Search - In Hell on DVD

Van Dammes best acting yet...is it good enough?

David Borowski | 10/27/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The story is about Kyle LeBlanc (Van Damme), an American working in Russia, who avenges the death of his wife killed by a criminal after he is found innocent by buying a corrupt judge. Kyle is arrested and goes to a prison controlled by nasty officials and a warden that gains a lot of money organizing and taking bets with fights between the interns. At first, LeBlanc has no meaning to live, haunted by the image of his wife he even tries to kill himself in desperation. But with time he becomes a cold, heartless man, training hard to defend himself from the gangs and from the guards. The dedication leads to a gaining of respect inside those walls, especially in his relationship with his cellmate, a violent and mysterious man (Lawrence Taylor) who works as the living memory of the place, writing about everything that happens there. Rapidly Kyle turns himself into a "savage," brutal fighter, facing opponents even from other prisons and is considered the champion while some of his friends try to make him remember the man that he was. At this time, a new menace arrives in the form of a man called Valya (Michael Bailey Smith), a prisoner transferred only to fight against Kyle.That's the journey of Van Damme's character in one of his most difficult roles. Well, everybody knows that Van Damme it's not Al Pacino but he tries very hard to make a convincing and troubled man tormented by the horrors of the life in jail, floating from a good man to a savage beast. Unfortunately his character is the only one with depth in a script full of holes and clichés, so his efforts are mostly in vain. One good example is his relationship with his cellmate played by Lawrence Taylor; at first they don't like each other but suddenly they became good friends, with very little to explain of justify this, what is a great flaw considering that Taylor's character is the key of the finale and the soul of the film in a way. In order to compensate for the flaws of the script, director Ringo Lam makes the film with a very gritty and dark tone, almost too serious, with a lot of violence and a claustrophobic mood. This is reflected in the fight scenes, all very realistic. Don't expect Van Damme to do his fancy kicks here 'cause it's all about street fighting, with some great grappling moves from sanbo, wrestling and jiu-jitsu, specially in the fight between Van Damme and Michael Bailey Smith, who is the most menacing opponent that Van Damme has faced since Bolo Yeung.But all the atmosphere, the fights, or the will to do a great film are not enough. With so many underdeveloped characters and situations it's frustrating to see all that style; it's a great cover to a so-so book. 5 Stars for Van Damme
3 Stars for the movie"

This is a Van Damme movie???

KDA | Minnesota | 02/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let's face it, Van Damme has dished out some rather campy movies in the past 7 or so years. However, there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel thanks to this movie, along with the recent "Wake of Death."

"In Hell" is a raw and darker film than his normal material. Don't expect his stamped karate moves, because it doesn't take place during this flick. Instead, we are treated with gritty, no-holds barred rumbles.

To top it off, Van Damme begins to show signs of some acting depth. I'm not talking Oscar winner, but for Damme, this is probably the best work he has done that provides a sense of substance to his character.

A moment or two of akward cheesy-ness appears, but doesn't hamper the overall experience of the movie at all. Even if you are not a Van Damme fan, like I "once" was, you should give this flick a shot. Don't expect a masterpiece and I believe you will be surprisingly surprised."