Van Damme is at his butt-kicking best, with Sudden Death offering all the thrills, spills and stuff blowing up that action fans relish.
Sudden Death (1995)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:17
Rotten:15
Average Rating:5.2/10
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: In this action-packed thriller, a ruthless gang of criminals holds the Vice-President of the United States hostage at a Stanley Cup finals ice hockey game in Pittsburgh's Civic Arena. The demented... In this action-packed thriller, a ruthless gang of criminals holds the Vice-President of the United States hostage at a Stanley Cup finals ice hockey game in Pittsburgh's Civic Arena. The demented leader of the group threatens to blow up the building unless the government hands over $1.7 billion. However, the villains aren't prepared for Darren McCord, a tough fire marshal skilled in martial arts. McCord, who happens to be attending the game with his two children, struggles desperately to disconnect the ten bombs set to explode in the arena -- and rescue his own daughter, who the creeps have taken hostage. Can he complete the mission before time runs out? [More]
Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Powers Boothe, Raymond J. Barry, Dorian Harewood
Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Powers Boothe, Raymond J. Barry, Dorian Harewood, Whittni Wright, Ross Malinger, Kate McNeil, Audra Lindley, Michael Gaston, Brian Delate, Steve Aronson, David Flick
Director: Peter Hyams
Director: Peter Hyams
Reviews for Sudden Death
Reuniting Hyams and Van Damme, director and star of Timecop, this spectacular nail-biter exploits their combined, if limited, abilities to the full.
The best of the many Die Hard rip-offs made during the 1990s. Sudden Death is a thrilling rollercoaster ride of hard-edged action.
Wooden-as-ever Van Damme is no Bruce Willis, unfunny main bad guy Powers Boothe is no Alan Rickman, and uninspired director Peter Hyams is no John McTiernan.
Gets a lot of mileage out of the well-worn trapped-in-a-blank-full-of-hostages action genre.
Fun Die Hard knockoff that uses the stadium for all its worth. The mascot fight is a highlight.
Offers above-average pyrotechnics, a body count that steadily mounts, and plenty of hand-to-hand combat.
A mildly satisfying high-energy romp complete with outstanding professional hockey footage and intense physical confrontations.
I'm surprised not only that there wasn't a lawsuit over the film, but also by how watchable the film is (though it truly is bad, it's fun at least).
Works as entertaining mix of good action and unintended comedy, but the viewers won't enjoy it today as much as they did in 1995.
Although this is an uninspired re-working of the Die Hard formula, it is probably O.K. as mindless holiday entertainment.
Sudden Death is one of the best action thrillers of 1995. It's also the film Jean-Claude Van Damme has been building up to for 10 years.
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