Lock Up Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1989

Lock Up, starring Sylvester Stallone, is a hard-hitting action film about a model prisoner housed in a minimum-security prison that will be released on parole in six short months. One evening his world is turned upside down when he is transferred without warning or justification to a maximum-security prison overseen by a sadistic prison warden that has a personal vendetta to wreak upon the new inmate.

I'll admit up front that prison movies are a guilty pleasure of mine, so when I saw a prison movie released in 1989 featuring Sylvester Stallone and Donald Sutherland, two of my favorite 80's actors, watching Lock Up became a no-brainer for me. The fact it also stars other commendable actors such as John Amos, Tom Sizemore and Sonny Landham was just icing on the cake.

Frank Leone (Sylvester Stallone) is a convict that has come close to finishing off a five-year sentence. Frank has been a model prisoner in a relaxed minimum-security prison, and with just six more months to go and a lovely future wife awaiting his release, his future looks bright. That is, until one dark night when he is abruptly transported to the Gateway maximum-security prison without just cause, and comes to find it is managed by Warden Drumgoole (Donald Sutherland), a mean-spirited individual that has planned this transfer so he can exact revenge upon Frank for a previous humiliation.

It's clear from the start that Frank's last six months are going to be an exercise in endurance, for while the guards in his prior prison were all friendly and respectful, most within Gateway are cruel and abusive. Captain Meissner (John Amos), head of the prison guard, sets the tone of the movie pretty quickly:

Meissner: Convict, two things. First, I am Meissner. Two, never f**k with Meissner.

If you're a fan of prison films, how can you not love such an introduction? And as rough as Meissner is, he's an absolute pussycat compared to Warden Drumgoole, who vows to make Frank's life in prison hell, and force him to commit a crime so his sentence is extended if at all possible:

Drumgoole: This is hard time, Frank. You have no rights here unless I give them to you. You feel no pleasure unless I tell you you can. This is hell, and I'm going to give you the guided tour.

The warden uses his lackeys to abuse Frank in order to keep his own hands clean, the primary culprits of which are Manly (Jordan Lund) and Wiley (John Lilla), two prison guard lapdogs that gain a sick pleasure out of beating or abusing prisoners, as well as Chink Weber (Sonny Landham), a lifer that rules the prison grounds. Luckily it's not all bad for Frank as he does forge a friendship with a small group of peaceful inmates, and captures the sympathy of Braden (William Allen Young), a guard that has no stomach for the injustice he sees.

Will Frank be able to do what it takes to withstand the physical and mental abuse and ride out those last six months, or will Drumgoole break his spirit and successfully force him to violate prison rules, thereby extending his sentence?

There are a few things going for Lock Up, the first of which is the cast. Sylvester Stallone may not be the best dramatic actor in the world, but few can rival him when it comes to satisfying action films. Donald Sutherland is one of acting's greats, and his onscreen intensity feeds an ominous aura to his sadistic warden. None of the other actors mentioned earlier in the review disappoint either – the bottom line is for an action film, the acting quality more than meets reasonable expectations.

The second major benefit to this movie is its authenticity. Lock Up was not filmed on a Hollywood lot; it was filmed in one of America's nastiest maximum-security prisons and featured real inmates for the uncredited bit parts.

Alas, Lock Up is by no means perfect. There are times when the story drags a bit (probably about 30 minutes in), and times when the characters do stupid or unrealistic things. Luckily these issues blow by fairly quickly, the film regains its momentum and the focus turns back towards Frank's peaceful struggle against the vicious warden.

Whether this is an essential film for you or not will depend largely on your tastes. If you dislike gritty prison movies then chances are Lock Up will not do much to change your opinion of the sub-genre, but if, like me, you enjoy prison flicks then this movie is likely to be right up your alley. I found it to be a step above the normal cheap B-movie standards that we expect from this sub-genre.

If you are a fan of Sylvester Stallone then this film will still be worth catching, for although it's not one of his greatest movies, Lock Up is a somewhat obscure gem that often gets unfairly lost among his feature films.

Movie rating: 7 stars

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