“Get Shorty” feels very much like “Pulp Fiction” (it even has some of the same cast) yet it’s not as good as “Pulp Fiction”. Even though you may look at it as just a lesser version of another film, I have a strong feeling that if you enjoyed that ‘other’ film, you’ll get a kick out of seeing this one too.

In this movie, John Travolta (“Saturday Night Fever”) stars as Chili Palmer, a gangster off to Hollywood to collect a debt but he ends up getting into the movie business only to find that isn’t really that different from the mob. Nothing much really happens but it’s full of style and that’s why it works.

Travolta is pretty good here and that’s a surprise as he usually feels pretty bland but here manages to convey a movie-loving mobster effectively. I also really like James Gandolfini from tv’s “Sopranos” as a stuntman/crook. I felt the characters played by Gene Hackman (“Superman: The Movie”), Danny DeVito (“Twins”) and Rene Russo (“Lethal Weapon 3”) didn’t really go anywhere and that was a real shame. I did enjoy the cameo appearance by Harvey Keitel (“Reservoir Dogs”) and I have feeling that the white suit he wears isn’t a coincidence.

“Get Shorty” is kind-of funny but like movies such as “The Big Lebowski” and many of Tarantino’s pictures, it’s all about the style. They all have a certain look to them and have this great way of glorifying yet also humanising criminals as it elegantly walks the line between reality and fantasy. My favourite scene involves Palmer’s mission to get back his coat; it’s right near the beginning of the movie and although brief, it serves as the start of a chain reaction of events. Sure the script isn’t quite as smooth as some other films but I had a nice time watching “Get Shorty” and I’m sure anybody that likes these slick crime comedies will too.