Brawl in Cell Block 99

S. Craig Zahler is proving himself to be a director worth paying attention to. I became a fan after seeing Bone Tomahawk, and have read several of his novels including Mean Business on North Ganson Street and Wraiths of the Broken Land. Also, his incredible un-produced screenplay The Brigands of Rattleborge.

BRAWL is very similar to Bone Tomahawk in terms of pacing, story structure and tone. A slow descent into a hellish situation.

I don't agree with people who say he is a "second-rate Tarantino." Tarantino does homage. Even Robert Rodriguez, in his attempts to do exploitation films, call too much attention to themselves and end up bordering on spoof, whereas BRAWL just simply is an exploitation film.

Perhaps some of Zahler's dialogue works better on the page than spoken, but I still think he is a great writer.

The low-key style of the film, with the every-man type of character Vaughn plays who gets mixed up in a serious situation makes this movie seem like a combination of Nicolas Winding Refn's PUSHER II and Cassavettes' KILLING OF A Chinese BOOKIE.

There are even some subtle hints of ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13.

My only real gripes are that some of the dialogue exchanges are kind of stilted, and the staging of characters in some scenes seems too stiff and unnatural.

I like that the themes, such as privatization of prisons, are beneath the surface and not drilled into the audiences' head.

Its not a perfect movie, I hope Zahler continues to branch out but its a cool throwback movie that isn't trying to play it safe or cater to a wide audience and knows what type of movie it wants to be.

Wow! That pretty much summarizes this entire movie.

This movie was quite an unexpecting surprise. And I dare say that this was without a doubt the best movie that I have seen Vince Vaughn in, and he was just phenomenal in this role.

The storyline in "Brawl in Cell Block 99" was quite good, and it grabbed my interest from the very beginning. The movie didn't let go until the very end, so you will be entertained from start till end.

There was a good flow to the storyline, which really helped to speed the movie along and make for a good, wholeheartedly movie experience.

They had a great ensemble of cast, which included Don Johnson and Udo Kier as well, aside from Vince Vaughn.

The special effects in "Brawl in Cell Block 99" were adequate, but the prosthetics especially the faces were horribly fake. And it was painstakingly clear that it was prosthetics being used. But luckily, this is the type of movie that is not overly dependent on having bedazzling special effects to function as an entertaining movie.

The ending, however, was sort of a slap in the face, to be blunt - pardon the pun. But, a good and entertaining movie movie nonetheless.

Hits hard like "The Boys Next Door" meets "Walking Tall". The film is extremely unrealistic(in many ways), but Vaughn is solid. He sells this character. The fight scenes are choreographed quite well, and are far more realistic than the settings and timeline. It's a real strength for the film. You feel every punch and Vaughns strength really manifests itself on the screen. Kudo's to the director/choreographers. Plenty of action throughout - also enough playful sarcasm to keep it from being too heavy handed.

Put your brain on hold and just watch Vince kick some butt. Have yourself a cigar, a beer, and don't read too much into it.

Budget constraints are probably the main cause of the films' shortcomings, so I'm not docking-it too much for that. I don't want to raise expectations too high, but if its just the action/revenge junkies that like it 7/10 like me -I understand. Skull-crushing madness. Hard R!!!! The filmmakers must've gone through an "albeit different" hell(as the main character) getting this an R rating. Id say Id love to see an unrated version, but really, this was plenty. Nice to see Vince in a better non-comedic leading role. He still didn't get enough backstory/wife-time. A little more background dialog, along with shaping up some sets, and this could've been interplanetary B greatness.. as it is.. also slightly underwritten and a little unpolished.. 7/10.. guilty pleasure niche flick..

This is gonna go cult-status among some action fans, gore fans, and in particular, revenge fans.

Vaughn's size sells every superhero aspect. Almost a little m.night "unbreakable vibe" too, only nowhere near as good camera-work, or story. I assume many of those faults will be excused because the film knows exactly what it is, unabashed and prideful B-actioner with at least a smidgen of heart to keep it together.

Better than most films of this guild. I dig the "what makes a man tough" thing.. that works here.. Tough guys are born of harsh histories and fearlessness... that aspect is realistic. My marginal recommendation is turned high if u fit the bill for this type of thing. Better than Stallone's "Lock-Up" or "Escape" - Not by much though - 69 out of 100.. Most of the "you'll like this if you liked" films mentioned in the description, but add-on 2008's "Escapist" and the same years' "Felon", both a touch better. For 1.50/nt at the redbox, it's a worthwhile view, but absolutely NOT for kids(or even teens?), and seriously consider whether you wanna invite the wife. Hardcore B-Movie.

BRUTAL.

Vince Vaughn does a great job of portraying a no-nonsense tough guy who doesn't mince his words in this prison drama. I was surprised how much i enjoyed this movie. His character brings to mind characters similar to what Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood and the like have played. There is a real intensity about this movie and his performance that is lacking in many action films these days. The supporting cast were good also but i thought Vince Vaughn totally carried this movie, which could have been way worse but for what he brought to it. Highly recommended for fans of old school movies of this genre.

First of all, if you are squeamish (even a little) DO NOT watch this movie. But if you've got the stomach for an extremely violent (and sometimes depressing) movie this might be worth your time.

Vince Vaughn does an excellent job. In fact, the acting in the whole movie is surprisingly good for a grindhouse-style flick. This is about a man in a bad, bad position, who bad things happen to, and who in turn does some very bad things. But if you can handle this type of movie you will be entertained.

The action is gritty to the point of being potentially sickening. I was disturbed, and yet I wish more movies took this approach to action. The fight scenes are not comic bookish like so many movies, rather they are brutal and somehow realistic. Honestly they were the best thing about this movie.

Don't expect a brawl in the sense that a whole cell block starts fighting riot style. This is more of a Bronson-esque "one man out for revenge" style of movie.

The only negative I noticed is that there were a few unbelievable parts regarding the prison system, but they were needed to drive the plot along in the direction it went. Viewers should really just suppress their disbelief (and gag reflexes) and just strap themselves in for the ride.

Recommended for anyone that can handle the darkness and appreciate the brutally gritty craziness that is this movie.