Review by Dan Taylor
Ving
Rhames (PULP FICTION, Vanessa Williams'
Radio Shack commercial hubbie) stars as
The Iceman, an undefeated heavyweight boxing
champ serving time for rape. Sound familiar?
Wesley Snipes (BLADE, ART
OF WAR) is Monroe Hutchens, serving a life
sentence for a murder committed in the heat
of passion (naturally). A highly-regarded
fighter while on the outside, Hutchens has
taken advantage of the prison's boxing program
and hasn't lost a fight in the decade that
he's been in the joint.
Sent to the same prison where
Hutchens reigns supreme, The Iceman quickly
tries to establish his dominance through
violence and intimidation. When the wheels
of the system get set in motion, a battle
between Hutchens and The Iceman is inevitable.
And to Hill's credit, the inevitable winner
isn't a forgone conclusion.
It's too bad that they couldn't
have cast The Iceman role with somebody
more athletic or believable than Rhames.
While he's certainly an imposing presence,
he comes off as big and lumbering, not an
athlete who dominates his sport on the outside.
Snipes, on the other hand, is in marvelous
shape (big surprise) and gives his character
more humanity, poise and depth than was
probably needed.
Unfortunately, writer/director
Walter Hill's prison/boxing hybrid was in
and out of theaters in a flash and got lost
in the 2002 event flick shuffle. Not that
it's anything great like Hill's EXTREME
PREJUDICE, but it certainly wasn't deserving
of this fate.
