Review of In Hell (2003) by Rick E — 08 Feb 2004

Jean-Claude Van Damme is another of those heroes who burst onto the scene in the late 80?s in kick butt action flicks like Lionheart and Universal Soldier. His chiseled good looks and exceptional fighting skills were often enough to overcome his bad acting and flimsy plotlines.

Van Damme became a strong box office draw for a few years, joining the ranks of Steven Seagal and Ah-nuld as action icons. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before a string of mediocre films relegated him to straight-to-video fare such as his latest entry, In Hell.

Van Damme plays Kyle LeBlanc, an American businessman (with a Belgian accent) working on a construction project in France. When his wife is murdered and her killer set free, LeBlanc dispenses his own brand of justice and is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a Russian prison.

As an American, LeBlanc soon becomes a target in a brutal world where those in charge do not only encourage violence, it is wagered upon in death matches dubbed ?The Dance?. LeBlanc is continually harassed and victimized by both the inmates and the evil warden, spending large amounts of time in solitary where he is visited by a moth (yes, I said moth) that is supposed to be the embodiment of his dead wife?s spirit.

Weary of having the stuffing beaten out of him on a regular basis (this is not the Van Damme we?re accustomed to!), LeBlanc decides to fight back, coming dangerously close to losing his own identity and becoming like those he fought back against.

If all of this sounds a bit hokey and contrived ? it is. But, every action film requires that the viewer suspend a certain amount of reality. That?s the nature of the genre?. And, In Hell isn?t a bad film.

In fact, I think it?s one of Van Damme?s best films in quite some time. Van Damme?s transition from weakness, to madman to hero is fairly believable and I think this is the most emotionally expressive performance of his career.

Chris Moir delivers an effective supporting performance as Billy, a young American inmate destined to become the ?bitch? of an imprisoned Russian Mafioso. While In Hell falls far short of being a great action film, it does demonstrate that Van Damme still has some relevancy as an action hero.