All Rise...

Judge David Johnson is sweltering. Turned on yet?

The Charge

Be careful who you burn.

The Case

What happens when $100 million from a casino heist goes missing in a small jerkwater town? The obvious answer: Jean-Claude Van Damme shows up. One of the thieves evaded capture and set up a new life as the sheriff of the same town. That man is Bishop (Lennie James, Jericho) and he's carved out a decent, hassle-free existence flashing his badge and breaking up sporadic bar fights. But that's all about to implode in a ball of fire and revenge.

His old crew is out of prison and after the money—along with some sweet, sweet revenge. And Bishop will find himself squaring off against his former brothers in crime and even though Van Damme is in charge he doesn't do any martial arts, so at least Bishop has somewhat of a fighting chance.

You heard me: Jean-Claude Van Damme (Enemies Closer) doesn't do any martial arts. In fact, the guy is essentially a bystander in this film, lurking in the shadows and belting out the occasional one-liner. I'm sorry, but when you got this guy, who, as he's shown in the twilight of his career, is willing to act as crazy as you want him to on screen. For some reason, we get a dialed-down Van Damme, which, frankly is a waste. Go ahead and plug any stiff into his role; there's no point in casting the man and pigeon-holing him into a lifeless character.

This isn't the biggest problem in Swelter, on whole a forgettable piece of gangster fare. A more colorful Van Damme would have helped, but this film is such a slog I fear there was no salvaging it. All unfortunate because the cast is impressive. Lennie James is awesome and he does his best with the material (and is easily the highlight of the production), but he alone can't carry the glacial pacing and the unsatisfactory storytelling.

The Blu-ray: a very nice 2.40:1/1080p HD transfer pushing atmosphere with clarity and detail, as the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track delivers a deep soundscape. Extras: a series of cast interviews and the trailer.

In the end, Swelter is as simple as it gets. Bad guys show up in town looking for money, cause trouble, some guns are fired, the end. I'd be fine with such a bare-bones structure if there was some solid entertainment draped all over it. Instead, we get a lot of atmosphere, too many side characters and enough sweaty, furrowed brows to fill a grain silo. Add to that a plodding pace and the search for a crackling gangster saga continues anew.

The Verdict

Guilty. Pass the Gatorade.

Give us your feedback!

Did we give Swelter (Blu-ray) a fair trial? yes / no

What's "fair"? Whether positive or negative, our reviews should be unbiased, informative, and critique the material on its own merits.

Share This Review

Follow DVD Verdict

Other Reviews You Might Enjoy

• Cruel Intentions
• Nickelodeon / The Last Picture Show
• Lolita
• The Shepherd: Border Patrol