iRankMovies
Lock Up

Lock Up (1989)

How much can a man take...before he gives back?

Release:1989
Runtime:1h 49m
Country:United States
Director:John Flynn
Language:English

Genre

ActionCrimeDrama
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Keywords

PrisonSelf SacrificeJail GuardCar MechanicPrison Warden
iRank53

Lock Up rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb6.4/10· 49K votes
Rotten Tomatoes31%
Metacritic52%
TMDb6.803/10· 1K votes

With 31% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 6.4/10 on IMDb and 52/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been modest.

About Lock Up

Frank Leone is nearing the end of his prison term for a relatively minor crime. Just before he is paroled, however, Warden Drumgoole takes charge. Drumgoole was assigned to a hell-hole prison after his administration was publicly humiliated by Leone, and has now arrived on the scene to ensure that Leone never sees the light of day.

Cast of Lock Up

  • Sylvester Stallone

    Sylvester Stallone

    as Frank Leone

  • Donald Sutherland

    Donald Sutherland

    as Warden Drumgoole

  • John Amos

    John Amos

    as Captain Meissner

  • Sonny Landham

    Sonny Landham

    as Chink Weber

  • Tom Sizemore

    Tom Sizemore

    as Dallas

  • Frank McRae

    Frank McRae

    as Eclipse

  • Darlanne Fluegel

    Darlanne Fluegel

    as Melissa

  • William Allen Young

    William Allen Young

    as Braden

  • Larry Romano

    Larry Romano

    as First Base

  • Jordan Lund

    Jordan Lund

    as Manly

  • J

    John Lilla

    as Wiley

  • Dean Rader Duval

    Dean Rader Duval

    as Ernie

Lock Up facts

Budget
$24M
Box office
$22.1M

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

  • •Prison drama delivers tense conflict with credible interpersonal dynamics
  • •Action sequences showcase practical choreography with gritty realism
  • •Protagonist sacrifice theme resonates emotionally with audience expectations

What the audience disliked

  • •Formulaic action plot follows predictable prison escape narrative beats
  • •Character arcs lack genuine complexity or unexpected developments

Trailer

Where to watch Lock Up(US)

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