be sh*tty editing.
That's a shame too, as Bullet (1996) has many elements that could have turned it into a classic.I decided to watch Bullet for 2 reasons: 1) Mickey Rourke; and 2) it was going to be on HBO at a time when I was looking for a movie to watch.
Not long ago I saw Sin City, and I was crazy about Mickey Rourke's character Marv.
This character was actually a comic book monster (with a heart), and since I loved Marv so much I have sought out other Rourke films.
He plays Butch or Bullet who has been in prison for eight years for a crime he didn't commit (he kept his mouth shut and suffered for a friend).
The way the revenge plays out reminds me of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, especially when Rourke says to Shakur, "You want your pound of flesh...your business is with me." (Not a direct quote) I thought this film would be like a Die Hard type film, but I was very surprised.
Ted Levine and Adrien Brody play Bullet's brothers: Levine's character could rival his Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs.
mickey rourke plays butch "bullet" a dope fiend just released from prison after doing a seven year bid for something he didn't do but did take the blame of.
it is very real of how the streets back then realt were about and how getting out of prison really messes with ur mind and it teaches us a valuable lesson at the end of the movie!!
great acting especially by rourke and the nut who plays rourkes older brother in the movie lol.
tupac dissapointed me actually, even tho im a huge fan of his music, but mickey rourke was looking real good.
I wouldnt recomend it for the family or young kids, but this was a really good movie, full of alot of truth if youve ever lived in the city, the bad section, you will know exactly whats goin down.
since i watched the wrestler i've been on a kick of renting mickey rourke movies and aside from the wrestler i'd say this is his best performance i've seen so far.
i think the main intention of the movie was to show kids what street life can do to people (which of course had been done before in other films but its still good).anyway...
they say that this one of mickey rourke's few good moments in that point of his acting career and i would definitely encourage people to check it out..
No other movie in my life has given me such amusement and I haven't even seen it in like 3 years--but there is no need I think we have memorized the entire script.
At first I drifted through this one 'cause it was just there but when I really sat down and watched, they really went in-depth about Bullet(Rourke) and his family.
So that explains why this movie never got the respect it deserved as most people like to avoid these films as these stories of dysfunctional family's ,gang wars etc make the news everyday in our lives,except we only see the headlines and a brief story ,but with 'Bullet' we see the full 99min unrated story of a broken family and street life.This movie in my view is a 'masterpiece' like many other movies out there ,but this never got enough attention, but now its gaining more attention and becoming a classic gem.
The direction in this movie is excellent,some great arty shots of the streets in Brooklyn's and flashbacks from bullet himself...
This is 'Tank' played by Tu Pac ,this has to be one of the best ruthless thug characters i have seen played on screen since the 80s.Rourke is amazing as the bullet,he roams around the streets with his bad addiction.....taking one day at a time, he looks cool in this movie,their's so much i could say for his character,but id be here typing for weeks ,so just watch him for yourself....
also 'Ted Levine' plays a superb role.I seen this film in 96, i loved it then ,but didn't understand it as much then,i just loved the characters.
This movie tells the story of the street thug and all that comes with it like no other,forget menace to society etc...this is the 'real' deal....'You ain't gonna make it out there,take long hard look in the mirror'- Butch Stein (bullet).
The sinister, dark atmosphere only amplifies this spiral "not getting anywhere" except for the places where he has already been.I must say it's a very good movie about life.
Just like a life of a criminal really is.I recommend this movie to European fans as it is very European, even though it was made in USA.
Great dark movie starring Mickey Rourke!.
I really enjoyed this dark movie which follows the life of Butch 'Bullet' Stein played by Mickey Rourke.
The movie shows you the life of 'Bullet' from when he first gets out prison and the events that follow.
Pitting 'Bullet' against 'Tank' played by Tupac Shakur worked perfectly.
Even at the beginning of the movie when they pan the upstate New York setting as John Enos and his brother come to pick him up from the penn, the music goes from classical to hip hop beautifully with the change of seasons and finishes with Barry White.
The film does have a dark, gritty feel to it and Mickey Rourke really does a good job in this film as well as 2pac as the villain.
This movie may seem like an action film, but its more a crime Drama as it has some depth and seriousness to it in terms of plot and characters.for what it is it's a good straight to video flick with a great cast (notice a young adrien brody and Donnie Wahlberg).Its definitely worth a watch.Overall : 7/10.
I've seen worse movies and this is really not that bad and Tupac put in a decent performance as the main villain.
This is a film that shows how good a b-movie can be.
I think you have to clear your mind from all prejudice before you see it.Best actor and character: Ted Levine as Louis.
We have a very popular web site in Russia- 'vkontakte'- one of the topics there is a 'Bullet', People who sent their comments there know every word from this film, every move, i like this film very much too, but when i started to read what they write there, i realized, i'm not SO 'crazy' to write something new to this topic EVERY DAY.
Micky is going to have a role in Russia, in Moscow, this is so cool, my favourite actor through 13 years of doing nothing plays in big movie again, in my country, and all this time i believed he is the best, it's a great feeling.
But he sad something like 'i think the wrestler is my best role' he was wrong, Bullet is the best..
I feel that "Bullet" was a good movie.
He was basically being the "bigger brother", and teaching whomever was paying attention to keep your life straight, do what your good at, make something better of yourself, don't put yourself in a bad situation, take care of friends and family, and be a role model and pass this GOOD stuff on.I don't feel that it is your average gangsta-thuggin'-violence 'n druggin' movie.
Not sure if this one of Tupac Shakur's last films, I believe Gang Related was one of them, but he proves he can act, as well as be a gifted poet in this movie.
I Haven't seen Mickey Rourke in anything lately, but I felt his family members and the supporting actors in this came through beside him and he didn't look like he was in a B movie..
classic in in the ganster way, easy to follow plot ,mickey plays the Quintessential white /gansta come Brother, son, with a love-hate of himselfi purchased the movie from amazon in jan 2004 for my collection, only to discover the production company had cut 10 mins from the opening , thus missing that classic drive through upstate new york ,carried along by the sounds of barry whites " Never Gonna Give You Up" .
Mickey Rourke (who also co-wrote) stars as Butch "Bullet" Stein, a Barry White loving, Jewish racist, just getting out of prison after spending the last 8 years there and trying to get reacquainted into his life as a violent junkie goon.
Worth watching, if only for Rourkes great performance as a going nowhere dead-end loser piece of human excrement.
Great characters and gritty "street life" scenes.
The main characters are very unique and some times funny, for example I thought that Ted Levine was great as a psycho Vietnam vet, whether or not I was supposed to laugh at him i don't know.
Some famous names that appear in the film are Adrien Brody of The Pianist, Tupac Shakur, and even Donnie Wahlberg, (Mark's brother...new kids on the block) as a thug.
Rourke really did great job - his acting skills are fantastically used in this film.
Unfortunately, they probably won't because 98% of the movie fans don't know this film!!!.
Bullet wasn't Tupac's best movie role but it's a decent movie.
The film has some decent cinematography and a chilling performance from Ted Levine as Rourke's brother.
Mickey Rourke is excellent as Butch Stein, a pathetic yet somehow endearing Jewish American hoodlum locked in a personal war with local drug dealer and gangster Tank (Tupac Shakur).
Tupac's role is somewhat underwritten, which isn't quite fair to the guy, because he has more acting talent than pretty much any other rapper I've seen in film.
I've made it a goal to watch every Rourke film that COULD be good.
Rourke turns in a mesmerizing performance as Bullet, a heroin addict who gets released from prison after serving time for a crime he did not commit.
One of Rourke's best films..
The music from the movie, the acting from, Mark Wahlberg, Adrien Brody, Tupac, and Mickey Rourke make this movie a favorite, even in re-runs on cable.
A great movie, before Mickey Rourke went to Patrick Swyaze's and Kenny Roger's plastic surgeon.
Apparently, Rourke helped write the screen play, and you know, he has a great movie on his hands.
I love this movie from the first day it came out I mean I may have been young when I first saw it but Mickey Rourke is so hotttt even as a bad azzzz gangster he is hot.
And isn't that what director Rourke intended...?Overall, I'd say ---- with all the incredibly weak screenplays, seemingly written by ten-year- olds, that end up on the big screen every day --- his film is surprisingly well-crafted and under-rated, and definitely worth a look..
Extra selected team, superb acting, great comedy, the film does not have a lot of extravagant make-up, no annoying characters who revolve millions, but an ordinary team off the street who makes a mess, all recommendations for this movie....
Extra selected team, superb acting, great comedy, the film does not have a lot of extravagant make-up, no annoying characters who revolve millions, but an ordinary team off the street who makes a mess, all recommendations for this movie....
Extra selected team, superb acting, great comedy, the film does not have a lot of extravagant make-up, no annoying characters who revolve millions, but an ordinary team off the street who makes a mess, all recommendations for this movie....
i don't know why the critics have to be so cruel with multi-talented people like mickey Rourke.
the film had a great acting ensemble with Adrien Brody, John Enos III, Mathew Powers, Jerry Dean with a cameo from Tupac as the villain and especially Ted Levine who is a scene stealer in this film.
besides the script focuses on a lot of things like family friends brotherhood and redemption furthermore the movie has a powerful message for every drug addict in the world.
so the conclusion is that this is one of the most realistic crime movies ever made with great photography and performances so anyone who was afraid to watch this film because of the *beep* critics, just give it a try and you won't regret it..
Here, this film proves time and time again, why Mickey Rourke is one of the all time acting greats.
Bullet's different, as to the interesting and funny characters is Rourke's family.
Now we get to the real character of the family, the much older brother Lewis (great character Ted Levine) classic who's room like Lebanon, a war nut, a psychiatric case, who keeps two pit bulls in his room, and hardly washes his underwear.
He plays Bullet's enemy and bad guy Tank, in an impressive piece of acting, almost stealing Rourke of this movie, or surpassing his performance.
A good satisfier but very funny too, fans of drug movies will get a kick out of this one, I've viewed a few times.
Fresh from prison Butch 'Bullet' Stein (Mickey Rourke), a Jewish ex-convict with sticky fingers and some nasty drug habits, moves back in with his parents and two brothers.
Kind of like a college kid's first attempt at film-making.Rourke is indeed an interesting, though flawed actor, and he stays in good shape for an older guy..
don't give me wrong,I like 2pac.I've seen one of his other movies and they were great.But this was not really my taste.The story line was good,The performence of tupac and Mickey Rourke were amaizing,but it did'nt seem to be very interesting.This is probably one of the worst crime movie I ever saw..
I think bullet was one of the best movies I have seen.
He truly loves his family and brother and that shows in the final few clips of the movie.
Tupac could have killed Bullet multiple times in the movie, but toys with him to "torture" him and get revenge.
They attempted to build suspense but it led nowhere.Tupac's performance was not as good as some of his other movies, and it was a really cliché type of character anyway.
Mickey Rourke was good as usual.