Prison drama plods along

Unsurprising but watchable prison drama with Robert Redford as the battle-hardened general who has been imprisoned for disobeying orders and sending the men under his control to their doom.

Despite the fact that he just wants to serve his time and see his estranged family, Redford is soon fighting his last battle against the villainous prison warden who runs the place with an iron fist. Although you have to suspend your disbelief that Redford would immediately command the respect of his fellow inmates, the action sequences are visceral enough to warrant a mention despite the syrupy and predictable plot.

James Gandolfini - Tony Soprano to you - is the real star of the show, pulling off a detailed portrayal of the anally-retentive and vicious warden ... but after a while the blinkered pro-American battle glory of it all can get a little excessive.