The Condemned (2007)

"The Condemned" has a very straightforward plot. It tells the story of John Conrad (Stone Cold Steve Austin) who is purchased from a Central American prison. The buyer is a TV producer named Ian Breckel who has purchased 9 others just like Conrad; mass murders who are awaiting death penalties in their respective prisons. Breckel has the idea to transport these 10 "contestants" to an island near New Guinea where they will fight to the death, the last remaining person after 30 hours will be set free. But there are catches, all contestants have an ankle brace that carries multiple C4 bombs that will explode if the tag is pulled out or if the 30 hour time limit is up and not 9 other contestants are dead.

That might sound entertaining, and it is. The film is filled with brutal violence that you can't feel guilty about. Another positive is that it doesn't try to become smart, it stays at it's level and never drifts away from it's unoriginal plot. The last positive is, surprisingly,Steve Austin is not half bad as the star. Despite being a wrestler with no movie talent, he says as much dialogue as Clint Eastwood in "Dirty Harry" and the majority of his time on screen is him fighting other opponents. I can also say he is much better than John Cena in "The Marine." Unfortunately, there are undeniable negatives. Including the entertaining violence getting uncontrollably repetitive, the abrupt ending, and the everything that happens outside of the violence. Whenever the film cuts to the audience or the people running the show, the film slows down. (That is the perfect time to go to the bathroom).

If you were going to see this film, wait till DVD. It may look interesting, but it's not. It just keeps rambling on with violence and gore and the film never goes higher than an ATTEMPT to make a decent film. When the film begins, the WWE films logo comes up and that right there brings it down a few notches, and the negative elements don't help it's cause.

6/10

Fmovies: One has to bear in mind that The Condemend is wwe production so don't go expecting some massive work of art with lots drama, action and a deep plot that will make you think- NO! Since it is a WWE production with wrestlers that have belonged to that company it has them doing what they do best in their specialised field of entertainment. The plot in nothing too out of this world if you have seen Battle Royale then you shall understand the point but it is by no means a great movie like Battle Royale so be warned. However having said that it has got all the ingredients in it to keep fans of the action genre connected and the story just picks up and moves on at a good pace with action to keep you hooked in. Steve Austin was good giving what he had to work with although to be honest it did not really need any effort as this role is a mirror image of his tough guy persona in WWE , however it was funny watching try to play the silent tough guy who grunts quiet a bit! But the star of the show in my opinion was the proper English hard-man Vinnie Jones , he was entertaining! The action was great along with the over the top theatrics which we see in the WWE . My complaints were that it drag on a little longer than it should of done I mean it was filled up in a few dull moments between fight scenes which were not needed and a few parts which tried to show that the characters had depth - that was just silly. To conclude , The condemned is not nearly as bad as people are making out to be, its merely a time pass and it should not be compared to anything bigger or deeper like Battle Royale however if you would like to see it then make sure it is on one of your boring Monday nights. Fans of the action genre and WWE will be left feeling satisfied to a meek extent as it is not that bad but could of been better.

THE CONDEMNED : 6.7 OUT 10

THE FIGHT IS ON .

Some of the other comments are way too harsh. This movie isn't trying to be the next Fletch Lives. Don't take this movie too seriously and it's mildly entertaining. The fight scenes are too choppy and tough to see and the plot is predictable, but Steve Austin is good. He has the same deadpan expression and delivery throughout and it works. The rest of the cast pretty much phones it in. A lot of these actors look familiar. Like you have seen them before, but you can't quite place them. If you like WWF, then you will probably be satisfied. I saw an afternoon show with about 15 other people and only a couple were asleep at the end. Better than Marie Antoinette.

The Condemned fmovies. The Condemned is one of those movies that you know right off the bat is made for one specific type of audience. If you like reading Jane Austin novels and sunsets and walks along the beach and romantic movies then this movie may not be for you. This is all out balls to the wall action movie that does not apologize for what it is. Premise is a reality series producer is putting together the ultimate survivor series on the internet. He picks ten people from the worst prisons around the world and buys them from death row and attaches a bomb to their ankles. The Bomb will go off in 24 hours the catch is simple only one can win. It's a fight to the death the prize is you get your life your freedom and a big bankroll. Trapped amongst the sadistic killers is Jack Conrad (Steve Austin) a former Navy S.E.A.L. who was recruited to do black ops types of jobs his last one went bad and he was caught in El Salvador awaiting death. All Conrad wants to do is get out of this alive and go home to his girl. But Conrad is decent man with Honor and a code of principles that will not let him take part in this sadistic game so he tries his best to survive and get help. Steve Austin does a good job in his first film As lead actor and he's gone on to make better films since his role in the EXPENDABLES is much better and you can see Austin has grown as a actor, This movie is worth checking out if you are a fan of this type of action flick. Better then Van Damme's hard target and Rutger Hauer's The game, This movie does deliver good entertainment.

A very popular Japanese film called Battle Royale concerns an entire class of bad tempered middle school students forced to fight to the last survivor on a deserted island for their transgressions. Considered too controversial for American audiences, it's never been released in the states. "The Condemned" is basically a remake of that film. Instead of unruly teenagers, death-row inmates from around the world forced to kill each other for the pleasure of an insane internet magnate's 30 hour snuff reality program.

Steve Austin joins 9 other on the island where they stalk and eliminate each other in some of the most violent ways imaginable.

This part of the story is fairly involving, but as the violence becomes more sadistic, it no longer seems entertaining. The sobering effect spreads to the movie characters as well, too late to help the combatants. Self righteously, the producers use this as a podium to speak down to the audience who bought tickets to watch the very entertainment they are presenting.

The movie is not helped by a stateside subplot involving Stone Cold's girlfriend who lives on a sprawling ranch and supports herself as a waitress.

Simply put - if you like action films you'll enjoy The Condemned.

Following along similar lines of Battle Royal and the newly released The Hunger Games, a group of international death row inmates are sent to an island to fight to the death in order to win their freedom - with the whole thing broadcast live on the internet.

As highly unbelievable as this situation may seem, the moral repercussion are actually adequately addressed. The illegal show gains a mass following but not without attracting the attention of certain international agencies.

I'm not a huge fan of Steve Austin or WWE wrestling and so at first I was a bit sceptical about a WWE production with the lead role being given to a pro wrestler. But despite this he performs his role well, and the acting is of a pretty good standard throughout. The fight scenes are gritty and believable, and the sub-plot back story doesn't interfere too much with the action.

This is switch-your-brain-off entertainment. Enjoy it for what is is. 7/10