Visitors Review

kristoffe brodeur (2012-05-23 19:44)

The ugliest nightmares of every grown man's worst fears

I am a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme, and its more because I can see wherehe's come from than the repressiable 'Louisiana' accent he has theaudiencesendure. In every film, including this one, he's a hero, but in thispiece,'In Hell' he's more of a Snake-Plisken from 'Escape from New York', thatbeing an anti-hero.The film shows a different side of Eastern Europe, one of corruption andAnti-American sentiment which is all too true to be called dramatized inthefilm. Must of the tempo of this film is well planned, and the storyprogresses without a hitch. The choice to use this director wasexcellent,because he is a moody perfectionist. After viewing the featurette, Icouldsee more clearly why I liked this piece so much. A lot of Hollywood fathasbeen trimmed off of this film in many scenes. The harsh realities ofbrutalhomosexuality are put forth not to show gayness as the true villain, butpower and the total abuse of it. Drag queens, jail cell rape scenes, andone scene stripping Van Damme of his wedding ring really strip the viewerofthe safe non-incarcerated life.The soundtrack is excellent, giving that 'Run Lola Run' techno-housefeel,making the occasional use of an orchestra well placed. The sound effectsinthis piece are good to notice as well, because in some scenes sound playsmore of a part of the film than the shots themselves. The shots are verytight, and are obscured at times because of the small studio space usedbutare perfect for the feeling of claustrophobia on so many levels. Onesceneeven has a solitary confinement that Van Damme endures in where the floorhas a release sewer flowing brown through his cell. This is contrastedbyan excellent CGI element that makes the film probably work better than ifitweren't included. A simple moth.Aside from the moth, the film has a good cast of actors with well workedcharacters, which was my primary concern in renting this piece. I didn'twant to be let down yet again by some poor action flick that had badaudio,video, and high school C movie acting. Some of the worst possible thingsthat could happen do to everyone in this film, which is a constantreminderof why pain is entertainment, and why this film actually workedwell.

Stephen Bailey (2012-05-22 20:52)

I hope JCVD actually reads these reviews

I've seen several of Van Damme's movies and I thought they were all CRAPwith the possible exception of Sudden Death, and that was only saved bythedelicious performance of Powers Booth. So, my wife forced me to watch InHell and I wasn't looking forward to it.Wow. Was I ever wrong. It's actually a pleasure to admit that at myage(40)I can still revise long-held opinions. Jean Claude Van Damme CAN act!!!Notonly that, he's bloody good. This movie is on a par with the original DieHard in showing a "normal" guy forced into (very) abnormal behaviour justtosurvive. The plot (unlike ALL his previous movies) is solid and the'peripheral' characters are actually believable. I was rooting for himthroughout. Why the hell has it taken him so long to find such 'depth'??IfMr Van Damme can star in a couple more films of this calibre then he couldwell end up being a real Star, and I'd like to see that.I'd (highly) recommend this movie as it came as such a nice surprise tome.

callanvass (2012-05-22 07:19)

One of Van Damme's best films!,a Very brutal and gripping Prison film that I loved!

In Hell is an emotional gripping prison movie, that really had mehooked from the get go, and if this isn't Van Damme's best performanceit's very close to being it!. There are no fancy kicks from Van Dammein this movie just pure raw fighting and I absolutely loved it, and theopening is very sad and especially gripping, as you will feel for VanDamme's character, plus you will be rooting for Van Damme to get outand escape!. One scene that really makes me cringe is when Van Dammebangs his head against the cement wall in the prison repeatedly, andLawrence Taylor and Van Damme in my opinion made a good team and hadpretty good chemistry together, plus for a DTV film this is as good asit gets!. It's extremely well made and directed, and most of thecharacters are pretty likable as well(except the villains), plus theare many disturbing images and scenes as well!. Overall This is a mustsee for every Van Damme fan, as I Believe it's one of his absolute bestfilms!. ***** out of 5The Acting is fantastic!. Jean Claude Van Damme is terrific here ifthis isn't his best performance, then it's very close to it he reallygave a stellar acting performance here, and you will really feel forwhat he goes through, I think Van Damme could be onto big things inacting as he is really mature now!. Lawrence Taylor is excellent as451, he Doesen't say much but his performance is there and I think youall will be surprised by the performance he gives!. Lloyd Battista andCarlos Gómez are good as the villains you will hate them!. Chris Moiris good as Billy he was likable, it was really sad with what happenedto him.

(2012-05-21 12:12)

Great effort for Van Damme...

Although In Hell is nowhere near the best Van Damme movie, it is a glimpse of hope considering his last release, Derailed. Derailed was easily the worst Van Damme movie ever made, not to mention the worst movie I've ever seen. I feel somewhat bad about saying this, because I'm the biggest Van Damme fan (without being an obsessive nerd). In Hell had better direction, editing, music, and overall production. At first, I was worried because I had heard about the absence of Van Damme's high flying kicks. Despite my skepticism, I bought the DVD on it's release date. I watched it as soon as I got home, and to my surprise, the fight scenes were more than tolerable. In fact, the fighting realism was impressive. Besides his stupid haircut (not the same on the cover), the only complaint I have about In Hell, is that the structure of the plot was weak. There was too much depressing emotion stuffed into act 2. It kind of made the continuity of the film a tad bit awkward. Although many of my friends criticize Van Damme's plummeting career, I convinced them watch the movie and they didn't hesitate to admit that it was pretty good. If you're a faithful Van Damme fan, In Hell is a must see!P.S.- What's the deal with putting different pictures on the covers of his last couple of movies? I understand that Van Damme is getting older, but it can be a little decieving.

roh3220 (2012-05-19 15:11)

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

Van Damme is back, better than ever, in a movie that is an absolutewinner.Behind bars in a Russian hell-hole, where depravity and madness feed offeach other, one man(Van Damme) starts to become something he despises.Oncean ordinary working class husband, the corrupt system turns him into abloodthirsty fighter, in an organised prison fight ring. Master directorRingo Lam creates a nightmarish and merciless prison environment, wheretheweak are raped and the strong prevail. This is Van Damme's best film everand Ringo Lam proves once again that he is a force to be reckoned with. IfHollywood considers Van Damme to be "box-office" poison, then so be it,because it's their loss. "In-Hell" is a masterpiece in every respect. It'sastory of brutality and redemption. Of one man facing his inner demons andovercoming incredible odds. In a hellish prison where the inmates arepuppets and the guards are pulling the strings, one man stands alone andbecomes the puppet-master with an instinct to kill and a desire to bereborn. Ringo Lam and Van Damme make a great team and I congratulate them.In-Hell is a brilliant film.

(2012-05-18 21:24)

Watch and learn from this prison survival video

Justice in the criminal justice system? What is that but empty talk in the real world? IN HELL shows how an innocent man who honorably slays his wife's murderer finds himself brutally thrown into prison where he learns how to survive in the harsh system. No macho Van Damme kickboxing here, but a portrayal of his progressive instincts in an environment of hate. A true portrayal of life in today's world that is infected by faulty institutions who jail innocent men, and corrupt power brokers who run them.

(2012-05-17 08:17)

WAY OVERRATED

JUST WHEN I THOUGHT VAN DAMME'S MOVIES COULDN'T GET ANY WORSE. AFTER GUNNING DOWN THE MURDERER OF HIS WIFE, KYLE [VAN DAMME] GETS SENT TO PRISON FOR LIFE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THE WARDEN FORCES THE PRISONERS TO FIGHT AGAINST EACH OTHER TO THE DEATH FOR PROFIT. VERY VIOLENT AND VERY BORING. VAN DAMME JUST ISN'T WHAT HE USED TO BE. THE MOVIE STARTS OUT OK, BUT IT QUICKLY RUNS OUT OF STEAM. ALMOST ALL OF THE ACTION SEQUENCES ARE DOWNRIGHT BORING. THIS MOVIE IS DEFINITELY PROOF THAT VAN DAMME'S BEST DAYS ARE WAY BEHIND HIM. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FORMER NFL STAR LAWRENCE TAYLOR HAS A ROLE IN THIS MOVIE. ONE OF THE WORST MOVIES OF VAN DAMME'S CAREER. WHEN YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, IT'S JUST AN ACTION VERSION OF ''THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION''. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR YOUR MONEY ON THIS TIME-WASTER. AND IF YOU STILL DECIDE THAT YOU WANNA SEE IT, DON'T SAY YOU WASN'T WARNED.

robert l.decker (2012-05-16 20:02)

ahhhm...okay.

i finally saw it the day after christmas.i just read some of the comments.most people liked it,i notice.one persondid'nt.i guess i'm sort of in between.i mean,i admire and respect theactingperformance,the plot,storyline,script,what have you,but i guess it's kindofdepressing that he did'nt start using his kickbox skills at all.it's likethat part of him died,and maybe it died for the sake of getting moreordinary people to be fond as well as interested by his change ofpace.i agree,it's better acting than the past van damme,but at the sametimehe really does neglect all those hard years of martial arts training infavor of pleasing the masses of early 21st century action film critics andobservers.people now seem to be sick of some people doing martial arts andwould rather see them being more ordinary which to me is allright to apoint(1 movie here and there)but it will indeed really,really startgettinglame and depressing if he keeps up this particular format(martialartlessvann damme).like i said,i respect someone,especially action actors who showversatility but please do another bloodsport type movie soon mr.vandamme.my rating.6.5/10as compared to others.bloodsport8.0/10kickboxer8.5/10nowhere to run6.5/10

Ralf_Solo (2012-05-15 22:59)

A good B movie

Jean Claude is back for the better . After have made some low z movies, he is back with this good movie . we see him more "human" than usualand we are in his side at once than the movie starts and it is VERYIMPORTANT , I saw some other movies lately than I didn't care much forwhat was going on , but in this movie you want to know what will happento him.After have cross the desert , it sounds like He has take someexperience of life and , and we can see it try to act more better , Igive a 7 , the movie deserve it .I like this movie and I wish he will make others from this same brand ,I recommend also REPLICANT , a satisfying SF thriller movie with JeanClaude from the same movie company.

furiousneon (2012-05-15 05:09)

Great Movie

This movie is great. It has one of the darkest tones ive ever encounteredin a film. Jean-Claude Van Damme gives an awesome performance..all of youwho think he cant act..check this out. This isnt just another prison movie,its got lots more to it then that, its about pain, suffering, not knowingwhat to live for, self remorse..This really is an excellent piece of filmmaking and Van Damme proves to me that he can act..and act well. The fightscenes are choreographed well, the acting is good, the music score is goodan well..just the movie in general is great. This is not your average VanDamme flick, theres no comedy, not much martial arts, Its sad at times, itsmore of suspense drama..there is quite a lot of action and the action isvery good. Please see this movie, it is great.

(2012-05-15 09:18)

Call it a quits Claudia

Im a big fan of his movies but this shows thats his time is up. he needs to retire. the whole movie, there was no karate moves and it was basically all street fighting.plus this movie made him look like a wimp as well.

KHayes666 (2012-05-14 19:26)

Bloodsport meets Shawshank Redemption

I just reviewed another Van Damme movie earlier called Until Deathwhich I thought was Van Damme's best "acting" role of all time....untilI saw this.I know the movie is really un-original other than the whole prizefighting concept to make the warden money, but still Van Damme'scharacter wasn't your typical one we've seen over the years.The plot is a American construction worker living in Russia named Kyle(Van Damme) comes home to find his wife murdered and days later thekiller is set free by the court, enraged Van Damme grabs a nearbypoliceman's gun and kills the killer, he is then sentenced to life in aRussian prison known for cruel mistreatment of prisoners and in-housefighting.What intrigued me was Van Damme displayed none of his vaunted martialarts skills but rather than your basic street fighting. This moviereminded me of Bloodsport a lot and they even had the guy who playedPaco in Bloodsport in this movie as a prisoner to boot. Watching VanDamme try to keep his sanity while looked up in the sh*thole was reallya nice directing job.The rest of the cast was phenomenal, LT as the philosopher was perfecteven when he set the dude in the wheelchair on fire. You also have yourgruesome in-house activities such as raping bitches and other stuff Iwon't get into.If you're looking for an Oscar winning performance, this ain't it butif you're feeling glum and need to mellow out this is the movie foryou. Van Damme's never been better 6 out of 10

tingnting (2012-05-12 08:29)

Nice try, but no shawshank

A man sentenced to life in a Russian prison has to overcome immensehardships to survive, including torture. He is forced to fight otherinmates for the wardens pleasure and it turns into a psychologicalbattle as well as a physical one. Will he survive? This movie doesn't know whether it is an action movie or a prisondrama. Ultimately it delivers neither. It doesn't work because VanDamme is too old to be anaction hero and too talentless to act.The movie does however succeed in conveying the prison'ssoul-destroying bleakness and the sense of death constantly being roundthe corner. I also have to add that, although the acting is awful,there are a few convincing moments that Van Damme manages to muster. Heis also in exceptionally good physical condition for a man nearing 50years of age This movie is the product of a fallen action hero, whoonce had a plausible movie career, but now lives in movie Hell.Good try, but no shawshank.

FRH79 (2012-05-11 18:58)

Strange Surprise

This movie struck me as strange. I am used to a Van Damme as in Kickboxer,Bloodsport and Universal Soldier. And now this. One hardly recognises VanDamme. Seems like he actually is becoming an actor. Though the story isanything but original, it is quite well executed. The acting is aboveaverage for a direct-to-video-production. Action scenes are good, quitebrutal and graphic - but that's about what I expected - why else would onewant to watch a Van Damme movie? Certainly not because of the story. InVanDamme movies the "storyline" so far always was a lame excuse for one goodold fashioned action scene after the other.And that is the strange thing: With this expectation you wont exactly bedisappointed, but strangely surprised. This movie has more to offer,especially Van Damme. I'm going as far as to claim that this movie wouldgetbetter critics and a better reception if it wasn't Van Damme playing thelead. You just aren't used to see Van Damme this way.That isn't a bad thing, it's just so unfamiliar, unusual.But - Let's get used to it. If this is the direction van Damme is taking,I'm happy with it.

Miyagis_Sweaty_wifebeater (2012-05-10 15:32)

Once again Ringo Lam makes a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

In Hell (2003) is a fine example of what Ringo Lam is capable of. Withthe material given under any other director , this movie would havebeen bad or unwatchable. But under the steady hand of a veteran filmmaker such as Ringo Lam it succeeds. This is what makes Mr. Lam a farsuperior director compared to John Woo. He doesn't need a giganticbudget or highly paid actors. What is a big surprise is that he's theonly director (so far) who can get a motivated performance fromJean-Claude Van Damme. Kudos also for Lawrence Taylor, he can actuallyact!The story takes place in some eastern European country. Jean-Claude VanDamme stars as a foreign contractor who's wife is attacked and brutallymurdered one night. After a shady trial, J.C.V.D. snaps and goes afterthe guy who killed his wife. But due to the court system he's sent to ahell hole of a s.h.u. A sadistic warden likes to put on humancockfights. Demoralized and beaten, will J.C.V.D. give in to hisanimalistic urges or will he find a way to remain sane and surviveanother day?Brutal and bloody. That's the only description for this film. No flashyfight scenes with the highly over used (and abused) Matrix-like fightscenes or phony situations. This is Ringo Lam doing what he does best.A protagonist trying to survive a dark world with a glimmer of hope atthe end of the tunnel.Highly recommended. Believe it or not, Replicant was not a fluke:Jean-Claude Van Damme can act.

legendaryunderdog (2012-05-10 06:02)

A fantastic film with a great showing by Van Damme

This might possibly be one of the best films I've ever seen Van Dammein. I understand the legendary 'Bloodsport' remains the most popular ofVan Damme's works but "In Hell" in my opinion at least should rival'Bloodsports' popularity. The story of a man (Van Damage) who murdershis wifes murderer in cold blood and gets sent to a Russian prison thatspecializes in torture, brutality and the usual host of atrocities thatcommonly occur at corrupt prisons. Through all the beatings,embarrassments, tests in courage and dignity, Van Damme creates anentire turnaround from the pushover that he once was. The film is notfor the weak of heart, the brutality in this film is so strong you canpractically feel it while watching it. That to me shows how good of afilm "In Hell" truly is, it is very captivating, which is not usual ofyour typical Van Damme fare. I recommend this film to anyone who is afan of Van Dammes films, and prison-related films as well. Good stuff.

MovieAddict2011 (2012-05-09 18:57)

One of the rare GOOD Van Damme movies

Call me a cynical person but I think all Jean-Claude Van Damme moviessuck. I don't watch them. I don't find staring at a semi-muscular mankickbox people and promote mindpower over violence, then turn aroundand kill fifty men with the strike of a single finger, particularlyentertaining.However in 2003 Van Damme dropped this image by starring in a prisonmovie which seems like it could be a true story...the warden has themplay cruel games and pits them against each other for the sake of hisown enjoyment.Okay it's a bit like a bit between "Gladiator" and "The ShawshankRedemption." It's even got a black character like Morgan Freeman andVan Damme is supposed to be the equivalent of Andy Dufresne (TimRobbins). There's even a scene towards the end of the movie wherethey're sitting outside against the exterior of the jail wall. It'spretty obvious they're drawing similarities.Nevertheless Van Damme gives a strong performance (Wow! I never thoughtI'd say that in a million years) and handles most of the scenes well.Even if it's not the best prison movie to hit the big screen (or smallscreen?) it's better than I thought it would be.

Scarecrow-88 (2012-05-09 01:22)

In Hell

An American is sent to Kraviva prison for shooting a cold-bloodedkiller who got off for the murder of his beloved wife. Once there, hemust somehow survive the prison's rough environs, withstanding theruffians which live within it's walls and the constant strife broughton by the sadistic guards who run the place. Along the way, he loseshimself, his soul, adapting to the harsh confines by becoming anaggressive, heartless fighter, bludgeoning and destroying his foes, tothe delight of the warden who makes big money on the victors. RingoLam's In Hell is a bleak, ugly, dreary prison drama which unflinchinglyshows an Oz-like hellhole where the weak are swallowed whole and thatonly the strong survive. Lawrence Taylor has a big role as 451, thefilm's narrative voice, whose notoriety derives from killing those whohave shared a cell with him. Jean-Claude Van DAMME is Kyle LeBlanc, theunlucky soul who finds himself trapped in the prison, becoming aconstant source of torment, often caged in "the hole", a drab, damp,hostile place where he hears the moans of agony from another in thenext cell, chosen as a punching bag, eventually getting his revengethanks to his alliance with 451. Put together in a cell(..it's onpurpose in the hopes that 541 would kill LeBlanc), they form an unusualfriendship. LeBlanc trains and evolves into a violent fighter, able toexact severe punishment to the prison uglies pitted up against. Hebecomes a favorite and money-maker for the warden, but when a youngAmerican friend is constantly raped, and eventually murdered, LeBlanctakes a stand, and the prisoners respond to his resolve. Not wanting amartyr, the warden and his men plan to manipulate LeBlanc into one lastfight, with a goal to shoot him afterward..but 451 has other plans.Marnie Alton is Grey, LeBlanc's wife, viciously assaulted, her spiritreturning to comfort him as he deals with the everyday struggle tomaintain his integrity. While you have prison fights, In Hell actuallyhas meat on it's bones and is deadly serious in tone, the setting isanything but sunny and fun.

Darkfalz (2012-05-08 14:56)

Surprisingly decent for a Van Damme film

Maybe it's not so surprising, as Ringo Lam was also responsible for VanDamme's last passable film, Replicant. Derailed was a complete disaster andThe Order was pretty stupid too.I watch new Van Damme/Seagal movies mostly because I expect them to be lowbudget, unintentionally funny dreck. I didn't suspect much else fromthis.But it's got quite a good story, and Van Damme does some fairly decent"acting" in this as well as sporting a long beard for part of it (I'm notsure if it was real or not). This film also has an excellent (and probablyrealistic) depiction of prison and in particular prison in Russia (as wellas the legal system in some countries). It's really not a place you'd liketo be.*** SPOILERS ***Here's where I give the film most credit. It seems, half way through, thatthe entire premise is just another excuse to have a "Kumite" like tournamentin prison, with Van Damme doing the fighting, like most of his other movies.But it doesn't actually end up going down that road. It actually turns outto be a fairly dramatic with messages you wouldn't expect from a Van Dammeaction film. Thankfully, they don't try TOO hard to be meaningful. There'ssome scenes with a bad CGI moth and some silly scenes with the ghost of hisex-wife, but in context they aren't too bad.*** END SPOILERS ***Overall, I was fairly impressed. Ringo Lam should do all of Van Damme'sfilms, because he's the only one who gets a decent performance and movie outof him anymore.One gripe I have with so many Van Damme films, is that he is referred to as"The American" or whatever, when he's clearly not American by his accent. Hemay play an American citizen, but other characters who automatically callhim an American only have his appearance and accent to go on. I just findthis to be kind of stupid.7/10

Frank Markland (2012-05-07 18:48)

So is the viewer...

Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Kyle LeBlanc some kind of everydaybusinessman who is sent to prison when he kills the man responsible forhis wife's murder. He is sentenced to life in a Turkish prison wherethe warden has fights set up, suffice to say Van Damme becomes an acefighter but then decides to take down the evil warden as well. In Hellwhich I caught on USA was awful and very disappointing to say theleast. Where as I quite enjoyed Van Damme's movies in the past, I neverliked him for his thespian quality. If I want a serious prison dramai'll go with Cool Hand Luke or Shawnshank Redemption. I watched In Hellto see Jean-Claude put the hurt on the bad guys and the seriousapproach taken with the material just fails to work and the movie isdull. A few decent performances aside, even Jean-Claude isn't so badbut I was just far too bored to find much merit in this snoozer.*1/2 out of 4-(Poor)