Feature
Review | Undisputed
Written by: Brian
Orndorf
Rated: 3/10
There is one constant to the films of Walter Hill, at least in the
last ten years, and that is studio tinkering. Never have I seen a
filmmaker with such bad luck. Consider these: The roar of
“Trespass” was hushed by Universal due to the L.A. riots of 1992.
United Artists treated the perplexing “Wild Bill” like it was the
plague. Bruce Willis’s ego ran the show on “Last Man Standing.”
And you could write a thick book about the problems Hill faced with
the captivating, but sliced apart 2000 sci-fi thriller “Supernova”
(a film that Hill eventually took his name off of). Hill’s new
boxing drama, “Undisputed” is another example of the filmmaker up
against a studio that obviously wanted something different. Hill is an
unique director, but he keeps falling prey to studios that have no
interest in something original.
Monroe Hutchen (Wesley Snipes) is serving a long-term prison
sentence for a crime of passion that resulted in murder. His freedom
is found in boxing, and he’s been the Sweetwater Prison champ for
over ten years, without a single loss. Now comes news that the current
heavyweight champion of the world, James “Iceman” Chambers (Ving
Rhames), is coming to Sweetwater to serve out his rape sentence. Full
of ego and swagger, Iceman soon proclaims himself the champ of the
prison, leading the lesser prisoners (including Fisher Stevens, Jon
Seda, and Wes Studi) to cower in fear of the massive champ. But when a
crafty, elder mobster (Peter Falk) gets the idea to stage a fight
between Iceman and Hutchen, the prison comes alive as the countdown to
battle between the two gladiators begins.
If anyone knows grit, it’s Walter Hill. The man behind the gang
drama “The Warriors” and the urban comedy “48 Hrs” is a man
who knows about street talk and testosterone-influenced situations. On
paper, “Undisputed” was probably a story of redemption through
boxing. Of how a beautiful art form of men clashing could exist is
such a hellish arena (Hill peppers the film with newsreel footage of
past boxing triumphs). It was mostly likely intended as a critical
look at the modern boxing world, a world that would happily allow a
convicted felon to be a superstar (the allusions to Mike Tyson are
strong throughout the film). But that was before Miramax got their
hands on the film and promptly turned it to mush. In its current form,
“Undisputed” is a shapeless story, featuring scenes that don’t
end, but fade out in an effort to keep the film rolling at all costs.
There are no characters, just actors trying to hold onto
characterizations that have been lost in the mix. What was once a
boxing film with a sharp, opinionated mind and vivid soul is now just
a tepid boxing film that follows familiar clichéd paths like any
random sports film.
What does remain from the ashes of “Undisputed” is the power of
Ving Rhames’s performance. An actor that I have not always liked,
Rhames at last finds a role that will allow for his unavoidable
braggart persona. Always the hulk, Rhames now has a chance to use his
massive size to full effect, making his Iceman Chambers character as
scary as he is real. Going one step beyond a Mike Tyson lampoon,
Iceman is all the more terrifying a human because he’s not mentally
unstable as Tyson is. He simply chooses this behavior. It’s a
fantastic performance out of Rhames, made all the better as Wesley
Snipes, out of choice or editing, resembles nothing more than
wallpaper for his half of the picture.
Since the personality was ripped out of “Undisputed,” there
isn’t a lot to recommend here. As Walter Hill keeps plugging away in
the Hollywood studio system, the man does churn out some interesting
failures. You can now add “Undisputed” to the top of that heap.
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