Undisputed - 2002

Amen Ra Films, Millennium Films, Hollywood Partners

Directed by Walter Hill

Cast:

• Monroe Hutchen – Wesley Snipes
• George “Iceman” Chambers – Ving Rhames
• Mendy Ripstein – Peter Falk
• A. J. Mercker – Michael Rooker
• Jesus “Chuy” Campos – John Seda
• Mingo Pace – Wes Studi
• James “Ratbag” Kroycek – Fisher Stevens
• Warden Lipscomb – Denis Arndt
• Darlene Early – Amy Aquino

Story: Heavyweight Champion of the World George “Iceman” Chambers has a few problems. He's been convicted of rape, he's a high profile prisoner that no one wants, and he is one egotistical, arrogant ass. He's sent to Sweetwater, an isolated prison in the Mojave desert in California. Sweetwater is also where the current heavyweight champion of the prison system, Monroe Hutchens, is housed, along with a former underboss to Meyer Lansky, Mendy Ripstein. Ripstein is an aficionado of boxing, old enough to remember the days of bare knuckle fights. He is under the protection of La Emme, the Mexican prison gang. Through his connections, he sets in motion a plan to stage a fight between Chambers and Hutchens. Chamber's lawyers only want to get him out so he can start fighting again and make some money to pay his bills. After some negotiations, the date is set, and the fight is on.

Review: As boxing movies go, this is somewhere in the middle of the pack. The action is compressed into three or four incidents, with the story focusing on the characters. A considerable amount of the footage is about the “Iceman” the rape charge. Walter Hill uses a combination of flashbacks to relate to what is going on in the character's mind at the time. Peter Falk has that “mob” arrogance of the original gangsters, defiant even in prison. Rhames and Snipes are polar opposites, one brash and arrogant, one steely and cold. Michael Rooker plays a dispassionate head guard who realizes the limits of his authority. The characters are fleshed out just enough to become real. Shot at the High Desert State Prison in Nevada, a modern facility to house prisoners serving long terms and confinement problems, there is no question about authenticity of the surroundings. The cast performs well as an ensemble, and the film resolves well with the final bout. Definitely not for the kiddies, the language alone would do that, and a collectible if you love boxing, Wesley Snipes, or Ving Rhames.