| In Hell (2003) Cast:Jean-Claude Van Damme,Lawrence Taylor,Michael Bailey Smith,Marnie Alton,Juan Fernendez In Hell stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as a man who takes the law into his own hands when the killer of his wife is let go by a corrupt legal system, in which Van Damme is put in jail and there he finds a war-zone which is a living hell in this somewhat enjoyable actioner which is a huge improvement over Van Damme's two other miscues ( The Order and the rock bottom Derailed) yet still remains somewhat half-baked in it's execution. However one thing you can say about In Hell is that Ringo Lam builds a gritty atmosphere around the proceedings and some of the drama works well, but really In Hell works somewhat because of Lam's steady hand in the action department. Indeed the movie starts out so strong one can't help but feel slightly disappointed by the formulatic final reel that fails to come to a satisfying close. Still though this Van Damme flick remains one of his more edgier movies (To come out post-Sudden Death) and therefore it's essential viewing for his fans. So even though I liked a lot of it, I can't neglect the film's shortcomings enough to truly say I recommend it. However some good acting from Taylor and Fernendez save this from flat mediocrity. D.Ringo Lam **1/2 |