Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Canadian policeman Louis Burke is assigned in a jail to investigate the murders of prisoners and jailors. While there, Louis, using his outstanding martial arts skills, is able to save his life and make himself respected in this violent world.
Death Warrant is a competent but unremarkable late-80s/early-90s Van Damme vehicle. The plot is a fairly generic undercover-cop-in-prison thriller with a thin mystery element that telegraphs its twists early. Van Damme's acting is functional at best, and the supporting cast is serviceable but unmemorable. Cinematography is workmanlike genre fare with nothing visually distinctive. The concept of an undercover cop investigating prison murders while showcasing martial arts was well-worn even by 1990. The ending delivers a reasonably satisfying showdown with the Sandman that gives fans the kinetic payoff they came for, earning a slight edge over the rest of the film.