The Condemned - Nothing original, but pretty good fun

Some movies never were meant to be good, but that doesn't mean that they're not enjoyable. If you like your action flicks bl**dy and daft then this is the one for you.

The Condemned is about a new type of reality TV show, broadcast on the internet which takes ten convicted killers and makes them fight to the death on an island - all for the public's entertainment. There are shades here and there of other similar movies such as Battle Royale and The Tournament (but not The Hunger Games, which is primarily aimed at kids), which lowers its originality factor, but that doesn't really matter if you're just in the mood for some mindless action.

In the eighties The Condemned might even have been a vehicle for Stallone or Schwarzenegger. As it's made today, we're given a new hard-man to root for: `Stone Cold' Steve Austin. Now, anyone who's seen wrestlers act will be prepared to lower their expectations of what they're about to see. And they'd be right, but only just. Steve Austin actually puts in quite a believable performance. Yes, he doesn't have that many emotionally challenging scenes, but he plays the tough ex-special forces agent pretty well (in the same way that Arnie played a cold-blooded cyborg to perfection). Then add Vinnie - ex footballer - Jones into the mix, again someone hardly noted for his Oscar-winning acting abilities. However, even the former Wimbledon hardman puts in a fine performance (as a complete psycho, so some cynics may say he didn't have to stretch his range too far).

The Condemned is far from perfect. There are enough plot holes to talk about if you really hate it and want to pick it apart. However, if you're in the mood for some `old school' action and decent - if brutal - fight scenes, then give this a go.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that