In Hell
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Movie Reviews of In Hell
Movie Review: Van Damme's the Man!
Summary: 4 Stars
Kyle's (Jean Claude Van Damme) wife is murdered and, though the culprit is caught, when the case goes to trial, there's not enough evidence to convict him. Taking matters into his own hands, Kyle kills the man himself right after and is sentenced to life in Krava prison in Russia. Once there, Kyle discovers the crooked warden hosts fighting battles on the grounds and bets with other wardens who bring fighters in from other prisons.
At first content to fight, Kyle makes a name for himself as someone not be messed with, but when a close friend is killed, he decides to lower his hands and fight no longer. Following his example, the other inmates no longer fight as well, and the entire order of the prison is challenged.
But one of the inmates has a secret and in order for the prison to be brought down once and for all, Kyle must step into the ring one last time.
I got to say I was really impressed with this. This was the first Van Damme prison movie I've seen since Death Warrant and, frankly, had a blast watching it. This flick has a strong story and isn't your usual fair of Van Damme merely fighting and winning the "big one" at the end. Instead, it's the story of one man's journey to do what's right inside prison walls and learning when it's time to walk away.
As for the fighting, though, yeah, much more realistic than other JCVD flicks. Lots more wrestling, arm holds, close toe-to-toe stuff, and, dare I say, didn't have a single patented Van Damme 360-kick in it. The matches were also pretty much 50-50 in terms of blows exchanged, instead of Van Damme winning all the fights until the final guy, then gets his butt beat for ten minutes, before having a big comeback where he dominates and wins (with that 360-kick). The fights in this flick were more blow-for-blow, with one guy winning after the other guy gets knocked out.
I really enjoyed this, so if you're in a JCVD mood but also want a good story that sucks you in from the start, In Hell is the way to go.
Recommended.
A.P. Fuchs
Canister X
Movie Review: Very good prison action/drama
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm really sick of reading these negative 2 to 1 star reviews of this film by people who are pissed there are no high flying kicks. HELLO this is NOT a popcorn action film, it's more of a drama with REALISTIC depictions of prison fighting. It's like watching Keanu Reeves in "Something's Gotta Give," a romantic comedy, then being pissed he wasnt busting out guns or kicking people like in the Matrix. Give the movie a bad rating because it fails in some way, NOT because you think it should have more chop-socky fighting. All that aside, I was very surprised by this film. After the unwatchable "Order" and tear-jerkingly horrendous "Derailed," I had lost hope for Van Damme, but "In Hell" is possibly one of his best films and one of the most effective prison dramas in the last few years. The cinematography and directing is great, thanks to Ringo Lam, a very underrated Hong Kong director, and the acting is very good as well. Van Damme has grown as an actor, and it shows in this film. Also look for a cameo by actor Paulo Tocha(Paco, the arrogant kickboxer from Bloodsport) as Victor.
Van Damme is Kyle, a man jailed in a Russian prison for killing the murderer of his wife. The wardens set up illegal fights inside the prison, and Van Damme struggles to survive inside while maintaining his humanity.
The fights are brutal and VERY realistic. They mirror real fights you would see in the streets or in UFC and other full contact events, which means elements of grappling and ground fighting are heavily utilized. This adds that much more to the realism of the film and shows Van Damme's versatility as a martial artist. In Derailed we saw some Ju-Jitsu and grappling from Van Damme, but he showcases these skills more heavily in this film.
Do not rent or buy this film if you are looking for mindless action and high flying split kicks like in other Van Damme movies, but DO rent or buy it if you want to see a gritty and well directed prison drama with some realistic and brutal fights.
Movie Review: Animal Regret
Summary: 4 Stars
Jean Claude Van Damme's Kyle LeBlanc character is interesting. He's apparently passionate enough to execute his wife's killer after the courts let the killer free. Yet he comes across as a very controlled, tightly wound person. One might wonder why he didn't try to follow the killer to a less obvious venue before pulling the trigger, but apparently Kyle is overcome with loss. As a result he gets sent to an Eastern Block prison where corruption and violence are the ways of the world. In this environment, Van Damme becomes a savage. In deed, the international release is called "The Savage." Van Damme is put in a cell with a violent prisoner known for killing his cellmates. As played by ex-football star Lawrence Taylor, this guy is huge, speaking little but constantly writing in his journals. He establishes a strange friendship with Kyle. Kyle meantime fights for sport in prison-sponsored to-the-death matches. Particularly brutal is the neck bite attack where Kyle is transformed into a crazed killer. Van Damme is convincing as borderline insane. During his lockdowns, a butterfly that seems to be the spiritual embodiment of his dead wife comes to comfort him as he sits next to the raw sewage streaming through his cell. The film is filled with the usual prison rape and countless manners of brutality. It leads to Kyle's final escape to freedom. I found the action to be gripping, although this is not really an action film as such. Marnie Alton is particularly creepy as Grey Lord. There is enough here to please most Van Damme fans. Enjoy!Movie Review: Van Damme is on the way up! 3.5 Stars
Summary: 4 Stars
As others have noted, both this and "Wake of Death" have shown a change in direction for Van Damme, choosing to delve more into complex roles, drama, and believable acting, rather than two dimensional fight movies. Not that I suspect we will be seeing him on the nomination list at the Oscars any time soon, but here again he turns in a credible performance. After being jailed for avenging his wifes murder, he is subjected to a brutal Eastern Block prison regime, where the dollar rules, the guards and warden are corrupt, and you sleep with one eye open. We see the gradual deterioration of an outwardly "normal" man, whose only means of survival is to become one of the cruel and violent inmates he has come to despise. The fight sequences are short, snappy, brutal and bloody (no box splits, or flying spinning back kicks here) and the viewer is immersed into the savage world of gangs, violence, and desperation. "In Hell" is an apt title, but the film has some surprising twists, and different outcome to what one might expect, and is well directed and well scripted throughout. Hardly an original story, but the European makeover adds another dimension to a standard prison flick of say "Lock Up" or many others. On the whole, I recommend this movie, and hope to see Van Damme continue to develop his characters in this way. I've always enjoyed his other, and often more aimless fight movies so felt a teeny bit agrieved at the lack of martial arts, but overall the movie is pretty darn good. Enjoy!Movie Review: From the director of PRISON ON FIRE 1 & 2.
Summary: 4 Stars
I wrote off Jean-Claude years ago as a has been, but after seeing his impressive performance in IN HELL I might have to reevaluate The Muscles from Brussels.
Director Ringo Lam who's visited the prison genre twice before with the two classic PRISON ON FIRE films this time has Jean-Claude Van Damme as a steelworker in Bulgaria who is sentenced to life in prison without parole for avenging his wife's murder.
Mild mannered at first - you can tell by the way his shirt completely covers his muscles - Jean-Claude is eventually taken to the breaking point and forced to wear tank tops and release some Van Dammage on the crooked guards who pimp out the prettier prisoners and also run an illegal death match fighting league between some of the more bloodthirsty prisoners.
The fighting, not to mention that there's also a good story, is what really sets this movie apart from most Van Damme movies. There's no flying and spinning around like a helicopter or exploding a stack of bricks with your big toe here. Its all gritty realistic bloody knuckle street fighting. The best example of that is at one point where Van Damme looks lost and has to turn around twice before he notices his opponent laying on the ground behind him. Anybody who's been in a real fight knows how easy it is to get disoriented.
If Van Damme made more films like this he might get back in the movie theaters.