WESLEY, VING SERVE HARD TIME.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic

STRIPPED-DOWN to a point where it doesn't resemble a movie so much as it does pure, chemical testosterone, ``Undisputed'' is a prison boxing drama that you wish had something more than prison and boxing on its mind.

The latest from wayward macho intellectual Walter Hill (``48HRS,'' ``The Warriors,'' ``Southern Comfort'' in the win column; ``Johnny Handsome,'' ``Last Man Standing,'' ``Extreme Prejudice'' among the losses), ``Undisputed'' harkens back to the filmmaker's first directing effort, the 1975 bare-knuckles period piece ``Hard Times.'' But that picture, besides boasting a rare good Charles Bronson performance, was witty, socially acute and packed a real, violently urgent punch. ``Undisputed'' just feels like so much belligerent posturing.

Wesley Snipes' Monroe Hutchen is a lifer in a Mojave Desert high-security institution who's the reigning champ of the California inter-prison boxing program. A speak-softly type who likes to build model pagodas out of toothpicks, he could have been a contender if he hadn't killed his girlfriend's lover in a jealous rage.

Enter George ``Iceman'' Chambers (Ving Rhames), a coherent Mike Tyson figure who's been convicted of a dubious date rape charge. Arrogant and egomaniacal, the heavyweight champ quickly establishes his star status by knocking the stuffing out of any mere murderer, arsonist or gang lord who dares to challenge him - and intimidating the warden's staff with threats of massive negative publicity should anything ill befall his royal self.

Inevitably, a big-money bout between Iceman and Monroe is set up. All that's gone before is sheer lead-up to the long, brutal ring confrontation, which is more than adequately - but less than exceptionally - staged and shot.

I think audience sympathy was meant to be with Monroe, who despite actually having killed someone is presented as a stoic, low-key individual who is only fighting to earn money for his sister and her kid. Although he's a far more interesting character - and probably innocent to boot - Iceman is treated negatively due to his in-your-teeth pride (and, presumably, the success that he's justly proud of; this is the kind of film that presumes losers are the real heroes).

I could be wrong about this, but that speaks to ``Undisputed's'' fundamental flaw: This movie is so thinly fleshed out that you don't really care about what happens to anybody in it.

UNDISPUTED - One and one half stars

(R: violence, language)

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Ving Rhames, Peter Falk, Michael Rooker.

Director: Walter Hill.

Running time: 1 hr. 35 min.

Playing: Citywide.

In a nutshell: Testosterone-drenched prison boxing drama doesn't have anything on its mind beside belligerent posturing and whaling the tar out of people.

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Wesley Snipes, as a convicted murderer, fights an epic jailhouse bout in ``Undisputed.''