Sudden Death: Critic Reviews

Offers above-average pyrotechnics, a body count that steadily mounts, and plenty of hand-to-hand combat.

Van Damme races against time, trying to thwart Boothe and defuse all the bombs. But in the hands of director Peter Hyams, these are just banal action-movie chores.

Though the climactic duel atop the arena roof is patently absurd, it's also exciting as events go into sudden-death overtime, just like the game being played below.

Sudden Death isn't about common sense. It's about the manipulation of action and special-effects sequences to create a thriller effect, and at that it's pretty good.

About the best thing that can be said about this movie is that the action scenes, directed by Peter Hyams, are choreographed with flair. Unfortunately, the material connecting them is worthless.

Despite the elaborate stunts, go-go-go direction from Peter Hyams, plus butt-kicking and surprise goalie action from Van Damme, Death deserves the hockey-puck booby prize for...getting its jollies by putting kids in jeopardy.

A treat for Jean-Claude Van Damme fans, a superior action thriller loaded with jaw-dropping stunts and special effects, and strong in production values.

Good clean fun, with just the right ratio of explosions to dialogue.

Van Damme is at his butt-kicking best, with Sudden Death offering all the thrills, spills and stuff blowing up that action fans relish.

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.

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.