Locked Down

I like this movie. OK, they didn't spend (or waste) a lot of money and the story is not "Gone with the wind". But inside its limits I have enjoyed it a lot. First of all, I found it very entertaining. Much more entertaining, in fact, that many Hollywood blockbusters. Second, I really think that Tony Schiena is a good actor for this kind of action stuff, this is my first time to watch him on the screen but his fine performance (cool but also human and believable) deserves my respect. I was surprised too because fighting are built into a dramatic story that makes sense for me. This is a violent film but not only a film about violence, I found more topics in it: friendship, honor, loyalty, family. If I can complain about something, it is only Bai Ling's waste performance. This actress deserves something better than appear only some minutes with a few lines of dialog. Watch "Red corner" or "The beautiful country" and you will understand what I am talking about.

I want not be very critic about this film. Obvious, its target is so precise than nothing against it matters. But the chance to be little better remains and the regret, to. Nothing original. A very old recipe of action films about cops in prison, revenges, survive, the wise venerable friend and the pure bad guy are present. And, maybe, the presence, more than acting , of Vinnie Jones can works for sustain this...film.

So , not exactly bad , but the sex scenes, the presence of women gardiens in a men jail, the low effort for choreography in the fight scenes, the dialogues are the sins of a film who presumed can be mediocre .

But, sure, the public reigns .

Nothing new or innovating here. I didn't like some performances, especially Tony Schiena's performance, who was not convincing at all when he was talking; a bit better when he was fighting though.

The whole movie was very predictable, like you seen it before and know what happens in each step. Because of the low budget, the fight scenes were mediocre at least, but overall I give it a five out of ten as it is still watchable, despite its faults.

I agree with one reviewer the undisputed 3 was way better, but I guess its budget was higher too. I would be interested to know if the make any profits out of this movie.

When viewed in the correct context this low budget (est. $1.6mn) action film achieves it's objective in providing the audience with mindless entertainment whilst showcasing great martial arts sequences.

Yes more of the budget could have been allocated towards enhancing the production value but ultimately this hits all the key notes of an 80's formula martial arts film......a simple story that creates the backdrop from which to thread together the escalating fight sequences which attract viewers to this genre.

If you're looking for a serious action film in the frame of "Bourne Identity" or even "The Expendables" then this isn't for you........if however you're in the mood for cheap thrills and casual amusement then this could be a ride worth taking.

Vinnie Jones continues to deliver his trademark edgy persona as Tony Schiena uses the platform to showcase his potential to grow into a genuine Action Star in the guise of Viggo Mortensen.

Well, I have a fondness for b movies however this is likely the worst movie I have seen ... possibly ever. The acting is sub par even for a "Tap Out" movie with the best acting job being done by Kimbo... and that was mostly grunts and swears. Tony Schiena's acting is... well I don't know if you can really call it acting. Tack on a pointless and rather cheap looking sex scene and it's a recipe for a failed and embarrassing movie.

By the way, I noted that IMDb has a bio on Tony, and after a bit of checking, I have concluded that it's mostly (if not entirely) fictitious.

He claims to be a world champion Karateka, but doesn't include what organization, style or any other details. The bio is done by some company in England that I am pretty sure is his own as they have not reviewed anyone else on IMDb. He's got videos on You Tube titled "World Champion" consisting of a few seconds of blurry action in some sort of local karate tournament, with rave reviews by people that I can only assume are himself. All in all... really cheap.

Which brings me to the last point. Action. All the fighting looks like it's done by drunk bears. Repetitive screaming and waving your arms around is not martial arts.

On the other hand... if you really like bad movies, this is likely the worst, so it's got that going for it.