Carlos
IFC Films | Release Date: October 15, 2010
7.9
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 81 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
69
Mixed:
7
Negative:
5
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
10
massimo22Jan 17, 2011
Amazing miniseries! Personally I am venezuelan and the acting was outstanding. I am overwhelmed by the fact that it won a golden globe (being a french miniseries). 3 parts that are totally worth watching
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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10
jcorsoOct 18, 2010
Carlos is as good as a movie gets. It is 5 1/2 hours of riveting pulse. Carlos sparks the internal fear of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
6 of 9 users found this helpful63
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10
RainFallNov 14, 2012
Excellent. Be sure to watch it in it's full 336 minute glory. I went in thinking this would be a propaganda piece one way or the other, but left feeling the creators did a reasonable job avoiding that. There is a bit of it, but it's slight.Excellent. Be sure to watch it in it's full 336 minute glory. I went in thinking this would be a propaganda piece one way or the other, but left feeling the creators did a reasonable job avoiding that. There is a bit of it, but it's slight. Well acted, well casted, well written. It makes Homeland look like the crappy show it is.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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9
MANIFESTED1984Oct 18, 2010
You aren't likely to see another showcase that can un-romantically translate the story of a larger-than-life figure, in order to leave him all out there for YOU to judge his actions. Olivier Assayas has a trained eye to say the least. A realYou aren't likely to see another showcase that can un-romantically translate the story of a larger-than-life figure, in order to leave him all out there for YOU to judge his actions. Olivier Assayas has a trained eye to say the least. A real triumph in character, environment and story. Edgar Ramirez has arrived!… Expand
1 of 4 users found this helpful13
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10
LynJun 5, 2011
Riveting -- have to thank the Sundance channel for providing 5 1/2 hours of engrossing, escapist entertainment during a boring weekend! Lead actor Edgar Ramirez is so charismatic that I couldn't avoid a few qualms about the terrorist beingRiveting -- have to thank the Sundance channel for providing 5 1/2 hours of engrossing, escapist entertainment during a boring weekend! Lead actor Edgar Ramirez is so charismatic that I couldn't avoid a few qualms about the terrorist being portrayed as such a sexy, glam guy. But the production as a whole, especially the controlled tedium of the final segment, gradually reveals the flaws of his character and the desperation of his existence. What irony as he bloviates about being "soldier" against imperialistic enemies while swilling endless glasses of Johnny Walker Red. Terrific storytelling.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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9
DQ_SlotkinsSep 27, 2011
There is no better film out right now. Just dynamite drama and action. Is it too long at 5 1/2 hours? Hell no! I wanted more. There is a 60 action sequence equaled only by Scorsese's Goodfellas - yeah, it's that good..
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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8
allystewJan 11, 2011
I watched the shorter version and felt the need for more. Its such an epic story both in scale and ambition that I would watch the long version if I could find it. Its hard to explain that such an un-likeable charactor as Carlos is so not toI watched the shorter version and felt the need for more. Its such an epic story both in scale and ambition that I would watch the long version if I could find it. Its hard to explain that such an un-likeable charactor as Carlos is so not to find him and his story interesting. Politics and terrorism are not what Carlos is about but rather the need for power and respect. An interesting movie that doesn't glamorize or judge its content which is something alot of Hollywood movies could learn from.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
jrcvenMay 16, 2011
love it an awesome star making performance by its lead. direction was brilliant and you can not believe you are watching a 5 hour film saga.cant wait to see the next films of this great actor/director.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
FilmVirtueNov 18, 2015
A strongly directed leftest biographical that doesn't rip the viewer out of it's content with a sort-of-like history and brief running time, and instead places the facts right in front of you for a grueling (and yet powerful) five and a halfA strongly directed leftest biographical that doesn't rip the viewer out of it's content with a sort-of-like history and brief running time, and instead places the facts right in front of you for a grueling (and yet powerful) five and a half hour running time.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
FilmPhonicSep 21, 2015
Adapted from the award-winning TV mini-series and based on a real but disputed story, ‘Carlos The Jackal’ is the extraordinary tale of how a Venezuelan Marxist-Leninist aligned himself with global revolutionary anti-capitalist organizationsAdapted from the award-winning TV mini-series and based on a real but disputed story, ‘Carlos The Jackal’ is the extraordinary tale of how a Venezuelan Marxist-Leninist aligned himself with global revolutionary anti-capitalist organizations and made alliances with several Islamic nations, on the way to becoming one of the world’s most wanted men and perhaps the most infamous terrorist of the 20th century.

Édgar Ramírez delivers a tour-de-force performance as an almost mythical figure of the 20th century who’s actions and motivations helped to shape the world we now live in for better or worse, mostly worse.

“The Jackal” has always been an enigmatic figure in popular culture, after all this is a Venezuelan revolutionary who managed to become a driving force for middle-eastern centered global terrorism while being a major figure in an “anti-capitalist” movement that made him a cult hero figure for some.
But in ‘Carlos The Jackal’ we are presented with a fascinating portrayal of the man behind the enigma that so gravely impacted the late 20th century, he’s presented as much as a self-aggrandizing narcissist as he is a brutal and motivated revolutionary.

As an adaptation of a much longer TV miniseries we are deprived here of some of the character and story elements that frankly make the TV version more engrossing, plus the movie looks like a TV film… and if you’re expecting your typical action/thriller you’ll probably be disappointed, but with a lack of budget ‘Carlos The Jackal’ is forced to strip away stylistic elements which results rather refreshingly in a purer focus on an extraordinary story and the man behind it.

Aside from a genuine attempt at humanizing a myth, the greatest triumph of ‘Carlos The Jackal’ is to remind us all that modern so-called global “Islamic Terrorism” has far reaching roots and has been an issue for many decades, albeit at a smaller scale with less of the religious fanaticism of today and of a more political/revolutionary angle.

The Bottom Line…
An effective adaptation of the award-winning TV mini-series which makes up for what it lacks in spectacle with a fascinating character study of the man behind the notorious enigma, a fascinating little lesson in recent Geo-political history with wide reaching implications for the troubled world we live in today.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
geewahJan 27, 2021
A fasinating biopic of one of the most dangerous and terrifying men of the 20th century.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
shumatNov 20, 2022
perfect film to watch, very interesting!!!!!! i recommend it but the end could be better......
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
AssPussiMar 8, 2022
Amazing miniseries! Personally I am venezuelan and the acting was outstanding. I am overwhelmed by the fact that it won a golden globe (being a french miniseries). 3 parts that are totally worth watching
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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