Fresh and Exciting

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

This movie takes place in a corrupt prison where the warden is a psycho, the guards are killers and the inmates are used and abused. The plot follows two con men: Caj, a black street thug played by rapper Mystikal and Malachi, played by latino martial arts fighter Ashley Tucker. Caj spends most of his time establishing his dominance by dispensing brutal beatings to the baddest white cons he can find, while Malachi, who won't reveal the location of some stolen diamonds the warden wants, is repeatedly punished by the warden's chief goons -- Torres and the 6'2, 300 lbs muscleman, Crandall.When the guards can't break Malachi, the warden arranges for Caj to use his talent for dealing out pain to make the latino talk. The crowd of cons goes crazy when Malachi arrives for the fight pumped and shirtless, revealing a powerfully sculpted body, while Caj, likewise stripped for action, flaunts his chiseled black physique. They fight to a draw and, later, become friends when Malachi promises Caj a cut of the diamonds.Outside the prison are Santos and his crew who also want the diamonds. Santos is played by action star Lorenzo Lamas. Lamas looks great here, trim and muscular and his fight scenes are crisp and authentic. His plan is to break into the prison, free Malachi and recover the diamonds. Stealthily, they infiltrate the prison, taking out the guards one-by-one until the warden discovers them and sounds the alarm. Crandall finds one of Lamas's crew and, after a savage fight, snaps his neck. Finally, Lamas finds Malachi's cell and frees him and Caj. In an awesome fight with the hulking Crandall, Lamas avenges his dead buddy by using a metal chair to bring down the big man, breaking his neck with a satisfying crack. Payback continues when Caj beats Torres to death and the warden meets his end at the hands of Malachi. Though there are some surprises, the fights tie up all the loose ends.Prison movies are only as good as the guys with the muscle to play the cons and guards. Here Mystikal uses his physicality to dominate the yard; while Tucker lets his body do the talking every time he takes off his shirt. The guards, especially the impressive Crandall, are as badass as the cons. Finally, Lamas proves again why he was always in demand for these action roles.

Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time watching this movie. You'll want that hour and a half of your life back, as do I. Wooden actors, plot holes a mile wide, awful dialogue, and action sequences that my little brother could have choreographed make this hands-down, one of THE worst movies I've seen in a looooooong time. It's so bad you wonder how it ever got made. '13 Dead Men' is the kind of movie you watch for the sole purpose of making fun of it with your friends. Actually, it's the kind of movie you and your friends would make if you were goofing around with a video camera making the script up as you go along. 'Nuff said.

I didn't know what to expect with a pairing of Lorenzo Lamas and Mystikal but I rented the DVD anyways and man was I surprised. The film didn't waste any time in getting to the point. Having seen some of Mystikal's previous work I was pleasantly surprised at how great he was in this movie. He came off very natural as an actor. The script was pretty good although there were several holes in it but it kept things moving. The directing and action were pretty good. The best thing about the movie is that all the characters seemed pretty real with a couple exceptions like the warden who seemed to be very stiff. There are some real cool exchanges between the characters and their initial introductions in the movie are great. They weren't all good or all bad like characters seem to be in most B films. The only real complaint I have is that it seemed extremely low budget, but overall it was worth the rental.

From the opening titles over colorful graffitti to the stark prison cells, 13 dead men delivers. I was sucked into the film from the get-go. The cinematography was very stark and it had a gritty feel to it. When all others are doing their rendition of "Hong Kong cinema" this film took a hundred eighty degree turn and went "Old school" with its fight action. The Director opted for hand held rough and tumble action that made it feel real. The characters were well defined with a true sense of purpose which is a rare treat since most characters in films of this genre are one-dimensional. The overall direction of both the drama and action is very stylish. Mystikal was one of the shining lights in this film. He outdid himself in this one as an actor. In spite of the low budget feel to it, the movie is really enjoyable.