Death Warrant

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | Release Date: September 14, 1990

CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION

34	METASCORE Generally unfavorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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Mixed:

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Critic Reviews

Critic score Publication By date

EmpireWilliam Thomas

Utterly mindless, but on its own snap, bang, and wallop terms, it works well enough. Read full review

Michael Winks

Death Warrant holds more interest than many of its genre. [21 Sep 1990, p.7]

TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)

Although Death Warrant resorts to several familiar plot devices, its storyline is a little more complex than those of most films of this genre. Moreover, secondary characters like Hawkins and Priest are believable and likable enough that we care what happens to them. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

Jean-Claude Van Damme is the best part of every movie he's in. Then again, when you consider the pictures he's been in, maybe that's not saying enough. [15 Sep 1990, p.C3]

Michael Upchurch

Death Warrant has two colors: dark red, dark blue. It has two moods: brooding and brutal. It makes prison look more attractive by adding fog machines and then filming everything in slow motion. [15 Sep 1990, p.C7]

Richard Harrington

All the characters mumble, perhaps out of sympathy for the Dutch Van Damme's ongoing struggle with their native language. As for plot, it unravels more quickly than the mystery facing Van Damme. Read full review

Vincent Canby

All of the performances are terrible, but Joseph Porro's costume design is arresting. Mr. Van Damme and the other prisoner look as if they had been outfitted by an upscale outlet of a Banana Republic-type men's boutique. Read full review

Juan Carlos Coto

Director Deran Sarafian and cinematographer Russell Carpenter give Death Warrant a great gloomy feel and know how how to use extreme close-ups as effective eye candy. But candy is about all we get. [18 Sep 1990, p.C3]

Steve Jones

The best thing about the nod-inducing Death Warrant is a muscleheaded psycho called the Sandman. That figures, since you're likely to take a nap or two waiting for hero Jean-Claude Van Damme to stop taking his lumps and start busting heads. [17 Sep 1990, p.2D]