Sylvester Stallone

Donald Sutherland

John Amos

Sonny Landham

Tom Sizemore

Frank McRae

Darlanne Fluegel

William Allen Young

Larry Romano

Jordan Lund

John Lilla

Dean Rader Duval

Jerry Strivelli

David Anthony Marshall

Kurek Ashley

Michael Petroni

Danny Trejo

Frank D'Annibale

Tony Lip

Clarence Moore

Joe Pentangelo

Eli Rich

Bo Rucker

Randy Sandkuhl

Robert Vazquez

Tony Munafo

Frank Pesce

Troy Curvey Jr.

John Flynn

Michael S. Glick

Lloyd Levin

Adam Simon

Bill Conti

Don Brochu

Lawrence Gordon

Donald E. Thorin

Joy Todd

Robert A. Ferretti

Michael N. Knue

Barry B. Leirer

Bill Kenney

George DeTitta Sr.

Bernie Pollack

Charles Gordon

Danny Epper

Allan Graf

Ann Brodie

Doc Duhame

Tommy J. Huff

Richard Smith

Jeb Stuart

Henry Rosenbaum

Mark De Alessandro

Manny Perry

Colleen Callaghan

Gary Liddiard

Newt Arnold

Nelson Cabrera

Frank Capra III

Stephen A. Glanzrock

David Lux

Tracy Rosenthal-Newsom

David Sosna

Joe Digaetano

Janice Polley

Kathryn Weygand

Action

Crime

Lock Up

TriStar Pictures

Gordon Company

White Eagle

Carolco Pictures

United States of America

English

prison

self sacrifice

jail guard

car mechanic

prison warden

Gimly

My roommate and I were on a Stallone kick recently, but we never got around to watching _Lock Up_ because we were looking for some hard (see: over-the-top) action, and this sounded more like a wistful drama. Eventually though, _Lock Up_ came due, and I... actually kind of loved it? It's about as cheesy I had feared, but I what never occurred to me is that that cheese would totally work. I mean, it's not exactly Shawshank we're working with here, but if I were putting together a list of all the good prison movies ever made, _Lock Up_ would be on it.

_Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go._

CinemaSerf

"Frank" (Sylvester Stallone) has only six months left on his prison sentence when he is put into the care of warden "Dromgoole" (Donald Sutherland) - a man who loathes him. Over the course of the film we learn just why as he ensures that that "Frank" is victimised, attacked, goaded and constantly provoked. Can this determined prisoner find the mettle to resist the temptation to fight back against his persecutor, and can he manage to find a way to illustrate just how devious and brutal this man is to the authorities? This is a well paced and fairly action-packed prison drama with Sutherland in quite good, menacing, form. It also benefits from a reasonable supporting cast with Sonny Landham ("Chink"), Tom Sizemore ("Dallas") and the young Larry Romano ("First Base") all delivering strongly as the warden decides to attack those close to "Frank" to push him ever closer to the edge. There's not really much jeopardy though, the narrative is pretty procedural and Stallone does enough, but no more, with the rather mundane dialogue that doesn't really add much to the simple visuals that are effective at times, but again - we have seen it all before. Stallone put so much of himself into his "Rocky" persona, unfortunately he has little left to inject into this and I found it all just a bit dull.

Lock Up( 1989)

How much can a man take...before he gives back?

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A review by Gimly

Written by Gimly on Fri Sep 07 2018

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