The System

Almost worth it for a scene where Jeremy Piven's character is pretending to be in the same room as the rest of the cast. The budget was certainly blown on the couple of recognisable faces present. Unfortunately it's a low bar all round for this one. The costumes look a bit naff and the acting is largely terrible. There's an under current to the script which isn't too bad an idea addressing the corporation of the prison system in the US coupled with the treatment of ex-army Vets however direction, location, lighting and the juxtaposition of over earnest with plain bad acting unfortunately ends up delivering a difficult watch. A couple of funny moments (maybe not intentional mind) and a few passable fight sequences.

This movie left me wondering if I was supposed to take it serious or if it was intentionally mocking prison and action movies? I found myself laughing out loud several times either because of the lousy acting by Jeremy Pevin as the warden, or the absurd scenarios laid out by the director and writers. What warden would put himself in a "dungeon" with a bunch of convicts and encourage them to fight with just one guard by his side and nothing between him and the inmates but a few guards? Also, his interraction with the inmates was odd. He seemed to be reasoning with them all the time, and when he did finally get forceful with them, he came off as weak imo. I don't know if it was the actor chosen, the director, or the writer, or all of the above, but that was the worst portrayal of a warden in all of the prison movies I have seen to date. I gave it a 3 out of 10 only because of the acting by Terrance Howard and Tyrese Gibson. They were the only reason I watched this movie. In the end, I wish I wouldn't have wasted my time, because they were unable to carry this poorly executed prison flick.

This is a good film, people are thinking it's low budget and poorly made, it's not, the director is clearly paying homage to all the 70's 80's action films and at the same time making it his own. Look at the wardens chair watching the fight! Look at padding they wear it's MEANT to look like this! I watched it, I think everyone's acting was perfect for the type of film! Dallas Jackson has made a new fan right here! And I can't wait to see what comes next! Ignore all the hate ignore all the haters! Go watch this film! Tell a friend tell all your friends! It's brilliant! Hope there's a follow up to this!

That's all I wan' know. Dallas Jackson, what did you smoke before making this? 'cos I swear today to stay far away from it.... Gibson must be cursing himself for being a part of this... 20 minutes of the movie and I felt like I was watching some amateur 80s' chinese stuff.... The actors have done their best but the way it is directed and the cinematography.... Both deserve an Oscar for "God knows what it was". I personally feel that the young film makers must watch this again and again so they'd know what not to do. Also the script seems like stolen from hundreds of average films from the past 2 decades.

10 minutes and 15 seconds and bam slap. My name is Lt. Killian well they got the name of your character correct because your killing the movie with your so called acting. Haven't watched passed that but if it's an indication of whats to come well damn Tyrese, Terence and Jeremy are going to do some really good acting and some good action scenes to make up for his and the other guards because their acting SUCKS. Not all the guards acting needs help not all the guards but most of the ones with speaking parts and damn even some of the inmates acting was far from acting seemed more like some middle school kids play acting.