Lock Up

The mechanic Frank Leone (Sylvester Stallone) is a model inmate in a low security prison and has only six months to serve. He intends to spend the rest of his life working in his garage and with his beloved girlfriend Melissa (Darlanne Fluegel). Out of the blue, Leone is brutally transferred during the night to the maximum security Gateway Prison without any explanation. Soon he learns that Warden Drumgoole (Donald Sutherland) is the responsible for his transference.

Leone had been sentenced to Treadmore Prison after beating the punks that hit his mentor and friend that taught him his profession of auto mechanic. When his mentor was dying, he asked permission to Drumgoole to go to visit his friend but the request was denied. Leone fled from Treadmore and his lawyer went to the press to expose Drumgoole's behavior. The result was Leone in a minimum security prison and Drumgoole sent to Gateway. Now the warden is seeking revenge and will do anything to keep Leone behind bars.

"Lock up" is an entertaining prison drama full of action with Sylvester Stallone after the successful Rambo trilogy. The story is flawed and shallow, and the viewer shall not think how a prisoner is transferred the way Frank Leone is and his lawyer simply does not exist in the story. The characters are not well developed and there is no explanation for the sadistic behavior of the prison guards. However this type of movie is not to think and entertains. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Condenação Brutal" ("Brutal Conviction")

Lock Up is a pretty good movie for Stallone fans, although it could easily have been much better had he not been basically a saint behind bars. Stallone plays Frank Leone, who faces multiple prison terms total, beginning with an 18-month sentence he was given for avenging the vicious beating of an old man who took him off the streets when he was a teenager. So back then he wasn't allowed to leave the prison to see his dying father (when we meet him, he is on a weekend leave from a minimum security prison, a weekend that he spends playing ball with his kids while his charming wife looks on approvingly), so he breaks out to go to the funeral.

So his minor prison sentence turns into a big one, although one that he spends at a comfortable minimum security joint with all kinds of perks, including weekends and conjugals and even friendships with the guards. His release is approaching when suddenly he is awakened in the middle of the night and taken to a brutal, maximum-security prison where he is to spend the rest of his sentence. It's called a "routine transfer," although he has done nothing to deserve such an upgrade in security status and even his wife is not informed of what happened to him.

Ultimately he learns that he is being transferred to the prison of Warden Drumgoole (Donald Sutherland at his creepy best), who was in charge of the prison that Leone escaped from, which in turn made it into the papers and ruined Drumgoole's career. Now he has his chance for revenge, and he plans to arrange for Leone to spend the rest of his life in this prison.

The movie carelessly glosses over the ease with which Drumgoole plucks Leone out of his own prison with no explanation to those in charge there, and the conflict immediately switches to Leone trying to survive in this violent prison and stay out of trouble so he doesn't screw up his chances of getting released on time so he can go back to his family.

Drumgoole pulls out all the stops in violating the law that his institution is designed to uphold so that he can keep this one guy down, and Leone faces all manner of challenges ranging from shank-laden inmates to one of his inmate buddies who steals the Mustang they've all restored together and tears all over the prison yard doing doughnuts.

The movie is definitely entertaining although there are times when the cheese factor is through the roof, such as the spray paint fight and the downright school-girlish friendship that Leone forms with a small group of other inmates. On the other hand, it also has a much wider target audience than your average prison movie, and it manages to generally avoid most of the gaping pitfalls that prison movies are in danger of falling into when they shoot for a wide audience. There's nothing realistic about it, but for good Stallone entertainment, this is not a bad way to follow up the massive success of the Rambo and Rocky films.

Also keep your eye out for a young Tom Sizemore, but be advised that the movie features violence, unnecessary cheesiness and may leave you with an overwhelming desire to go out and get some doughnuts

Have to say right off that I can't believe the low rating for this one here, because it delivers everything that a Stallone fan would want, if one is loading this into the player then surely they know what to expect?

Frank Leone (Sylvester Stallone) only has a few weeks to go before being released from prison, he is no hard core offender, he is a loving man and is ready for a new life with his gorgeous girlfriend Melissa (Darlanne Fluegel). During the night he is whisked away to a maximum security prison on the orders of a sadistic warden out for revenge because Leone was the only man to have ever escaped from his prison, thus setting in motion the wheels of revenge.

We then follow Leone as he is pushed to the limits by crazy warden Drumgoole (Donald Sutherland) and all the sadistic guards under his command. He also enlists the help of resident inmate beefcake Chink Weber (Sonny Landham), and they all in turn try to break Leone at all costs to ensure that he never leaves prison again. There certainly is nothing here that hasn't been done before in the prison film genre, and only an idiot would expect anything other than the ending we get, but this is a Stallone movie and it's full of guts, testo macho action, and it should be noted that Sly here puts some depth to the character of Leone. He garners our sympathy quite quickly, and considering the bloke is built like the proverbial brick outhouse, it's quite an achievement.

The supporting players are a mixed bunch, this is Tom Sizemore's first motion picture and he does really well with the character of Dallas, Sonny Landham is his usual scary menacing self, whilst Frank McRae as Eclipse does just enough right to make his mark. So it's something of a surprise to me that the best actor on show is actually the film's weak link. Donald Sutherland does overplay it to the point that he goes beyond pantomime villain, it's a real teeth itching performance that he would only outdo with the dreadful Jamie Lee Curtis starrer, Virus, 10 years later, but in a film with such primal fun/action intentions, it doesn't ruin the film and leaves it all told as a fine genre piece.

No awards here for sure, but when I watch a film about a man played by Sly Stallone in prison then I think I know what to expect, and it delivers all that I hoped for, so hooray for the beefcake I say. 7/10

Lock Up (1989) is underrated Stallone Action prison Drama film. I would say this film is Rocky and Rambo two person's in one. When prison guards are Pushing Frank Leone in a Gateway maximum security prison, his team spirit is unbroken. When he was fighting Chink with the hat on it he definitely reminds me on Rocky. When warden Drumgoole was pushing him to far, he remind me on Sheriff Teasle from First Blood (1982) I love this film and is definitely my third best Stallone favorite film from the 8o's. After this movie action stars copied this film and make a prison action Drama film. Like Death Warrant (1990), Bloodfist III: Forced To Fight (1992) and Hard Justice (1995) they copied this film, just Death Warrant is different prison film with my all time favorite action star Jean-Claude Van Damme. I love Lock Up to death and I love Cobra and Tango & Cash (1989).

Watching it last night this movie become my favorite best action movies. I would put it right between Rocky and Rambo movies. Stallone is in prison and he keeps fighting for his life by a corrupt warden. Warden tried to break Stallone but he couldn't. Lock Up is a very underrated action prison drama that has a heart and I love it to death. He was just pushed to hard over the edge and he fought to stand alone in this prison action movie. Lock Up is similar to Victory another underrated films from the 80's Stallone also played alongside Michael Caine. Lock Up is fight for survival in this movie and I simply loved it I don't care what anyone else is saying about this underrated prison drama style film. Lock Up is my 3d best movie and I replaced it with Assassins instead. Also this movie become a copycat and rip off from Death Warrant that Van Damme played and Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight with Don The Dragon Wilson another action movie. Just those are all different movies with different story's just Bloodfist III does copy a little Lock Up only the main character does not come out from prison and uses his martial arts and fists to defend him self pretty good action prison movie.

RAPE THIS!!!!!!! My favorite Frank Leone quote.

Lock Up is a 1989 American prison action film directed by John Flynn. The film stars Sylvester Stallone and Donald Sutherland. The film was released in the United States on August 4, 1989.

With only 6 months left of his prison sentence inmate Frank Leone is transferred from minimum security to maximum security by a vindictive warden.

Sylvester Stallone as inmate Frank Leone did a wonderful job, he acted like he was Rambo and Rocky two in one. Donald Sutherland as Warden Drumgoole did a wonderful job as sadistic evil villain was really FANTASTIC. Darlanne Fluegel as Melissa Frank's girlfriend did a wonderful job. Frank McRae as Eclipse did awesome job as Frank's friend. Tom Sizemore as Dallas also did an Excellent job. John Amos as Captain Meissner captain of the prison guards was excellent his character was well written. Director John Flynn was also awesome and amazing he directed this prison flick and he directed actioner film with Steven Seagal two years later Out for Justice (1991).

I love the main theme form Bill Conti he also wrote theme for Rocky and The Karate Kid (1984) which I love those films. I also love the football game in this film and Eclipse was helping to defeat Chink and his gang.

Lock Up did poorly at the American box office, making $22,099,847 on a budget of $24 million

10/10 Grade: A Studio: Carolco Pictures Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Sylvester Stallone,Donald Sutherland,John Amos, Darlanne Fluegel, Frank McRae and Sonny Landham Director: John Flynn Producers: Charles Gordon,Lawrence Gordon Writers: Richard Smith,Jeb Stuart and Henry Rosenbaum Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 49 Mins. Released: August 4, 1989. Budget: $24.000.000 Box Office: $22.099.847

Sly Stallone hit gold with this seriously under rated film. This is surely Stallone's best films with Cliffhanger and Demolitian Man following.

There are superb performances from the main man and his supporting characters like Donald Sutherland(the assignment), Tom Sizemore(enemy of the state), John Amos, Sonny Landham(predator) and Danny Trejo(desperado).

The story is gritty and involving, and the best scene is Sizemore's last bid for Stallone's friendship. Watch it and you'll know what I mean.

This a great film. Do not miss it. Rating=4/5