The System

Sometimes just sad, but usually mean and you never see him smiling.

Sadly, this movie deserves the 3.5 rating it currently has. I gave it a 4 as I'm a sucker for prison movies. The plot is unoriginal and unrealistic with gaping plot holes. The shocking plot twists are predictable and boring.

Have we ever seen a movie where the upstanding guy ends up in a prison with an unscrupulous warden? But this is no Shawshank Redemption. Have we ever seen a secret fight league run by the guards/warden? Yeah, but I can't even remember those movies names. This is worse than those.

One oddity is that they have the fighters wear body armor. Just weird. One stupid goof is they have Tyrese benching what looks to be 135 lbs. And struggling at it. I'm 5' 6", in ok shape, and I can do that easily.

They pulled in two actors with credible resumes; Jeremy Piven and Terrence Howard. Neither have decent showings. Pivens' fake southern accent and clownish behavior are amateurish. Howard's big brother teacher role is average at best.

Anyway, it was mildly entertaining for what it is.

I always make an effort to give some slack to newb filmmakers, but they need to at least bring something fresh to the table. Writer and director Dallas Jackson gave us a film that's been done many times before, and many times better. There was nothing new or engaging in the dragged out 97 min runtime, but cliched characters with cheesy dialogue, a predictable and bland script, with sub-par performances all around. It was clear that Jackson was inexperienced directing his cast effectively, but at least Terrence Howard and Jeremy Piven gave it their best attempt; Tyrese Gibson gave his lousiest, laziest and most boring performance to date, like it was his first acting gig. He made it seem like he'd rather just be at home calling in his lines - even him just walking around so slow in his scenes felt like he was struggling to stay awake. Had Gibson put in just half the effort (even with some facial expressions) like the rest of the cast did, this may have been more watchable. But instead, it was a boring slog with mediocre action and a barely existent narrative. It's a very generous 5/10 from me.

This is a good film, people are thinking it's low budget and poorly made, it's not, the director is clearly paying homage to all the 70's 80's action films and at the same time making it his own. Look at the wardens chair watching the fight! Look at padding they wear it's MEANT to look like this! I watched it, I think everyone's acting was perfect for the type of film! Dallas Jackson has made a new fan right here! And I can't wait to see what comes next! Ignore all the hate ignore all the haters! Go watch this film! Tell a friend tell all your friends! It's brilliant! Hope there's a follow up to this!

Who is kidnapper holding Gibson's and Howard's family members hostage??? It's the only reason I can afford for them being tied to this piece of trash. Really bad acting, writing, cinematography, sets, etc...etc... The eighties A-Team or Hardcastle and McCormack had better production value and scripts!!! The prison laundry scene looked like a laundromat. The prison yard looked like a high school gym area with temp fencing. Low budget doesn't begin to describe this terrible film... A more appropriate title would be 80 minutes of Tyrese Making Stinkface... I want my 80 minutes back with interest!

That's all I wan' know. Dallas Jackson, what did you smoke before making this? 'cos I swear today to stay far away from it.... Gibson must be cursing himself for being a part of this... 20 minutes of the movie and I felt like I was watching some amateur 80s' chinese stuff.... The actors have done their best but the way it is directed and the cinematography.... Both deserve an Oscar for "God knows what it was". I personally feel that the young film makers must watch this again and again so they'd know what not to do. Also the script seems like stolen from hundreds of average films from the past 2 decades.