| | |  | JAMAICA | Home » » Third World Cop | | | | | | | Description: | | Shot on the streets of Kingston and set to a rich reggae score by Sly and Robbie, the highest-grossing film in Jamaican cinema (according to the producers) is a simple cops-and-gangsters thriller that drops the usual two-fisted cop clich?s into the slums of a Third World reality. Charismatic Paul Campbell (who starred in the previous Jamaican hit Dancehall Queen) is Capone, a Jamaican Dirty Harry who wades into shootouts with both guns blazing. His maverick reputation lands him in Kingston, his hometown, where he tracks a gun-smuggling scheme to his boyhood friend Ratty (Mark Danvers), now the ambitious right-hand man to the local kingpin. It's a familiar story and the timid script always chooses action over drama. Capone's violent methods are never questioned, even when he's faced with old friends instead of faceless hoods, and he's given unimaginable leeway to shoot his way through the criminal population. Shot on digital video and released to theaters in a smeary-looking transfer, the video release is mastered from the digital source and looks infinitely better than its theatrical incarnation: crisp, bright, and vivid. The energetic style helps the picture overcome some of its generic cop-movie clich?s, but the real draw is the street grit of clapboard houses, corrugated metal fences, and concrete brick homes: the matter-of-fact poverty of Kingston's slums. --Sean Axmaker | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Paul Campbell, Mark Danvers, Carl Bradshaw, Audrey Reid, Winston 'Bello' Bell | | Director:
| Chris Browne | | Format:
| Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Lions Gate | | Run Time:
| 98 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| July 29, 2003 | | Average Customer Rating:
| based on 17 reviews |
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| New | |
| $15.93+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $15.94+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $15.95+ $4.99 *Shipping | New | | | $19.92Shipping Free | New | |
| Used | |
| $4.99+ $4.99 *Shipping | Used
- Good | | | $4.99+ $4.99 *Shipping | Used
- Good | | | $5.54+ $4.65 *Shipping | Used
- VeryGood | | | $6.00+ $4.99 *Shipping | Used
- VeryGood | | | $7.95+ $4.99 *Shipping | Used
- VeryGood | | | $8.00+ $4.99 *Shipping | Used
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| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
( 17 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Better than Dancehall Queen!Jul 11, 2002
I bought this video because it had some of the same actors as "Dancehall Queen" and boy did I get my monies worth! I like that Paul Campbell, the bad guy in "Dancehall Queen", is the hero in "Third World Cop". I enjoyed the interplay of action, drama, and comedy. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed "Dancehall Queen" and does not mind some non-graphic violence.
10 of 13 found the following review helpful:
highly recommendedJan 17, 2003
By Matthew Potter This is a great movie, especially if you like "Dancehall Queen". Paul Campbell does a great job as Capone and Carl Bradshaw is excellent as usual as the crime boss. While the story is somewhat generic it is still well worth watching.
10 of 13 found the following review helpful:
Third World Harry CallahanAug 09, 2000
By Kathy Fennessy If you've ever wondered what it takes to succeed as a cop in a Third World country like Jamaica, writer/director Chris Browne has a simple answer for you -- be as ruthless as the criminals. But despite the charisma of lead actor Paul Campbell ("Dancehall Queen"), it's hard to root for a lawman with an itchier trigger finger than all the bad guys in the film combined. Consequently, his childhood friend, Ratty (Mark Danvers), a dancehall promoter by day/gunrunner by night comes across as the better man simply because he's that much less violent. Of course, it's possible that we're meant to see Ratty's importing and distribution of weaponry as the *means* by which gunfire continues to fill the air of Kingston Town as loudly and as insistently as dancehall. But never fear! Campbell's Capone, like De Niro before him, proceeds to "wipe the scum off the streets" until there's no scum left to wipe. And that may very well make him a successful cop...but at what cost? That will have to wait for another movie. Nonetheless, fans of Carribean culture will probably want to check out what has become the most successful Jamaican film of all time (despite camera work that often makes it looks like a home movie). Music by Sly and Robbie and featuring an appearance by veteran actor, Carl Bradshaw ("The Harder They Come") as Ratty's boss, The Don.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Underwhelming Low-Budget MovieJan 22, 2010
By Compay This movie was strongly recommended to me, but it unfortunately turned out to be a serious disappointment. Paul Campbell overacts in his role as a "shoot first, ask questions later" cop, working too hard to play the tough guy a la Steven Seagal of the 90's. Carl Bradshaw (who made his film debut as Jose in "The Harder They Come") doesn't do much better as crime boss One Hand.
The shootouts are laughable, the special effects are painfully bad, and the film looks as though it was shot entirely with a camcorder. This movie was Chris Browne's first attempt at writing and directing, and not surprisingly his last attempt at filmmaking. The only reason I can give this film two stars instead of one is because of the soundtrack, courtesy of artists like Sly & Robbie, Beenie Man and Red Dragon.
I do appreciate the fact that this was meant to be a gritty movie, and that the Director intentionally shot in Dungle. Beyond that, as a fan of urban film, I have no idea why this movie has such a following. My suggestion is to rent it before you buy it.
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
a must for dancehall fansMar 07, 2001
if you love dancehall this movie has a bit of a surprise for you. ninjaman, elephantman, nitty kutchie, boom dandemite, harry toddler, and cutty ranks all have roles in this movie; which is a cop versus gun dealer type flick. the dvd is full screen and shot in cheap video format, but it still shines despite these flaws. the soundtrack is very good despite containing no tracks from the aforementioned artists. i wonder if this is what ninjaman has been doing lately, because he does have quite a substantial role in this flick, and doesn't do bad at all at the acting thing....
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