Yep, this one really bites, and it doesn't serve its veteran star or veteran supporting players well as all. I usually enjoy Sly Stallone, and as bad as Cobra was in 1986, it at least had me laughing at much of it. I wasn't laughing at any of this, just repulsed, from the disgusting way to serial murder scene at the beginning are done to the characters that gather together at some sort of cop emotional breakdown Rehabilitation center in the middle of the day after tomorrow where most everybody wishes that civilization was over. You'll never look out of a spy hole again after seeing this movie, or maybe even be able to hear because it is so loud with its constant booming that no amount of aspirin can save your head from pounding.

First of all, the film opens with cop Stallone's partner literally getting it in the eye, followed by his girlfriend. I'll watch most kinds of violence or even torture, but leave eyes out of it. The girlfriend doesn't just get it in the eye. She gets to hang around for a while too. How far does Hollywood have to go to gross us out? Especially in a mainstream film which this was obviously intended to be. Word of mouth after a brief preview period of this was horrible, so it was back to the fantasy factory for this, and somehow it didn't come out any better.

The group of nutty cops all gathered together in the middle of nowhere isn't fun for anyone of them. Most everyone is completely off their rocker, and a good percentage are just despicable so when they discover the possibility that Stallone's psycho stalker is there too, it's a sudden slow decrease in the populations of patients at the snow covered macadamia manner. Kris Kristofferson, Tom Berenger, Robert Prosky, Charles S. Dutton and Polly Walker are among those stranded there, and each death is more violent and seemingly louder than the other. It's a completely unpleasant film, sad for Stallone fans, and I have liked the majority of his films. I needed d-tox to withdrawl from this film.

In post-production limbo for three years and then critically lambasted on release, this Sylvester Stallone-starring serial killer opus has been unfairly maligned, in my opinion. Sure, it's not a great movie, and it has its fair share of faults. The film is pretty poorly edited and paced and suffers from an over extensive supporting cast of interchangeable characters which robs the narrative of its lucidity; you're never quite sure who the latest victim is, so that ruins a lot of the suspense and tension they strive to create. But did this deserve to go straight-to-video when other rubbish Hollywood flicks were shown in the cinemas?

I don't think so. For what it is, it works. It's one of those post-SEVEN serial killer movies in which tired, past-it cops attempt to track down psychopaths who always seem to be one step ahead. And you don't get much more down-on-your-luck than Jake Malloy, the lead character here. Driven to attempted suicide by the brutal slaying of his girlfriend, he's dispatched to a rehab clinic in the icy wastes to help him overcome his mental problems. Stallone takes this lead role, which led to a number of critics slating him. I really don't get their attitude. If he stars in an action flick they laugh at him; if he tries to do something different, like here, then they call him miscast. How about giving the guy a break? Stallone gives a typically excellent performance even though the script doesn't give him all that much to do, and you can really feel for his character's plight. I loved him to bits.

The film starts off in a pretty grisly and unpleasant fashion and carries on from there. Once we move to the isolated detoxification centre it starts to pay homage to THE THING, what with the characters trapped in a single, snowy locale, and picked off one by one by an unknown menace. The twist that all the intended victims are cops makes it interesting to watch, as they're actually capable of fending for themselves and working stuff out, rather than the usual lame teenager running off into dark corridors type stuff we see.

The last great thing about this movie is the fantastic ensemble cast. It reads as a who's who of character actors and takes some beating. Kris Kristofferson plays the clinic director with his customary Blade persona: all gruff and gritty; Christopher Fulford plays the British contingent; Jeffrey Wright is the on-the-edge, half-crazy guy; Robert Patrick is the wise-ass; Courtney B. Vance is the religious nut; also popping up are old-timers Tom Berenger and Robert Prosky. One of my favourites is Charles S. Dutton, who excels as Stallone's cop buddy. Female support is from Dina Meyer and pretty Brit Polly Walker who brings a lot of integrity to her part. Okay, so it's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but I had a good time watching – and you can't say fairer than that.

This is very much a movie that went under the radar, it's a watchable enough thriller, with a decent story, the plot and outcome are a little on the predictable side, but it's decent.

I'm not the greatest fan of Stallone under the sun, but he does a decent job in a role that sees him cast against type.

Some of the characters are hilariously over the top, the therapist for one, surely Arnie would have been better casting, as this guy is clearly compensating for something. Fortunate it has the glorious Polly Walker in it, that's the real bonus.

If you like your mysteries with added testosterone you may just about enjoy it. 6/10.