Lock Up

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

6.8

1989

1h 55m

ActionCrimeDramaThriller

Director: John Flynn

Overview

Frank Leone is nearing the end of his prison term for a relatively minor crime. Just before he is paroled, however, Warden Drumgoole takes charge. Drumgoole was assigned to a hell-hole prison after his administration was publicly humiliated by Leone, and has now arrived on the scene to ensure that Leone never sees the light of day.

Trailer

Official Trailer Official

Cast

Frank Leone

Sylvester Stallone

Frank Leone

Warden Drumgoole

Donald Sutherland

Warden Drumgoole

Captain Meissner

John Amos

Captain Meissner

Chink Weber

Sonny Landham

Chink Weber

Dallas

Tom Sizemore

Dallas

Eclipse

Frank McRae

Eclipse

Melissa

Darlanne Fluegel

Melissa

Braden

William Allen Young

Braden

First Base

Larry Romano

First Base

Manly

Jordan Lund

Manly

Wiley

John Lilla

Wiley

Ernie

Dean Rader Duval

Ernie

Reviews

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._

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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.

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