Death Warrant (1990)

Directed by Deran Sarafian. Starring Jean-Claude van Damme, Robert Guillaume, Cynthia Gibb, Art LaFleur, George Dickerson, Conrad Dunn, Larry Hankin, Patrick Kilpatrick, Jack Bannon, Abdul Salaam El Razzac, Joshua John Miller, Hans Howes. [R]

Preposterous prison action flick with Quebec detective (Quebective?) Louis Burke (Van Damme) going undercover in a California prison to investigate a string of murders and uncover a conspiracy involving organ harvesting. Lowbrow, but it delivers just about what it promises, even if Van Damme doesn’t spring to action very often, diminishing its already marginal appeal. Still, the high-kicking star is so irresistible that he’s able to coerce attorney and phony “wife” Gibb into some first-time conjugal action within the same hour that she’s sexually assaulted by a couple of lecherous guards (maybe the awkward advances of teen dweeb Miller got her all hot and bothered beforehand?). Though the character he plays is no less banal than any other, Guillaume brings a little touch of class to the proceedings, and the Al Leong walk-on is appreciated. Never forget: “You can’t kill me, Burke…I’m the Sandman.”

40/100