Review: Ring of Death (2008)

“On the inside, there are no rules.”

Director: Bradford May

Starring: Johnny Messner, Jonathan Chase and Esteban Cueto

Writers: Dan Fitzsimons and David Rosiak,

Let me pull back the curtain a little bit on my operation here. I normally watch a ton of movies, and those that I watch for the first time get put in a little black book I have. If a movie really intrigues me I’ll review it then and there and then make a note of it in my book. Others I’ll come around to them when I catch up to them, normally this means a few months could have gone by before I review them. Past history has proven to me that I don’t have a big problem in remembering details. Not so with Ring of Death. This has to be one of the most forgettable films I’ve seen in a while.

On every level this movie just slipped my mind and made next to no impression on me. Well except for maybe one factor but I’ll get to that. Basically a jail’s warden is corrupt as all hell and runs fights in the prison for the rich. Our hero Burke Wyatt (Johnny Messner) is given a chance to reclaim his life by infiltrating the jail and taking part of the fights. With a plot like that there could have been some great over the top action, instead we get a movie that’s just there.

The only thing that I can remember crystal clearly is Stacy Keach as Warden Carl Golan. He eats the scenery with a hunger that rivals Galactus. It was thanks to him that I managed to make it through the movie as he comes off truly psychotic and threatening but with a touch of class. Any villain that wears a bow tie and can still be threatening is impressive.

If you are a fan of bad action movies I would still say skip this. It’s really boring, and other than one performance there is nothing here worth your time. Even for those who love the so bad it’s good type movie.