Sudden Death

Rating:
Summary: AVERAGE VAN DAMME FLICK, BUT, IT WAS BETTER THAN I EXPECTED
Review: A FIRE MARSHAL [VAN DAMME] MUST STOP A SADISTIC MAN FROM BLOWING UP A HOCKEY ARENA. OF COURSE, THIS IS AVERAGE AT BEST. BUT, JUDGING FROM ALL THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS THAT I'VE SEEN CRITICS LIKE LEONARD MALTIN GIVE THIS FILM, THIS IS A LOT BETTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE! IT DOES HAVE GOOD ACTION, EVEN IF THIS MOVIE IS ANOTHER DIE HARD RIP-OFF. VAN DAMME FANS SHOULD LOOK AT THIS ONE IF THEY STILL HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET.

Rating:
Summary: Action Packed to the Max
Review: After watching this movie, I became a big Van Damme fan. Sudden Death was entertaining, witty, and believable. The entire concept was so original. Powers Booth played the villain as well as one could play. And how could one not like the kitchen fight seen? Rent it and see Van Damme at his best.

Rating:
Summary: Dont Judge a Book By It's Author's Felony Record...
Review: Anyone can brain-bash Jean-Claude Van Damme all they want..but put aside his media and legal troubles and all the rumors, and you'll find that 1995's 'Sudden Death' is a more than worthwhile movie. The Muscles from Brussels is Darren McCord, a former firefighter retired after a traumatic failed rescue attempt. While employed at Pittsburgh's Ice arena, he gives his young son and daughter two tickets to the Stanley Cup Play-Offs'. Arena security is on pins and needles, having to secure the rink to perfection to protect the United States Vice President (An Ok part played by Raymond Barry) as he attends the game. In the meantime, a cunning criminal (Powers Boothe)..(I wont give away his standing), takes the arena hostage unbeknownst to everyone but the ones inside the Presidential skybox. Superstar actor Powers Boothe is the perfect compliment to Jean-Claude's action masterpieces, accompanied by a 1-in-a-million script that gives a believable story and fantastic special effects a true spotlight. Director Peter Hyams puts touches of comedy that will work so well at first viewing, (If Youre Like Me), you'll probably have to stop the movie until you're done laughing. Just watch for the scene where Van Damme attempts to escape capture by Boothe's partners, by stealing the uniform off of the comatose Penguins goalie. Who would've thought after seeing Van Damme spin out movies like 'Bloodsport' and 'Kickboxer', that 'Sudden Death' would hit the big screen hard and still be recalled as his greatest movie of all time. This is NOT excessively violent or crude, and if you're a fan of Arnold Schwazenegger or Sylvester Stallone..this movie will be well worth your while to see or own. 'Sudden Death' is THE action movie of 1995 and a great flick for people who want a little bit of everything in it.

Rating:
Summary: Solid Above Average Action
Review: Die Hard goes to the hockey game. A reasonably intelligent script and exciting non-stop action keep this flick zipping along. Powers Booth delivers his lines with relish, as if he thought of them himself. Arranging all the action around a hockey game in progress is pretty clever. Gives everything an urgent almost claustrophic feel. Defeat the bad guys or the building blows up and 20,000 people die. Sudden Death faithfully adheres to the plot devices and cliches of most modern action flicks without wearing out its welcome.

Rating:
Summary: Groosly violent
Review: I am not a squemish movie fan. I have enjoyed several of Van Damme's movies such as Hard Target and Timecop but this movie is terrible. I watched it again last night after several years and my first impressions haven't changed from 1995 when I saw it at the theater. The violence is excessive and brutal. The movie trys to be over the top like the Die Hard movies but the violence is more akin to Sam Pekinpah. The body count is excessive and in my opinion sadistic. Strange as it may sound I found the movie very uncomfortable as well as silly. The silliness I can handle but not the uneasy feeling. A very mean and vicious movie. In my opinion this was the beginning of Van Damme's slide. I am also very dissapointed in Peter Hyam. He usually makes such enertaining movies.

Rating:
Summary: Where's the Rest of It?
Review: I enjoy most of Van Damme's films. I have this one on laser as well as Time Cop (2 of my favorites), but where are the letterboxed versions on DVD? Does Universal have an agenda for releasing them in so-called "full screen". Talk about gibberish. I have seen both films in the 2:35 aspect and would love to have them that way on DVD! As for Time Cop, I always enjoy the mind-boggling aspects of time travel, and Sudden Death isn't just terrorist violence, but has some beautiful moments -- most notably when father signs to son from the ice.

Rating:
Summary: Van Damme's Good Movie
Review: I like to refer to Sudden Death to my friends as Van Damme's good movie...only good movie. I guess I love this one because it is set during a hockey game. Look for the part when Van Damme becomes the Penguins goalie. As a former goalie myself, to me this is one of the best scenes of the movie, along with Van Damme stabbing a guy with a bone! With awesome stunts and hockey, this is quite the enjoyable mindless-action flick!

Rating:
Summary: my hometown hockey arena
Review: I really liked this one. Powers Booth is a great bad guy that you love to hate. Jean Claude did a great job on this movie. I especially liked the scene where he speaks in french to one of the hockey players in the locker room. I also liked his stepping in and playing hockey. I also have a new respect for Jean Claude and James Woods in that they stepped up and voiced their irritation at those in Hollywood who were in protest. That took a lot of guts and they have my deepest appreciation and support.

Rating:
Summary: Probably one of my favorite Van Damme movies
Review: I really liked this one. Powers Booth is a great bad guy that you love to hate. Jean Claude did a great job on this movie. I especially liked the scene where he speaks in french to one of the hockey players in the locker room. I also liked his stepping in and playing hockey. I also have a new respect for Jean Claude and James Woods in that they stepped up and voiced their irritation at those in Hollywood who were in protest. That took a lot of guts and they have my deepest appreciation and support.

Rating:
Summary: Must See For Penguins Fans
Review: I thought the movie was really good, and really entertaining. However, I have to say that I am from Pittsburgh and a huge Penguins fan, so that probably affected my perception of the film. I think that it was a good action film, but you do have to suspend disbelief for a bit. Nice touch having Mike Lange doing the play by play for the game.