| In Hell |
DVD cover |
| Directed by |
Ringo Lam |
| Produced by |
Danny Lerner
John Thompson
David Varod |
| Written by |
Eric James Virgets
Jorge Alvarez
Steve Latshaw
Les Weldon |
| Starring |
Jean-Claude Van Damme |
| Music by |
Alexander Bubenheim |
| Cinematography |
John B. Aronson |
| Editing by |
David M. Richardson |
| Release date(s) |
June 14, 2003 |
| Running time |
96 mins |
| Country |
 United States |
| Language |
English |
| Budget |
$15,000,000(estimated) |
In Hell is a 2003 action thriller film directed by Ringo Lam and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Plot
Kyle LeBlanc(Van Damme) is an American working overseas in Russia. When he hears his wife being attacked over the phone, Kyle rushes home to find that he's too late. The man who killed his wife is found not guilty on lack of evidence. So Kyle takes the law into his own hands, and kills the man to avenge his wife's death. He is sentenced to life in prison without parole. The Russian prison he is sent to is tough, and the warden amuses himself by putting on fights where he fills his pockets with money by betting on the fights. Kyle begins to break and go crazy, so he is forced into these fights because the warden knows he is a sure thing. Kyle's cellmate 451 begins to make him think of what he is fighting for. With that, Kyle knows now he must fight another battle: the fight for inner peace. It is the only way he can become the man he once was.
Critical reviews
David Johnson of DVD Verdict said, "Damme has gone for realism, mixed with character development and plotting, only the result is an action narrative with unappealing action and a forced narrative. [...] This is an ambitious little flick that starts promising, then gets swamped by plot contrivances, trying to do something new with a clichéd actor, but ends up a cliché itself."[1] Ian Jane of DVD Talk said the film "deliver[s] some great action scenes, some moderately impressive gore effects, and a nice, gritty, dirty atmosphere. [...] If you're looking for a fast paced action movie that provides some decent cheap and fast entertainment, you can do a lot worse than this film."[2]
John Fallon of Arrow in the Head said that "without the minor plot holes, the various “prison movie” clichés, the obvious devices to communicate substance and the tacky “ghost” appearance, the flick would’ve reached a higher level of quality," but gave the film an overall favorable review, calling it "deep, gritty, poignant, [and] intense," and praising Van Damme for what is "probably his strongest performance ever."[3] Scott Weinberg of eFilmCritic said In Hell is "nothing more than a decade-late retread combo of The Fugitive and literally any prison flick ever made," feeling there was "not nearly enough action" and that it was "presented in irritatingly unimaginative fashion."[4]
References
- ^ Review, David Johnson, DVD Verdict, December 10th, 2003
- ^ Review, Ian Jane, DVD Talk, November 21, 2003
- ^ Review, John Fallon, Arrow in the Head
- ^ Review, Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic, July 2 2004
External links
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Films directed by Ringo Lam |
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