Sacrifice - Der Sweetwater-Killer

I am a big fan of Michael Madsen, which is the main reason I rented this film. Without Madsen this film would have been a total rubbish of a movie, Do give this movie a go, but only if your a Madsen fan, otherwiz skip it.

4/10

I almost missed this movie in the list of Michael Madsens features as I just found it in the new release section today at the video store. This is strange as it is a film that was made in 1999. I like Madsen and he does to a slight degree make this laughably terrible film a little better. I am not one typically for pointing out plot holes but there were so many in this film it is impossible not to. Possibly a good film to rent simply because of the cheese factor.

Bookem Woodbine is terrible, simply terrible giving a worse performance than anything else he has done so far. Which is not saying a whole lot I guess. All in all if you are a Madsen fan then there may be enough in this one to interest you. If not then I recommend giving it a quick pass and finding something else.

Laughable dialogue, terrible camerawork, and a ludicrous script make this an all-around BAD movie. And yet, like so many other bad movies, you just can't seem to change the channel. Maybe it's to see if Jamie Luner will get naked again, maybe it's to see if Bokeem Woodbine, who gets second billing, will get another 5 minutes of screen time this hour, maybe it's to see exactly how Mr. Blon... I mean, Michael Madsen's character will manage to get away from the cops, maybe it's because ALL the movie channels are playing similar stupid direct-to-video movies at this hour of the morning.

From the serial killer with the box of boobs, to the gratuitous dream sequence with Madsen's dead daughter in the restaurant, this is one completely silly movie. Watch it anyway, what else are you going to do at 3:30 AM?

-Mikey

"Sacrifice" is a gripping story of convict Tyler (Michael Madsen)who escapes from jail in order to find and punish the serial killer named "Sweetwater" because the killer murdered his daughter. With the help of a ex prostitute (Jamie Luner), Tyler pieces together the twisted mind of the killer. Although unrealistic, "Sacrifice" doesn't go on too long nor does it leave one bored.

This is a violent movie. We get to see bloody knife stabbings and throat slittings, grisly aftermath pictures of murder victims and some shootings with big, beautiful bloodsquibs spraying blood over the victims. I especially liked when the killer came running towards the victim, aggressively attacking with a knife. It is surprisingly violent especially considering that it is made for TV.

The pacing is high and you will never be bored. You will not marvel over the clever story, but it works even though the dialogue sometimes is unimpressive. The acting is nothing special and I was not so happy with Bokeem Woodbine as the black detective, but it is Michael Madsen who has the leading role, as usual as a tough guy, and he knows what he is doing. I will not reveal the identity of the killer but it is nice to see someone so demented and the portrayal of the killer is excellent. The acting is not deserving an Oscar but it will not ruin the movie.

This is not art, Sacrifice is made as entertainment, so the film snobs better stay away. If you like violent movies you can do a hell of a lot worse than watching Sacrifice.