Did not expect much in the first place before watching 'Maximum Security'. As said with a few films reviewed recently, it sounded interesting, but it did look like a not very well made, ridiculous and by the numbers film with not particularly good actors, although Dolph Lundgren is watchable in other things.
Saw 'Maximum Security' anyway out of curiosity, being intrigued by the idea and having been a lot of low-budget films recently (most not very good to put it lightly). Seeing it, 'Maximum Security' turned out to be more or less, make that exactly even, what was expected. Except worse. It doesn't even start off well, not much grabs the attention. The film got even worse very quickly and never recovered or improved. Actually got pretty much worse as it progressed.
On a visual level, 'Maximum Security' looked shoddy. Drab and simplistic, with haphazard editing, far from slick photography and very artificial-looking effects
The sound is very poorly recorded (one doesn't expect a film from 2017 to sound like something from 50 years or so before), the music is one-note and repetitive and the direction has no sense of atmosphere or pacing, nothing to be thrilled by and nothing much engaging.
'Maximum Security's' script is awkward-sounding and ponderous, with lines that do make one cringe. A lot of it is gibberish and juvenile, with a stilted improvisatory feel that shouldn't have made it past draft stages.
On top of that, the story goes through the motions with no tension, suspense or thrills, a lot of intelligence-insulting ridiculousness, implausibility and pacing so dull that it makes a reasonably short length much longer. The action sequences are more preposterous and by the numbers than they are thrilling or fun, that is when they are used, for such a title, idea and cover 'Maximum Security' is very short on the quantity of the action. The terrible way they look also hinder them. A few of the stunts are okay but nothing more than that.
Characters are basically every stereotype in the book it seems and are one-dimensional caricatures with no likeability or development and with the inability to behave logically. The acting is very poor, with Dolph Lundgren (who can be watchable) looking uncomfortable, even then he is the least bad actor here. Even Corbin Bernson is not good. The ending makes no sense and the climactic moments are rushed, anti-climactic and things feel poorly tied up, with too much happening stupidly and too easily.
Overall, a mess. 1/10 Bethany Cox
