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"What is a death warrant?" you may ask. I'm not too sure myself. I assume it must like an arrest warrant, but instead of arresting the target of the warrant, Van Damme gets to kill them. Pretty simple really. I mean, if Jean-Claude was only intending to ARREST the antagonists, it would be a pretty boring movie, right?

Van Damme plays Louis Burke, a Canadian Mountie who never wears the proper Mountie uniform, which is a damn shame because those Mountie hats are cool. Burke is on assignment in Los Angeles, tracking down a villain known as the Sandman, bullet-proof serial-killer extraordinaire. After taking down The Sandman in the first few minutes, Burke is given another assignment: The inmates of the local maximum-security prison have developed a nasty habit of being killed by ice-pick to the head. Burke's assignment is to go undercover (naturally) and find out where all these ice-picks are coming from and who is behind it. Is it a prison-gang war, or a massive conspiracy involving corrupt officials and mad scientists? Have a guess.

Naturally, one would assume that a Van Damme movie - set in a prison - called 'Death Warrant' would be action packed. Unfortunately, 'Death Warrant', much like 'Legionnaire', proves that not all Van Damme movies are excuses for a showcase of spin-kicks. It is a shame that 'Death Warrant' is not as action packed as I would like it to be. There are some cool fights, but it is a fairly slow movie, and the less said about the scenes involving a character called Priest (Abdul Salaam El Razzac), the better. Priest is a weird, weird fellow. I'm pretty sure he is really some sort of alien replicon from the beyond the moon...

Now, I'm trying to judge 'Death Warrant' harshly, I really am. There just isn't enough action, but I just can't speak ill of any movie that was made in the 80s, is about the 80s, or features music and fashion from the 80s. In this case, 'Death Warrant' has 80s music AND a mad scientist. Both big bonuses in any movie's favour. Granted, the mad scientist's screen time is almost negligible, but the presence of a mad scientist makes the coolness metre of any movie shoot straight up.

Sure, 'Death Warrant' may be slow, lack action, and feature a lot of Van Damme acting rather than fighting, but it is entertaining enough (what with the 80s music and all), but it is only for Van Damme fans - 6/10

Death Warrant (1990) is no-holds-barred-action classic another prison style Van Damme movie. It is my fourth favorite best underrated Van Damme movie. This movie is really underrated, but it is one of my best favorite prison style movies. Also my favorite childhood movie that I still watch today, like other Van Damme action movies I do.

The action fighting sequences are awesome. Sylvester Stallone made an action Drama movie Lock Up in 1989 and Jean-Claude Van Damme made Death Warrant a year later in 1990. Directed by Deran Sarafian and written by a David S. Goyer who at the time was a college student and it was his first script. Cynthia Gibb is awesome as co star alongside Van Damme. The movie is awesome another adrenaline action packed movie I also love the music score: Bring Me a Dream by Craig Thomas, which I am still listening today.

"Bring me a dream Burke".

This movie to me is a kicks-ass, Patrick Kilpatrick as The Sandman was a bad ass villain on screen, I have ever seen. This movie is also a horror film and get's scary, when you see the prison place and the murders of the doctor and the prison inmates inside those cells. When prisoners brake loose was really scary. I love loved the prison movies, about prison inmates, it was, one the reason why I love Prison Break (2005) and why it become my favorite TV Show! This movie is a kick ass and it will always be forever my favorite Van Damme movie that I love it to death!

" Don 'The Dragon' Wilson (Bloodfist) and David Bradley (American Ninja 3) the action stars from the 80's and 90's both ripped off Van Damme movies! Like Bloodfist 1 ripped off the story from Bloodsport, Bloodfist 2 ripped off the story from Kickboxer and Bloodfist 3 ripped off the story from Death Warrant! And Don Wilson was praising him self that, he could beat Van Damme to a pulp?! I don't think so! David Bradley's Hard Justice (1995) ripped off the story from John Woo's Hard Boiled (even the title they stole), Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight and Death Warrant! That movie copied and stole everything from those three movies. That is the thing I had a problems in the 90's, they could have been all creative and not copy someone else's movies work! Even Jerry Trimble - Live by the Fist (1993) ripped off Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight. I know they were all different movies, but they copied and ripped off the story from Death Warrant geesh! I want to point this out! That's fine by me, if you read my review and you don't agree, but that is me.

Attila from Lionheart and Sandman in here Death Warrant fights comes very close. The movie is filled with action and the inside of the prisons is great. The cells are also great. This is the first time Jean-Claude Van Damme played a Canadian, the second time he played a Canadian was in Sudden Death (1995). I always enjoyed Death warrant and like I mentioned before it is my fourth favorite best Van Damme Movie. The other three are Hard Target, Bloodsport and Universal Soldier than is Death Warrant.

It's part of that first generation of JCVD films (Bloodsport, Cyborg, Kickboxer, Death Warrant, and Double Impact) before the biggest budget film he was part of (Universal Soldier). I love Jean-Claude Van Damme and I am a big fan of him. I grew up watching, his old movies and other kids including me grew up too watching his movies. Bolo Yeung, Michel Qissi, Abdel Qissi and Patrick Kilpatrick where great villains in Van Damme movies. Cynthia Gibb was also awesome she played in Youngblood (1986) in the 80's another my favorite all time sports film.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is definitely a guilty pleasure for me. I don't go looking for fine acting and a great script. I want action and lots of it! Van Damme is a Canadian cop who goes undercover in LA to find out what is going on in a prison. He is made for this type of role, as he will have plenty of opportunity to display his considerable martial arts skills.

He isn't in prison long before he ticks of the Hispanic gangs and has to continually fight to stay alive.

Cynthia Gibb provides the essential "babe" in these flicks, even if she wasn't completely satisfying. And, when does a prisoner in the hole get out for conjugal rights? I always enjoy Robert Guillaume, and he didn't disappoint. Patrick Kilpatrick made a formidable foe and the final bout was well worth the time spent getting there.

A guilty pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless.

By 1990, Jean-Claude Van Damme had claimed success in his late 80s sports films like Kickboxer (1989) and Bloodsport (1988). Along with this film, was Lionheart (1990) released the same year, which also many fans enjoyed. The thing was for almost every film Van Damme had played in, his role was that of a character with a family member he had lost and was fighting for. It was new and touching for him as an actor in the beginning. But as time went on, the story lines began to feel awfully similar. Still, they entertained fans and viewers alike for the most part. Then came Death Warrant (1990), a movie with a whole different setting and situation which is great, yet failed to change the rest of the elements that Van Damme has already worked with in past stories.

Van Damme plays a cop named Burke who goes incognito at a penitentiary to solve a series of murders that have taken place there. This particular plot line is fine if it were handled without being treated so generically. Helping Burke from the outside is Amanda (Cynthia Gibb, best known for playing Sandy in Short Circuit 2 (1988)), posing as his wife. Starting off with how generic this story line is already headed, I'm sure viewers could pick out what happens between Amanda and Burke. It's quite blatant with how both characters are set up and developed. Are they memorable? Mehhh,...maybe to some. The only part of the plot that is different from Van Damme's past movies is that he's no longer fighting for a family member, he's fighting for himself. Kind of like First Blood (1982) but with a mediocre script.

Besides these actors, the rest of the main cast isn't terrible but are mostly under developed too. There's Abdul Salaam El Razzac as a man named Priest and Hawkins (Robert Guillaume - known for voicing Rafiki to The Lion King (1994)). Both of these actors give interesting character portrayals but somehow side with Burke for little to no reason. If they are criminals what exactly made them warm up so quickly to Burke? Then there's a cult favorite for some fans, Art LaFleur for playing in Stallone's Cobra (1986) & The Blob (1988) remake. He plays the head of the penitentiary and dislikes Burke a lot and for what reason? It's not given either. Lastly is a character known as the "Sandman" (Patrick Kilpatrick) who has the ability to withstand almost any type of lethal damage. And the reason behind this is? Again,...not given. Kilpatrick also isn't that memorable as a villain. He's more obnoxious than actually threatening.

Here's the biggest surprise, the screenplay was written by the now insanely sought out David S. Goyer. Yes, the man behind all the future comic book movies - this was his entry into film. Wow, Mr. Goyer you didn't start off that great. Russell Carpenter as head of cinematography was OK but nothing really stood out. The editing was strange at times though, especially during the fight scenes. There would be quick cuts to an action Burke would make and it would be repeated to make it look faster but instead it felt like filler. Even Gary Chang's score was in the middle. At times it work by using his signature marimba drums to emphasize the wild like instincts to survive such a hostile place, but it also didn't feel totally appropriate at times. He even has a main theme for Burke but it doesn't have a tune that is memorable. Sigh.

Its situation is written differently from that of Van Damme's earlier efforts but somehow all the same elements make it in as well. Plus, the screenplay suffers from several motivations and explanations that aren't explained. Thankfully it at least has a decent cast and music to back it up.

The cunning detective named Louis Burke(Jean Claude Van Damme), a Royal Canadian police, fights in an abandoned location with a villain called Sandman. Later Burke is sent prison of Harrison to investigate assassination nine inmates mysteriously murdered. He poses as a prisoner and advocate Amanda(Cynthia Gibb) acts like his spouse. Burke befriends an one-eyed inmate(Robert Guillaume) and the Priest. The Harrison Penitentiary is ruled by a tough sergeant named De Graff (Art Le Flour) and attended by a doctor(Armin Shimerman). Burke must to confront brutal inmates(Al Leong) and his cruel enemy Sandman(Patrick Kilpatrick). Burke and Amanda are only helped by a teen hacker(Joshua Miller) until the stirring and strong final showdown.

This violent film contains suspense, action, tension and spectacular fights. Entertaining movie, thanks to tight pace, skillful edition and well mounted combats. It's tense and exciting , at time lackluster action movie , but the struggles and fighting are well done . Jean Claude is nice as two-fisted hero in this middling budget picture. Interesting screenplay by David S Goyer, today famous as producer and screenwriter of superheroes(Batman, Blade,Ghost Rider). Appropriate musical score fitting to action movie by Gary Chang. Colorful cinematography by Russell Carpenter, a future cameraman of blockbusters (Titanic, Charlie's Angels I and II, Monster in law). The motion picture is professionally directed by Deran Sarafian who achieved success with ¨Terminal velocity¨, though today exclusively directing for television (CSI: Miami, NY, Without trace, Lost). Pointlessly energetic and excessively violent, the film will like the true devotee of main actor. It's a must see for Van Damme fans.