2/5 Forgettable
  by Calamity Jane
A young man, Peter Madigan, purposely causes a train to jump its track. The train crashes and the engineer dies. Peter goes to prison for manslaughter. While in prison he meets the stereotypical variety of inmates, which include psychopaths, brutal guards - one who rapes Peter in his cell, cross dressers, drug users, muscular bad guys, etc.

Yawn. Ho-hum.

Ice-T plays a good officer rather convincingly, but he was the only character that I cared anything about. The rest, including Chris Gunn (Madigan) were one dimensional and easily forgotten. The movie lacked spark and originality, and had nothing that every low budget prison movie hasn't already shown. The acting was fair at best. The movie kept me interested until the end, but it isn't something I'll remember tomorrow, or want to rewatch again.

If I could give this movie 2 1/2 stars, I would. It just doesn't rate three.





3/5 A Young Person Navigates the Corrections System
  by Timothy Kearney (Hull, MA United States)
TRACKS, a film based on a true story, tells the story of Peter Madigan (Chris Gunn), who along with some of his friends, pulls a switch on a railroad track as a prank. The prank causes a derailment which results in the death of the engineer, and Peter ends up in prison for manslaughter. He has to learn to fend for himself, accept what he has done, and come to terms with his painful past. In general everything is against Peter, except a prison guard, Officer Brian Park (Ice T). Park is trying to improve himself, taking classes for law enforcement and psychology, and reaches out to Peter and becomes the catalyst for change.

Overall the story is interesting at its core, but the film does have some drawbacks. Most of the characters are rather one dimensional and predictable, especially in the jail: tough gangster, psychopathic killer, junkie, odd flamboyant man, corrupt guards, etc. and the prison scenes rely on stereotypes of incarceration. Also Peter's transformation come a bit too easily though viewers do grow to like him and sympathize with him so we are glad the transformation does occur.

One thing the film does try to accomplish and does rather well is showing the connection between crime and abuse. While this may be somewhat hackneyed, TRACKS does it effectively. We discover the pain of Peter's past through flashback and while he does not speak about his horrid upbringing, he doesn't try to escape it or use it as an excuse. Having the abuse occur in a somewhat affluent New Jersey suburb likewise keeps the material somewhat fresh and compelling.


5/5 Tremendous! I can't see this movie enough!
  by Alexander B. Pastewski (Burlington, VT)
I loved this film, and especially Michael Wolff. He is hilarious and I have to have every movie he is in, if it is this good.

5/5 The unheard of star
  by Andrew Pastewski (Rego Park, NY United States)
Michael Wolf was amazing in the trailer. Nothing has ever made me want to see a movie more. I'm pre-ordering two copies just to make sure one doesn't work.