Review of The Condemned (2007) by Rj M — 08 Aug 2008

A better-than-it-should-have-been action movie starring WWE wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. It's basically Survivor Gone Wild as a bunch of convicts are dropped on a deserted island to fight to the death for the delight of sadistic internet viewers everywhere.

That's the plot in a nutshell. The action is nothing if not hardcore. The movie is brutal and thensome. Sometimes it's downright sadistic. But it's never apologetic for being what it is, and that earns it points.

Wrestlers have had a tough time getting into movies ever since the mid 80's when Hulk Hogan would whore himself out to anyone with the lack of brains to hand him a script. While Steve Austin will never win any awards, he's solid enough as the typical misunderstood tough guy.

The hard as nails ex-soldier with a heart that he would never show to anyone. The movie has decent villains, good action, and performances that aren't cringeworthy. It won't rock your world by any means, but you are far better off with Austin flexing his muscle , than with Hogan limping through "Santa With Muscles".