| Overall Grade: |
B+ |
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| Story: |
A- |
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| Acting: |
B+ |
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| Direction: |
B+ |
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| Visuals: |
A |
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The CONDEMNED : early screening review
by I forget alot (movies profile)
Jun 25, 2007
29
of
35 people found this review helpful
****.com reader Mark DiNatale of Los Angeles, Calif. sent the following review of an early screening of the latest WWE Films production, "The Condemned," starring Steve Austin...
Today there was a screening for the latest WWE film and first starring vehicle for Stone Cold Steve Austin, "The Condemned."
I first want to clarify where I stand with WWE Films. I never sat through "See No Evil." "The Marine" was a nice tribute to just about every action film ever made. Needless to say, I was hoping that this would be a film that would maybe elevate the notion of what a WWE Film, starring a very popular wrestler, would be. To date, WWE Films can't break out of its own fan base - for wrestling that's one thing, for movies it's a sign that perhaps you are better off going straight to video.
Here's the deal; this is a good movie. Not a great movie, but a lot better than I thought it would be and a lot better than it had any right being. It's a cross between "No Escape," "The Running Man," and maybe a little "Rambo" thrown in with a twist of "Blood sport." The action is brutal, and there is lots of it. This is an "R" rated film, folks, no doubt about it. Lots of pounding fists and breaking bones, and for those who like props, they did not leave guns out of this film.
There were two disturbing things in the movie. One is the amount of man-on-women violence. I am no prude, and I do like my share of violent movies, and there is a sense setting up characters and plot points, but some of the violence inflicted on the female characters is some of the most brutal I have ever seeing in a U.S. mainstream action movie. The reason I make such a big deal about this is, do we really need to feed the notion to 17-22 year old boys that this is how women are to be treated? It just reeks of Vince McMahon and the way he treats the women on his shows.
The second thing about this movie is the eerily portrayed TV producer that not only looks like a young Vince McMahon, but the character is written like the Vince you see on all the talk show (with Bob Costas for example). Without spoiling anything, by the end of the film, you will know what I mean.
As for the movie itself, it is really good. If you can make it past the first overly violent 45 minutes, you get a really good man-hunt film (a la the first "Rambo"). The story is pretty cool and fits right in with the times. With reality shows rapidly going over the line, this movie actually shows what happens when that line is completely removed.
Steve Austin does a great job. He kicks serious ass and you root for him the whole time. Vinnie Jones does a fine job as well as one of the other inmates. There is also another former WWE wrestler in the film; does anyone remember Nathan Jones? Yup, he's here. I can honestly say I think he made a better choice by going into acting than wresting. He's visually impressive and doesn't say a word. I did mention there are females in the movie, and they are indeed part of the fighting. I can tell you that if Vince had a say in the eye-candy, he made good selections. There is a stunning African American girl that steams up the screen.
I give this movie a thumbs up. It will be a hit for sure with the guys who like an onslaught of violence mixed in with a pretty contemporary story. No re-inventing the wheel here, but it's a much better film than "The Marine." Makes me proud to see Austin make a pretty decent film, Let's hope the fans embrace it and make it a hit. I must also say that it does leave one hoping it makes money, because this has franchise written all over it.
(thanks to ****.com |
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