a5c7b9f00b The Canadian policeman Louis Burke is assigned in a jail to investigate some murders of prisoners and jailors. When in jail, Lois, using his outstandings martial arts, is able to save his life and make himself respected in that violent world. At last, helped by two another prisoners, he succeeds in finding the truth about the dreadful crimes.
In an abandoned house, detective Louis Burke confronts a maniac called the Sandman. Although the Sandman nearly kills Burke, Burke manages to stop him with a bullet. Sixteen months later, Burke joins a task force put together by the governor to investigate a series of unexplained deaths in the Harrison Penitentiary. While Burke poses as an inmate, attorney Amanda Beckett acts the role of his wife. In the penitentiary, Burke is forced to survive in an environment so dismal and filthy that it makes a public restroom in New York City look like a room in a five star hotel. Burke does succeed in befriending a few of the inmates, including Hawkins and Priest, who help him with the investigation. More inmates are mysteriously murdered. Burke's cell-mate is killed, and prison guard DeGraff puts Burke in solitary confinement, where he's interrogated and beaten. As if that's not enough, the Sandman ends up at Harrison. As it turns out, the prisoners are being murdered for their body organs. Back on the outside, Beckett attends a party given by Vogler, the state's attorney general. Just as she's preparing to tell him about the murders at the prison, Beckett receives a call from her assistant, who identifies Vogler's henchman Keane as the man behind the murders, which also involve Dr. Gottesman, the surgeon who harvests the organs to be sold to people who are in desperate need of them. The assistant's suspicions are confirmed when Vogler tries to kill Beckett. Burke begins an escape from the penitentiary, pursued by the Sandman and hundreds of angry inmates who have been set free and armed with the knowledge that Burke is a cop. Burke and the Sandman have brutal showdown in which Burke tries to get the Sandman out of the way so he can go after Vogler, Keane, and Gottesman.
Despite some of the more esoteric films that I like, I really DO enjoy watching Van Damme's movies. I think that they are a blast! A lot of people say that he is 'wooden', but I just think he pulls it off as being very cool. Not all actors in his category can do that and really DO look wooden (cough... Steven Seagal, cough...)<br/><br/>With that said... unfortunately, in my lowly and wretched opinion as opposed to several reviewers here, I truly do NOT think that this is one of the better Van Damme films. As a matter of fact, I feel that in all the ones that I've seen, this is probably my least favourite. The story, although rather plain, is fine. His acting and the supporting actors are fine. Even some of the quirky prison stuff and people are okay. It's just that for some odd reason, around the last 30-40 minutes, to me anyway, it really seems like the director starts to get VERY lazy. All of the sudden where everything was just fine before, the scenes, acting, and ESPECIALLY the editing, line delivery, and pacing REALLY take a dive. It honestly is like about two thirds of the way into the film the director lost interest, or did a few too many funny cigarettes or something, I don't know. At that point it just seems like whatever focus or sharpness the direction had was lost. <br/><br/>Really weird...<br/><br/>So, being that the end of a film SHOULD indeed be stronger to finish it out, this one left me feeling like it ultimately was a bit silly. IF the director had finished it out at the exact same level of quality with which he shaped the first two thirds of the film, then I think it would have been just great.<br/><br/>Also, Kilpatrick usually comes across as very, VERY menacing, but in this movie he seems like more of a goofy, grinning pussy somehow; I think that that really took away some of the impact that the ending could have had.<br/><br/>I don't know, maybe for a Van Damme film I'm just thinking too 'damme' much... :) But, a film is a film, and when you start at a certain level you really should finish it at LEAST at the same level. But hey, for people who like Van Damme and his films (like most of the other reviewers here) you likely will enjoy it anyway.<br/><br/>For me personally, this was one of his least satisfying films; one of my personal favourites would have to be 'TIMECOP' (I don't know if that helps or hurts my credibility... : )
RCMP Louis Burke (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is in L.A. and brings down madman Christian 'The Sandman' Naylor. Sixteen months later, he returns to investigate Harrison penitentiary where the assistant warden as well as some prisoners have been killed. He goes undercover as a convict with lawyer Amanda Beckett (Cynthia Gibb) posing as his wife. Sergeant DeGraf (Art LaFleur) runs the prison with an iron fist. Hawkins (Robert Guillaume) is the one-eyed elder statesman prisoner. Louis runs into gang trouble but the prison holds darker secrets.<br/><br/>There are a lot of cheesy B-movie aspect to the prison. Most notable is the basement brothel. The production is second rate. The good part is that Van Damme gets to do some butt kicking. There's nothing wrong with that. If anything, it needs more Van Damme butt kicking. The investigation is lackluster. There isn't much tension. Van Damme fans may like this but nobody else will.
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