Virgil Cane, that's a name—the Lone Ranger couldn’t hold a candle to him. James Rainwood (played by Tom Selleck) is an upstanding man with a loving wife and a great job he’s essential to. Life seems wonderful for him until two corrupt police officers make a mistake, bursting into his home while believing it's the site of a drug deal. Mistaking a hairdryer for a gun, one of the officers shoots Rainwood, and they quickly realize their error. They then plant drugs around his house, framing him as a dealer who shot at them. Believing that justice and honesty will prevail, Rainwood refuses to accept a plea bargain, and is promptly sentenced to six years in a harsh prison. Inside, he’ll need to adapt fast or face an extremely difficult time. In 1989, we saw Lock Up starring Sly Stallone—a film with flaws but still a dream for action fans who enjoy stories about incarceration. Now Tom Selleck is trying to broaden his range after showing himself as a capable light entertainer in films like Three Men and a Baby and Her Alibi (he also made the excellent Quigley Down Under in 1989). For the most part, he's well-suited for the role of Jimmie Rainwood, which calls for someone charming, elegant, and radiating warmth. That’s Selleck without question. However, many viewers—including first-timers—will struggle with the shift from that comfortable image to a tough prison inmate. Thrown into a world of violence and brutality, Rainwood has to toughen up or risk years of abuse and losing himself. We know this, and once he starts being mentored by Virgil Cane (F. Murray Abraham brings some class to what is otherwise a familiar character), the rest of the film’s prison scenes feel predictable. It's difficult to accept, even for someone who likes the movie! The other elements in the film aren’t particularly surprising. Rainwood’s wife (Laila Robins) is supportive and fighting for his release, but writer Larry Brothers handles her character predictably. The same goes for Badja Djola as Internal Affairs investigator John Fitzgerald—it's a shame because Djola performs well and seems capable of adding more depth to the role. Then there are the corrupt cops, played by Richard Young & David Rasche. Young’s Danny Scaliese is calm and calculating, while Rasche’s Mike Parnell is aggressive and bordering on insane. It’s unclear whether Rasche is intentionally playing it over-the-top or genuinely trying to portray the underlying madness—either way, it's entertaining, even if it doesn’t reach the heights of his Sledge Hammer! TV series. These cops are clearly destined for downfall; the question is whether those behind the film are just following a formula or have something more up their sleeves. Given that Peter Yates directed and the writer isn’t exactly known for originality, you can probably guess the answer. And let's be honest, Selleck isn’t Stallone—a better actor, certainly, but when it comes to fighting and shooting, who would you pick? Rambo or Magnum? I enjoy this film quite a bit, largely because I like the genre anyway. Plus, I’ll watch anything with F. Murray Abraham in it. So take my 7/10 rating with a grain of salt; consider it a 6/10 time-passer if you don't share my enthusiasm.

Source on TMDB