Lockdown (1990) User Reviews (6)

Lockdown isn't really that bad, especially for its drive-in style, and it does have some standout moments.

[tarbosh22000 · 5/10 · 27 February 2012]

Ron Taylor (DeRose) and his partner Maguire (Jeffreys) are detectives in southern California. Using a San Jose chop shop, Valley Auto Dealers, as cover, a new criminal mastermind is causing all sorts of havoc: Garrett (Lynch) is a ruthless killer and car enthusiast who uses his intimidating presence to get what he wants. When he frames Taylor for murder, Taylor is sent to prison, separating him from his wife Monica (Kaitan) and his young daughter. Maguire is pulling out all the stops to try to clear his partner, but now Taylor must survive on the inside. Shanks (Kalpakoff) is the jailhouse baddie, but Taylor makes friends with his cellmate Dieter (Estevez). Will Taylor get revenge and clear his good name? This is the fourth Frank Harris movie we've reviewed, and while it may be one of the more decent ones, it still has plenty of clichés, is kind of on the slow side, and suffers from many of the common trappings of low budget movies, such as some stodgy acting and editing. But that being said, this is a fairly solid, if dumb, prison movie/cop actioner.

We think Harris may have even used some of the same cop extras he did in Killpoint (1984). DeRose makes an okay mulleted, fairly meathead-y hero, and Chuck Jeffreys out-Eddie Murphy's Eddie Murphy. We always like seeing him. Of course, Taylor's cellmate is none other than Joe Estevez (how would you like to walk into your cell and see that?) - actually, this is the best Joe Estevez performance we've seen to date. But the real star of the show is Richard Lynch, who makes an excellent bad guy. He does a great job as the charmingly evil mastermind (as he usually does). As great as Lynch is here, it's not enough to overcome some of the slower aspects of this movie.

Actually, the fact that the main hero is trapped behind bars hampers the movie. It needed more action, and if the main hero is in prison, it can't really be a full-throttle revenge movie. While the filmmakers were probably trying for something a little different, they painted themselves into a corner with that scenario.

So despite the fact that the warden is like a corrupt Santa Claus, the prison sequences are a bit dull (it should have been played by Cameron Mitchell). Lockdown is similar in structure to Cartel (1990), but Cartel is the better movie.

Lockdown isn't really that bad, especially for its drive-in style, and it does have some standout moments, especially the song by Seymour Duncan and Friends (with vocals by Gregory Hansen). So it's kind of a mixed bag.

Worth a look ..... better than expected ...............

[merklekranz · 5/10 · 28 June 2010]

This almost unknown revenge flick has a surprisingly interesting script, and action both inside and outside the prison ties together nicely. The acting is acceptable from Chris De Rose and Chuck Jeffreys, however Richard Lynch is the one to watch here, as the killer without a conscience. He proves especially nasty, and his performance elevates "Lockdown" to slightly above average territory. The movie drags in places, with some scenes that do little to advance the action. It should be noted that the film features a nice assortment of older souped up cars, including a sharp 58 Chevy. In a revenge movie, the ending can be critical, and here it proves quite satisfying. - MERK

bad movie

[mbgraphics · 2/10 · 22 June 2011]

I wanted to like this movie, so I was very patient, but after an hour I finally had to give up. Bad script, bad acting, bad cinematography, bad music... I could not find anything that I liked about this movie! For example, the last straw for me was a scene in which one of the characters (a baseball player who was in prison for losing his temper with the umpire, beating him with the bat in the middle of a game)... he is attacked in prison and is dying in his friends arms, when he says, "strike three!", then he goes limp and dies. Come on! Seriously?! Don't waste your time with this movie! Unless you enjoy mindless movies with bad clichés and no redeeming qualities.

I was locked in....but then locked out.

[mattratt-42427 · 2/10 · 28 February 2020]

When I saw Joe Estevez and the B Eddie Murphy was in this flick I was excited. Two great B movie actors! Unfortunately once again disappointed. The main characters jersey accent will drive you insane along with that five oclock shadow. Estevez and B Murphy not in it enough I felt. It was too good but not. The 10 min. scene of b murphy following the bad guy was funny. Never seen a bad guy go sight seeing, picking up groceries in a movie before. Estevez once again brings up baseball in a movie. In the end its lack luster. The bad guy must of thought so too......he commits suicide in the end. Lol

Watch it for Lynch

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 30 May 2019]

LOCKDOWN is another indie action thriller with a few good ideas which simply aren't enough to sustain the running time. The story is about a cop who gets framed for a crime he didn't commit and subsequently sent to jail as a result, but his story really isn't all that interesting and just seems to meander along with bad acting and little else to see it through. However, the film's main, perhaps sole, item of interest lies in the presence of veteran villain actor Richard Lynch, chewing up the scenery with relish as a truly nasty piece of work. Without him, this would be completely unwatchable.

What do you do when you're framed for a murder you didn't commit? Find the man responsible.

[rm91945 · 8/10 · 29 January 2002]

Detective Ron Taylor (Chris DeRose) has it all, a beautiful wife, a cute little girl, and an exciting career. Then one day it all falls apart. Enter James Garrett (Richard Lynch). Garrett is a ruthless hitman for the city's most successful `chop-shop' who is ordered by his boss to kill a customer who has strayed to the competition. Garret does so with chilling accuracy and while racing from the scene, he and his partner are pursued by Taylor and other police. Cornered, Garrett overpowers Taylor, then kills his own partner to frame Taylor.

Taylor pretty much spends the rest of the movie in a rough prison run by a sleazy warden who is in cahoots with Garrett's boss Shenks, trying to figure out what really happened with Garrett. Meanwhile Garrett plots to take over Shenks' operation claiming, `we do most of the work, why shouldn't we get most of the spoils?' Killing the top two men under Shenks, Garrett is only steps away from wrestling the operation completely from Shenks who coincidentally is in the same prison with Taylor. The film concludes with the shocking end of Garrett's rise to power.

This movie was surprisingly good despite the fact that it had a limited release. DeRose is cute and sexy, if not a little scruffy looking, as Taylor and makes you really root for him to beat the bad guy. Lynch delivers the goods as usual as the delightfully wicked Garrett who you REALLY can't hate because even at his dastardliest he has a twinkle in his eye that suggests he is truly enjoying his villianry. In fact, there are many who believe this movie was possibly scripted solely to showcase this incredible actor's talents.

Chuck Jeffreys, who plays Taylor's partner, is refreshingly funny in an Eddie Murphy kind of way. He even LOOKS a little like Murphy. Lastly Joe Estevez, brother to actor Martin Sheen, is capable as Taylor's hot tempered, prison-wise cellmate Dieter. All around this movie was enjoyable, definitely not a waste of 90 minutes