First off, let me say that it's offensive that this film is set in Long Beach, which had a 40% Latino population in 1990 and probably an even larger share of the prison population than that, yet the demographics of the prison seem to be 70% white/30% black. Not a single visibly Latino character to be found.
Nice whitewashing, guys. You could have literally set it almost anywhere - North Dakota, Connecticut, Alaska - and it probably would have been more demographically accurate. Why Southern California?
Also I doubt the white gangs in prison would let one of their own get manhandled like this even if he didn't join their team? The movie is has quite strong racist undertones implicit in its implausible setup.
Anyway, the movie is an effective anti-police film. That's surprising for Tom Selleck, who seems to be a Republican, would agree to such a thing, but I guess he's more objective than most and doesn't blindly pay lip service to police. Got to watch the watchmen because ugly things can happen when you don't.
Selleck's character is framed for a crime he didn't commit and the police plant some stuff on him so they don't risk their jobs. It could totally happen - people selling you our just to protect such a slight interest as a job or some profits - who cares? He can't do anything anyway, right?
In prison he has to lay down his old morals and ethics and come into touch with his primal masculine side. Eventually he's let out on parole.
If the movie ended there, it would have been an effective "Call of the Wild"-type situation where an animal goes back to his basic roots. It might have been a 9 or a 10.
Unfortunately, it continues and goes into the territory of moustache-twirling stock villains and shootouts at around the 60% mark.
The first part is excellent though. I could totally see it happening to someone in real life and it probably has happened lots of times. The desire to keep one's small benefits or to not risk one's hide is powerful even if you have to ruin someone else's life to do it. It could happen to you. It could happen to me.
Honourable Mentions: Life (1999). About two black men who get sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit by corrupt policemen. A better movie and probably a more common and realistic situation than this one.
Nice whitewashing, guys. You could have literally set it almost anywhere - North Dakota, Connecticut, Alaska - and it probably would have been more demographically accurate. Why Southern California?
Also I doubt the white gangs in prison would let one of their own get manhandled like this even if he didn't join their team? The movie is has quite strong racist undertones implicit in its implausible setup.
Anyway, the movie is an effective anti-police film. That's surprising for Tom Selleck, who seems to be a Republican, would agree to such a thing, but I guess he's more objective than most and doesn't blindly pay lip service to police. Got to watch the watchmen because ugly things can happen when you don't.
Selleck's character is framed for a crime he didn't commit and the police plant some stuff on him so they don't risk their jobs. It could totally happen - people selling you our just to protect such a slight interest as a job or some profits - who cares? He can't do anything anyway, right?
In prison he has to lay down his old morals and ethics and come into touch with his primal masculine side. Eventually he's let out on parole.
If the movie ended there, it would have been an effective "Call of the Wild"-type situation where an animal goes back to his basic roots. It might have been a 9 or a 10.
Unfortunately, it continues and goes into the territory of moustache-twirling stock villains and shootouts at around the 60% mark.
The first part is excellent though. I could totally see it happening to someone in real life and it probably has happened lots of times. The desire to keep one's small benefits or to not risk one's hide is powerful even if you have to ruin someone else's life to do it. It could happen to you. It could happen to me.
Honourable Mentions: Life (1999). About two black men who get sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit by corrupt policemen. A better movie and probably a more common and realistic situation than this one.