In Hell (2003)

Why so much hype?

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Disclaimer: If you are a viewer that mainly prefers art-house-type movies, then you might as well ignore this review. In addition, if you're not able to take a prison style action solid Van Damme movie, ignore this review, as well. We'll both be better off.In Hell (2003) is my favorite Jean-Claude Van Damme prison style movie that I really love so much. I love Death Warrant so much and this is the second prison movie Jean-Claude Van Damme started. In Death Warrant he was undercover cop working in US prison, this time he is an US worker in a Russia who goes in prison, innocent and wrongfully convicted for a killing a man who killed his wife, now in prison he has to fight with fist fights knuckles to survive. This movie is completely different than any Prison movie. Everyone knows by now that I love prison movies and I seriously love In Hell. Prison Break (2005) TV Series is still my favorite TV show of all time and the first season in my opinion is Van Damme's Death Warrant. The Third Season of Prison Break is Van Damme's In Hell. This is actually the third collaboration that Van Damme worked with Chinese director Ringo Lam. Jean-Claude Van Damme did a solid performance in this movie and he acted pretty well. I think this movie is Very solid Jean-Claude Van Damme movie, terrific acting by Van Damme! Plot: Kyle LeBlanc (JCVD) must survive a prison where hardened criminals battle to the death for the wardens' entertainment.The Order, Replicant, Wake of Death and this movie In Hell are my favorite Direct to Video Van Damme movies. I like and I love them. This is a different movie from Van Damme, I am been a huge Van Damme films fan, like are Hard Target, Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Cyborg, Death Warrant, Lionheart, Universal Soldier, Timecop and Maximum Risk. Van Damme always wanted to do a different things, grew up like an actor, this was after he made Replicant with Ringo Lam and he worked so well, that he decided to work again in another solid movie. This is a good prison film, it is that kind of prison film that, you kind a get this clichés, evil guards, the evil warden, or this General because this is in Russia. Where Van Damme works in a steel meal and his wife is attacked while he is talking on the phone races to get home, he finds his wife murdered and than he chases and catches the attacker, he get's away, but later arrested. The guy get's away, because the judge was bought, Van Damme shoot's the guy right there in the court of law, pretty much and he gets sentenced too life in prisonment in Russian Prison. Pretty much is happening in prison than.Two words about this movie; great and underrated. One of the best Van Damme films and performances. I like Ringo Lam's other Van Damme film Maximum Risk and Replicant but I will say that In Hell is without a doubt much better (not saying that Maximum Risk and Replicant is bad movie in any way), while Replicant is my favorite of the three. Too bad that Van Damme and Lam didn't do more movies together because they worked great as director/actor team. In Hell is one of those Van Damme films that should have had theatrical release, but like any other good movie it unfortunately got nothing. I always consider it to be more of a drama than action, there is some good and brutal action in it but movie had lot more sad and emotional scenes, which really helped it. And that's mostly thanks to good actors and script. I enjoy this prison film. Jean Claude-Van Damme doesn't do much kicking, but I felt the fight scenes was realistic and bloody. The story isn't new, but it works fine. I think Damme did a pretty good acting job.In this movie the action, the prison scene was really realistic, I really love this movie. Van Damme doesn't do much of a kicking but, his splits and martial arts were really old, so Van Damme tried something new which it worked and I like it. I always wondered my self what a movie would be like if Van Damme did a drama. And when In Hell was made it was one of those movies, that showed his acting ability. I thought his acting wasn't bad before but with action movies you don't have to rely on your acting abilities as much. He has had a few previous films with more acting but In Hell was the first film of his that had emotion to it. And I was blown away by his acting. Before Until Death and JCVD came out and people said he couldn't act, I referred them to this movie. He does no signature moves at all but that's a good thing.Overall I have enjoyed this movie so much and get's a solid 10 by me, I love the realistic prison Van Damme movie. I love Jean-Claude Van Damme and I do care what is happening to the actor.In Hell is a 2003 action crime drama directed by Ringo Lam and stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Kyle LeBlanc, an American working in Russia who takes revenge on the criminal named Kolvic, who killed his wife and subsequently finds himself in a Russian prison. 10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: 777 Films Corporation Millennium Films Nu Image, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lawrence Taylor, Marnie Alton, Malakai Davidson, Billy Rieck,Robert LaSardo Director: Ringo Lam Producers: Danny Lerner, John Thompson, David Varod Screenplay: Eric James Virgets, Jorge Alvarez, Steve Latshaw, Les Weldon Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 38 Mins. Budget: $17.000.000 Box Office: $24,730,700

Kyle LeBlanc (Van Damme) is an American who works in Russia. When his wife is murdered, he gets revenge and kills the assailant. Unfortunately, rather than be the end of the movie, it's just the beginning of the nightmare for Kyle. He's sent to a harsh, unforgiving Russian prison (is there any other kind?). While in there trying to survive, it comes to light that the corrupt guards bet on Punchfighting matches which they call "The Sparka" between the inmates. Kyle trains and fights, and becomes good, but in the process begins to lose his soul. Thanks to cellmate 451 (Taylor), Kyle starts the process of escaping his prisons, both mental and physical.It may have been stated before, but In Hell is truly a return to form for Van Damme. After the horrendous Derailed (2002), he probably re-assessed his life and career and demanded he do something of quality. This may be an educated speculation, but In Hell is the result. It's shot and directed well, as Ringo Lam is a talented man, and Van Damme probably thought it was foolproof to fall back on his Maximum Risk (1996) and Replicant (2001) director to deliver a good, solid production. He was right.Interestingly, In Hell balances bare-knuckle, hard-core Punchfighting with a surprising amount of depth and philosophy, primarily delivered by Lawrence Taylor (of all people) as 451. The movie shows how Kyle becomes feral and animalistic, and begins to lose his identity. But he must search his soul to get it back. On top of that, there's even some parallels to the biblical Samson story. Van Damme has a beard and long hair at one point. Can he maintain his abilities once it becomes a soul patch? While there is some CGI (we'll forgive the CGI moth, but the CGI planes are unnecessary), if you think about such movies as The Quest (1996), and compare that to this, you truly see Van Damme's range as a performer and martial artist. The Quest, for all intents and purposes, is a kid's movie, and In Hell certainly isn't. Those are two ends of his spectrum, and any JCVD haters out there should keep that in mind. He clearly saw In Hell as a chance to stretch and push himself as an actor/martial artist (in itself a good sign that at his age he still wants to grow and learn), and In Hell was the perfect vehicle to do that, and the results are winning and entertaining, while delivering a different kind of Van Damme. So it could be said that it was a success all around.Thirteen years after Death Warrant (1990), Van Damme returns to prison. And we should all be glad he did. In Hell is a Van Damme winner.For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

This might possibly be one of the best films I've ever seen Van Damme in. I understand the legendary 'Bloodsport' remains the most popular of Van Damme's works but "In Hell" in my opinion at least should rival 'Bloodsports' popularity. The story of a man (Van Damage) who murders his wifes murderer in cold blood and gets sent to a Russian prison that specializes in torture, brutality and the usual host of atrocities that commonly occur at corrupt prisons. Through all the beatings, embarrassments, tests in courage and dignity, Van Damme creates an entire turnaround from the pushover that he once was. The film is not for the weak of heart, the brutality in this film is so strong you can practically feel it while watching it. That to me shows how good of a film "In Hell" truly is, it is very captivating, which is not usual of your typical Van Damme fare. I recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of Van Dammes films, and prison-related films as well. Good stuff.

"In Hell," directed in 2003 by Ringo Lam, is one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's better efforts since making his move to straight-to-video in the early 20th century. Van Damme plays Kyle LeBlanc, a man who is sentenced to life imprisonment in a corrupt Eastern European penitentiary after killing the man who murdered his wife. The warden at this penitentiary makes money by setting up brutal fights between the inmates. He befriends several other inmates, and makes enemies out of the two rival gangs fighting for control of the prison. The fights in this movie are pretty exciting and brutal. True to Van Damme's promise for more realistic fights in his movies, "In Hell" has them, and he takes a licking himself, in addition to delivering enough crowd-pleasing punch-outs of his own. There's none of that flashy flying spin-kick stuff that's was so prominent in his earlier works. This movie actually contains some of his best and most realistic fight sequences since "Lionheart" (1990). Remarkably, like in "JCVD" (2008), Van Damme shows that under the right directorial guidance he can be a strong dramatic presence on-screen. While he's not as good here as he was "JCVD," it's obviously a step on the right track. On the down side, the plot could have used a lot of work, and this movie seems to be a retread of "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994) plus Van Damme's own "Death Warrant" (1990) and the previously mentioned "Lionheart."7/10