Death Warrant (1990)

"Death Warrant" is another early JCVD movie which helped him on the way to success. The violence is pretty grim but the martial arts has been slickly put together for the fight scenes. Van Damme is up against corruption at a high security prison, where the worst kinds of criminals are to be found and the prison guards abuse the responsibility they have. Going undercover as a newly convicted felon, Van Damme uncovers some sinister events and has to endure the company of some of the less civilised gentlemen. One inmate in particular is the king of the psychos and he wants JCVD! The story isn't much to write home about and is hard to keep up with. It's best to just enjoy Van Damme doing his thing.

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...)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. Really weird...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.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.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.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... : )

This is Van Damme's secret gem! JCVD is great in this detective film. All typical and trademark moves you expect from JC plus great acting and a great plot which is rare in his films, this is similar to his more recent film In Hell which was highly rated when it came out, this film also has a great yet short love scene with co-star Cynthia Gibb.We also get to see Larry Hankin aka Mr. Heckles from Friends who gets burnt alive for helping Burke, played by Van Damme who is an undercover policeman in a state prison where he meets the Sandman played by Patrick Kilpatrick who have a fight to the death at the end.Great entertainment, this film along with Nowhere to Run are under-rated gems starring JCVD but this one has lots more Van Damage! Bring me a dream, Burke!

A husky sounding Jean-Claude Van Damme is a typical Canadian mounted maverick cop who goes undercover in a maximum security prison to investigate the random deaths of certain prisoners. Surprisingly "Death Warrant" seemed to focus on Van Damme actually acting than more so on just busting body parts. The sadistic violence (and its good to see Van Damme is only human copping a battering or two) plays second fiddle to the brooding dramatics of this undercover investigation. Still the over-the-top, knuckle cracking sequences were excitingly well-done, especially when Van Damme goes up against his nemesis a maniac performance by Robert Kilpatrick as the dangerous Christian "The Sandman" Taylor. When the two come to blows (after the first being landed by a large spanner), hell erupts. Kilpatrick's character might no have much to do with the central plot, but his rousing inclusion (the atmospheric first encounter in the prison) was a memorable one. Van Damme goes about trying to make friends with the inmates, but instead sticks out like a sore thumb by finding himself in glaring competitions, asking numerous questions, using his mopping skills on unexpected victims and he can't seem to hang around with his own kind. From this he catches the eyes of the prison guards. Art LaFleur stands out as the rock-hard prison Sergeant. Robert Guillaume is good as a grizzled inmate and Cynthia Gibb as an outside contact. Also showing up in smaller parts are George Dickerson, Abdul Salaam El Razzac, Joshua John Miller and Armen Shimerman. The simplistic plot is a routine genre piece, which opens up a can of worms involving a secret conspiracy… although a predictable structural development unfolds with some uncanny acts. While it might be clichéd with its characters, circumstances and anxiety (things not entirely going to plan), director Deran Sarafian's tidy handling crafted some tough suspense and simmering visuals from its sordidly dark and testosterone laced surroundings. Sarafian has gone on to much bigger things. A commendably taut Van Damme action drama vehicle blast."Here no evil, see no evil".