Description

Steven Seagal (Belly of the Beast, Out for a Kill), the free world's most "independent" anti-terrorist agent, is going down under - not to foreign ports but submerged, under the sea, where wavesof deceit are set to torpedo his command permanently. Chris Cody (Seagal) is summoned from his military prison cell and promised a presidential pardon - with a hitch. An American Ambassador has been assassinated - by the U.S. Secret Service. Now the C.I.A. wants Cody to uncover and terminate this deadly operation, but they don't tell him the truth. Cody ends up overpowered and trapped beneath the waves but hardly out of his depth. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Actually not bad
When i first heard about this movie 6 months ago, I had little hope. It is directed by Anthony Hickox who has directed some really bad movies. The premise was originally to be about mutants being on a sub and Steven fighting them off. But they changed it to a more logical plot(very happy they did). Submerged stars Steven Seagal, and Vinnie Jones. They are the most important actors in this film. Basically Steven is a independent agent who has his own private crew and they take out the bad guys. He is called upon to deal with a scientest who created a mind controlling drug and has used it to take out the US Ambassador. Steven and the others know that something else is going to down and they must hurry and stop it!

Submerged is better then Out for a Kill, Belly of the Beast, Out of Reach and Into the Sun(which we all thought would be good). Into the Sun had a budget of $35million. This one had only $15million. But the ACTION WAS GREAT! There were 5 times more action then Into The Sun. The plot was better and so were the characters. I was happy to see such good actors. The CGI werent tops. but they got the job done. There is a good amount of action to keep the fans pleased. I know I was. Submerged is rated "R" for Strong Violence and Language. Probably the best movie he has made since Exit Wounds. In my opinion only, if this movie has a bigger budget and more known actors, this could have been Under Seige 3! It was that good. Sit back and enjoy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

One can always count on Steven Seagal to act as the repository of yesterday's action-film clichés, and Exit Wounds is yet another case in point. Seagal plays Detroit cop Orin Boyd, a lone wolf lawman who gets in the middle of his precinct's losing battle against police corruption. Taking on a powerful but crooked cop named Montini (David Vadim)--who is busy making deals with a rich gangster (DMX)--Boyd soon sends fists and feet flying while Tom Arnold provides the comic relief. Director Andrzej Bartkowiak surely had less fun guiding Seagal through slow-motion fight sequences than he did Jet Li in Romeo Must Die, but as compensation he gets to work with the mesmerizing DMX, who looks as though he has leading-man possibilities. Plenty of gratuitous gore, awful cop banter, and miles of cleavage courtesy of Jill Hennessy, who plays Boyd's tough-as-nails boss. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (108)

The best movie of 2001!
I saw the movie, then got the DVD to watch the Making Of and it was terrific. Steven Seagal reappears after taking a short break in this action packed flick with DMX, Michael Jai White (Spawn), Tom Arnold, Isaiah Washington and Anthony Anderson, who was the life of this movie. Anthony was funny, in fact I think he was the glue that kept the film and characters together.
Summary: Orin Boyd (Steven Seagal) hits rock bottom when he gets thrown out of his precinct 21 and into the worst precinct called 15. He starts off bad and gets worse making enemies from Commander Mulcahy (Jill Hennessy) all the way to the mens locker room and his nightmare begins when he busts an undercover cop called Montini and gets demoted to traffic and ends up in a rage management class where he meets Henry Wayne (Tom Arnold)a TV host, who is really annoying! (Tom was great for the part!)

So whilst all his is happening Latrell Walker (DMX) sets up another meeting with Montini to buy up alot of drugs only Latrell doesn't appear to be who he says he is. When Orin catches up with the help of his new partner George (Isaiah Washington) and Henry he learns that there are some dirty cops up to no good and he seems to be the right guy to stop them. The action scenes and stunts were terrific and I really expected something to happen between Mulcahy and Orin, but watch the movie and find out why nothing happens. Terrific all around, I wonder if they are thinking of a sequel... The title of the movie has absolutely NOTHING to do with the film and the DVD is worth the buy instead of the vhs to see the Making of and an interview with Anthony Anderson.

Once again, Tom Arnold provides comic relief.
I have to admit, I was half looking forward to this, and half not. Steven Seagal doesn't really do anything for me - whereas DMX does. Plus, Steven really annoys me, as he tends to speak really quietly, in a monotone voice, so you turn up the sound to hear exactly what he's saying - and then you have to quickly turn it down as guns start shooting, etc.

Once again, he plays a character that starts investigating things that he's never really been assigned too, and no one can stop him sticking his nose in, cos he's so threatening. He looks like a big softie, quite literally. Teamed up with a cop who can't decide whether he's good or bad - and is the first to befriend him in the new precinct - is really predictable.

What is the good thing about this movie? (Apart from DMX obviously) That a lot of the characters are from Cradle 2 The Grave - but without Steven Seagal. You've got DMX (he was better in Cradle 2 The Grave), Anthony Anderson, Tom Arnold, and probably a couple of others.

The whole story is about good cops/bad cops. And which one DMX fits into, is never really explained. (Although he's not a cop) You can never decide whether he's on the good side or the bad side.

The extras are pretty sparse on the DVD. You've got a behind the scenes tour thing with Anthony Anderson, a trailer (whoopee!), and a music video. The music video was quite impressive and surprising! DMX has 'covered' (and when I say covered, I mean sings the chorus, and then raps right the way through it) "Ain't No Sunshine", originally done by Bill Withers, and infamously known in the Notting Hill movie. While it's a good version, it's not really DMX to be covering or sampling such a song, that's so well known in another movie.

The same as at the end of Cradle 2 The Grave, Tom Arnold and Anthony Anderson, have this little scene all to themselves, which is apparently ad-libbed. (Whatever). However, it's not as funny as their scene in Cradle 2 The Grave, and gets tedious after a while.

So I've given this movie a pretty good rating, haven't I? So I've now seen two Steven Seagal movies, and I own one of them. D'ya think I can get a break? I own one, that's enough for me!

Not a thinking man's movie, but that's ok
Ok guys, for all those who thinks "Exit Wounds" is a bad movie, here's the deal; it stars Steven Seagal, you know what you're getting your self into. Why is everyone so down on this movie? Is it the "Godfather"? No. It is what it is; it aims low, but it hit's it's target. Seagal plays Detriot police officer Boyd who is transfered into a new department rife with police corruption. And so a couple of broken wrists later, Seagal is in the middle of cops he can't trust and gangsters with deeper motives. This is Seagal's best movie in a long (LONG) time. He has lost a few pounds (though he still looks pretty hefty) and quit wearing the East Asian wardrobe, which was a step in the right diection. Another right move was casting DMX. I am not a fan of his rap music, but he certainly has charisma here. I was duely impressed. Jill Hennessy is around as Boyd's commanding officer. Hennessy is a good actress (look at "Law and Order" or "Crossing Jordon"), but unfortunately she isn't givin a lot to do here; just look pretty so Seagal can gawk at her. One other note worthy cast member is Tom Arnold. Thankfully he is not on screen that much, so he dosn't have time to wear his welcome out. His talk show material during the ending credits is funny, maybe; depending on your sense of humor he may be hit and miss. The action scenes are fast, exciting, and brutial; lots of gun shot wounds (hense the title) and bone crunching martial arts moves. A word on the fighting choreography; it seems a little fake to me; too much slow motion for my taste. Like I said, it isn't high art, but it is fast paced action thriller with lots of cool fights and lots of testostorone.

Exit Wounds
This is not the typical Steven Seagal film. His fighting style is different. Recall the fights when Seagal simply broke an arm and the fight was over? In "Exit Wounds," the fights last longer. The action sequences are similar to what you'd expect in a John Woo film. DMX does a decent job of acting though none of his scenes were taxing on his acting abilities. There's plenty of action. It's funny and it's a fun film.

Simply The Best
Exit Wounds is simply one of the best Seagal movies of all time. Far better than Half Past Dead. DMX shocked me with his acting in this movie. There is a great plot that will leave you shocked at the outcome. DMX is also played as a "good guy" in this movie. There are also some parts that are fricken hilarious such as the seen when the fat guy steals Steven Seagals grill. This movie is a must see. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The success of Under Siege made a sequel mandatory according to Hollywood's rules of maximum revenue, and as sequels go, this one's not half bad. Steven Seagal returns as former Navy SEAL and skilled chef Casey Ryback, who's trying to spend quality time with his niece on a cross-country train trip. But as luck and action-movie formulas would have it, the train has been hijacked by a demented genius (Eric Bogosian) who is using the train as a moving platform to seize computerized control of a top-secret U.S. satellite that is capable of causing earthquakes from space. Seagal has to stop the train or the villain (whichever comes first), and the action is fast and furious on its way to a high-speed climax. He's not as wacky as Tommy Lee Jones in the first Under Siege, but Bogosian has got a delirious quality that serves the comic-book plot, and action fans get more than their fill of dazzling stunts and special effects. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (44)

A spectacular sequel to an action classic!
And this is a rare thing . . . a sequel that's just as superb as the original. Steven Segal is the cook again, and he boards the Grand Continental luxury express train with his niece. But trouble brews . . . a group of terrorists led by a disgruntled ex-CIA operative hijack the train to take control of a covert space satellite weapons platform, holding the passengers hostage and blackmailing the Pentagon and others into paying a huge ransom. And, of course, ex-Navy SEAL Casey Ryback(SEGAL) goes into action to stop the terrorists from causing a nuclear attack on the Pentagon with the space weapon. OK, the plot is mind candy, but this movie delivers some stunning action scenes and speeds along with a great sense of urgency as it thrills! The DVD enhances the enjoyment big style as the action comes across as more explosive, the sound effects will rock your living room! The cinematography is also nice to look at - great scenery and train footage for any railroad buffs(like me) watching. Also, if one looks at the film's climax, one could say it was inspired by a brilliant 1976 movie called THE CASSANDRA CROSSING, which I would also strongly recommend. But as far as UNDER SIEGE 2 goes, nobody beats Steven Segal in the kitchen!

I've seen it, now give it a rest!
I've always put off watching Steven Seagal movies, due to the fact that they've never really appealed to me. But after a lot of persuasion (arm being twisted up behind your back, you know, the usual), and being told to wait outside until the menus etc had passed, the start credits of the movie was met with a big "oh no!"

It doesn't really make that much sense to watch a sequel, when you haven't seen the original, so lets not go there.

The first thing I thought about this movie was that it had similarities to True Lies. In True Lies, it was Arnie-baby trying to rescue his daughter (Eliza Dushku) from the hands of an evil tyrant. In Under Seige 2, it's Steven Seagal trying to rescue his niece (Katharine Heigl). But apparently, it's just a coincidence that these two films are similar.

Eric Bogosian didn't really come across as your typical bad guy, which I thought was quite good. He looks like a wimp, one of those guys who sits staring at his computer, day in, day out. And the mop-top of curly hair just added to the whole effect.

Steven Seagal doesn't seem your typical action hero either. He doesn't seem to have the muscles that Arnie flexes constantly, nor does he have the drop dead gorgeous looks. (I'm not saying that Arnie's drop dead gorgeous, I'm just - oh never mind) Maybe he would appeal to me more if he cut off that silly ponytail (give me a pair of scissors, I'll do it gladly) and toned up a bit. And he's so deadpan! Imagine someone Botoxed up to the eyeballs, and you'll have Steven Seagal. He shows no emotion either in any of his scenes, and manages to break guys necks left, right and centre quite convincingly. In that way, he's good as the good guy. He gets rid of the bad guys, each time in a different way - although he does break three guys necks. He does set a couple of people on fire.

What I also noticed is that at the end, like True Lies, when the girl originally hated her dad/uncle, she's now all over him like a rash.

It's a shame that Peter Greene - aptly named "Mercenary #1" - has to die in this movie (one of the three who gets their neck broken). He always seems to play the bad guy, and whereas he is quite nice looking, it must be his looks that make him bad guy material.

Overall, it was an OK film, if not a little long between action scenes. Thankfully, none of it follows on from the first, so it's not like you're watching a sequel that you have to have seen the first, to understand the second. But unlike some people, I won't be going all out, and buying the Steven Seagal doll (sorry, it's NOT an action figure). When a film get released, it can sometimes have "action figures" to accompany the movie. So why was there never one to accompany The Matrix? I want to play with Keanu :) Shame it's all plastic, au naturel is so much better.

Enjoyable Obligatory Sequel
If Under Siege (US) is Die Hard on a boat, than Under Siege 2 (US2) is Die Hard on a big fancy train. US2 could also be accurately titled Under Siege Lite. A perfunctatory, though blessedly unpretentious, cashing on the success of its predecessor. The cast isn't nearly as star studded this time around and the whole production seems a bit flat. Siegal is even more blank-faced as usual as he methodically wittles away at the horde of bad guys. Siegal utilizes every possible way to kill a person in close quarters combat and then there's the inevitable explosion and the movie ends just like that.

NOT AS GOOD AS UNDER SIEGE 1, BUT...
THIS TIME, A TRAIN IS HIJACKED AND IT'S UP TO CASEY [STEVEN SEAGAL] TO SAVE THE HOSTAGES. WHILE NOT AS GOOD AS ITS PREDECESSOR, IT STILL DELIVERS NONSTOP EXCITEMENT. IT'S JUST TOO BAD THAT THIS MOVIE DOSEN'T HAVE A VILLAIN LIKE TOMMY LEE JONES. BUT STILL, THAT DOESN'T STOP THIS MOVIE FROM BEING A THRILL RIDE. AGAIN, SEAGAL FANS SHOULD BE THRILLED BY THIS MOVIE.

Entertaining
There are action movies (Schwartzenneger) and then there are Steven Seagal movies. Seagal's movies are nothing fancy. They aren't really there to make you think (although Seagal occasionally explores some right on themes like the problems facing Native Americans and the environment)in a way he's a modern day Billy Jack you might say. But one thing you can always count on with a Steven Seagal movie is even when its bad its kind of good. Generally he has great actors in his films and this one isn't an exception to that rule (i.e. Morris Chestnut, Eric Bogosian) and he always throws in some very likeable characters. And then of course there is his martial arts skills which are pretty top notch considering. This is the sequel to the very successful and superior Under Siege. But this film ain't half bad. I love the train setting. And the shootouts are pretty tight. The only really weak link to this film is the complete implausibility of the plotline. Even for most action films this one is way out there in terms of something that could possibly happen in real life. Watch the film if you're a die hard action film fan. Don't watch it if you're looking for high action art like say Terminator, Robocop, True Lies or anything remotely like that. As I said before there are Schwartzenneger films and there are Steven Seagal movies. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Steven Seagal needed a new approach to his standard head-busting heroics, so he teamed up with Keenen Ivory Wayans for this routine 1996 action flick. This time stone-faced Steve plays Los Angeles homicide detective Jack Cole, newly transplanted from New York and teamed up with Jim Campbell (Wayans). They're assigned to track down "The Family Man," a serial killer who earned his nickname by crucifying entire families and leaving religious graffiti as his calling card. The case heats up when the latest victim turns out to be Cole's ex-wife, and Cole is considered a primary suspect. That makes Seagal get really mad--you don't wanna get Seagal too upset, y'know--but he still has time to quote Buddhist wisdom and crack wise with Wayans, who plays it relatively straight as the practical half of this partnership. It's typical Seagal stuff all the way, with obligatory fight scenes every 10 minutes or so, but Seagal fans will enjoy it, and Brian Cox makes a suitably hissable villain. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Buddha Worship
"The Glimmer Man" is about a Buddhist police officer played by Steven Seagal. That's the whole movie. He teams up with Keenen Ivory Wayans and they try to look for 'The Family Man,' a serial killer who uses religion to make his mark. Steven Seagal was about to be killed by a Russian gang, but he told them, "I gotta lot of cash OR you can take plastic." He used his credit card as a weapon, how nifty is that? Another encounter involved Seagal walking into a restaurant and he caused lots of damage. All of that wine gone to waste and Seagal managed to try some of the food! He sure does enjoy food! Then Seagal fought a bald martial artist at the end of the movie and asked, "Is that the best you got!?" Yes, Steven Seagal can bring it and eat it in this movie. The duo found the killer and uncovered a deep plot involving smuggling. This movie is comedy, especially when Seagal gave Wayans a taste of powdered deer privates. It was disgusting, yet satisfyingly original! Good movie.

Typical Seagal
O.K.-- Steven Seagal was not considered for a Best Actor award for this movie (nor for any of this other flicks). This is, however, an enjoyable little movie -- you just have to get past Seagal's wooden acting, his love beads, and the huge holes in the plot. Keenen Ivory Wayans' character worked well -- he gets credit for all of the intentional humor, including one particularly funny line.

DEFINITELY NOT ORIGINAL
SEAGAL AND KEENEN IVORY WAYANS PLAY TWO COPS THAT'RE GOING AFTER A SERIAL KILLER KNOWN AS THE FAMILY MAN. SEAGAL AND WAYANS ARE DEFINITELY NOT GIBSON AND GLOVER. BUT THIS MOVIE ISN'T AND COULD NEVER BE ''LETHAL WEAPON''. SOME OF THE ACTION IS GOOD, BUT THE MOVIE'S JUST HARD TO SIT THROUGH. AT LEAST KEENEN IVORY WAYANS DOES DELIVER SOME FUNNY MOMENTS. WELL, SEAGAL HAS DONE WORSE MOVIES THAN THIS. BUT THEN AGAIN, SEAGAL HAS ALSO DONE BETTER MOVIES THAN THIS.

Steven Seagal: the name says it all!
This movie is one of my personal favorites. It keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. You had comedy, drama, suspense and action all rolled into one fantastic movie. Before this movie, I hadn't been a big fan of Keenan Ivory Wayans but he was actually very good in this film. Steven Seagal's performance was excellent and his martial art moves was over the top! I own this video and I never get tired of seeing it. It's all that and a bag of chips!!

One of my favorite Segal movies
This is one of Segal's better movies. I would rate it with Under Siege in quality. Good plot, great supporting cast. He does not inject the PC [stuff] that many of his later movies seem to have. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Steven Seagal can consider himself lucky if he ever makes a better movie than this one, which was appropriately dubbed "Die Hard on a battleship" when released in 1992. Seagal handles the heroic duties with his usual wooden efficiency, but the movie's greatest assets are a punchy script and the scene-stealing performances of Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey. The two play leaders of a terrorist group who take over the venerable battleship USS Missouri during its final commissioned voyage. They're crazed psychotics who seize control of the ship's nuclear arsenal, but they don't know that Seagal--as the ship's cook, no less--is a former Navy hero, lurking in the shadows and waiting to spoil their nefarious scheme. Director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive) helms the action with skillful style, and as the cheesecake stripper who proves handy with a hand grenade, Playboy Playmate-turned-actress Erika Eleniak gives Seagal another reason to strut his macho stuff. Under Siege is hormonal hokum for gun-happy viewers, but as action movies go, this one's a definite guilty pleasure. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Under Siege
Casey Ryback is an ex-navey seal. He's now a cook on a battle ship. The captain loves his cooking and treats him kindly. Commander Krill (Busey) on the other half hates Ryback and Ryback hates him. Casey is put in the meat locker by Commander Krill. Its the captain's birthday and they have ordered a surprise group of singers, dancers, caterers and even a stripper. But what they don't know is that commander Krill is bad and knows the pary guys. Infact the party guys are an international group of terrorists lead by Bill Strannix (Jones) and they are ready to take over the ship and blow up the U.S.A. Only Casey Ryback can stop them. An excellent action movie. Great performance by Steven Seagal, Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey! Definately one to add to your collection. Be sure to see it soon
RATED R FOR STRONG NON-STOP ACTION VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE AND NUDITY!

An amazing edge of your seat thriller
Steven Seagal (Above the Law, Under Siege 2:Dark Territory, On Deadly Ground, Fire Down Below, Out for Justice, Hard to Kill, Executive Decision) stars in this awesome action thriller directed by Andrew Davis (Above the Law, Chain Reaction, Collateral Damage) along with Tommy Lee Jones (Men in Black, Space Cowboys, Batman Forever) and Gary Busey (Lethal Weapon) As all fans know, when you see Seagal on the cover, you will get yourself a definite bloody action movie with a lot of dying and killing as well as martial arts, guns, and knives.

The story is quite simple: Steven Seagal is a cook on a military ship that is transporting missiles. He has several other helpers and friends but there is one person he hates: Gary Busey. They always get into fights for no absolute reason. Anyway, the army men and guards call for concerts and entertainment but they have made one mistake: the music company they picked are not musicians and singers, they are international terrorists led by Jones. Busey finally reveals himself as a terrorists and helps take off some guards. Soon, these terrorists brutally kill all the guards and the captain. Holding over 160 people hostage, the villains demand money and say that if the government makes one attempt to stop them, they will use the missiles on the ship to shoot them down and bomb the U.S.A! But between the midst of all that, we see that Steven Seagal has not been captured......and now it's up to him to save everyone! What, of course, follows is a gigantic barrage of guns, guts, blood, knives, bombs, grenades, martial arts, and a little nudity.

If you are a real action fan, I recommend this. I hope to see the second but I heard it wasn't so good. A good film would be Above the Law, in which Seagal and Davis work for the first time. That film also features Sharon Stone and Pam Grier. I suggest you go rent this to see if you like it but trust me: IT IS BLOODY!

Rated R for strong violence, language, and very very very brief nudity.

Pure Stupidity
This is the worst action movie ever made, with the destroying of good actors like Gary Busey & Tommy Lee Jones who usual great actors in movies but they come off as lame, this rediculous action movie, where Steven Seagal doesn't get injured, it's just bufoon going doing killing that has no plot & even worst acting,it's more like a comdedy than an action movie if you think hard enough about it

Merely average DIE HARD retread
This may be Steven Seagal's best film, but as an action film UNDER SIEGE is very average. It borrows its basic plot structure from the vastly superior DIE HARD, but while DIE HARD had a believably human and vulnerable hero in Bruce Willis' John McClane, UNDER SIEGE simply has the wooden Steven Seagal as the near-invincible Casey Ryback, the cook onboard the USS Missouri who happens to be a former Navy SEAL who has a lot of weapons expertise and the like. While McClane spent most of DIE HARD trying to get in and out of trouble with terrorists, Ryback basically spends a good majority of UNDER SIEGE simply killing them one by one in various "cool" ways. You never feel that Ryback's life is truly threatened by the bad guys---he's just a killing machine, and only head baddie William Stranix (Tommy Lee Jones, in a highly entertaining performance that brings slightly more interest than this movie deserves) truly matches up to him---and thus you never really get involved in the hero or this movie like you do in DIE HARD. You simply watch Ryback cut his path of righteous destruction in a brain-dead, gaga state (and occasionally laugh at some of Seagal's line readings), and while you are occasionally entertained, you might realize how dumb this movie truly is.

Some people, of course, don't mind occasional no-brainer entertainment like this. Believe me, I enjoy the occasional brainless action film, just as long as it has an involving plot, entertaining characters, and good action scenes. UNDER SIEGE only half-delivers---its plot never truly involved me; the main bad guys (Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey) are a lot more entertaining than its hero; and the action scenes, for the most part, are just average (except for that marvelous knife fight at the end). In short, UNDER SIEGE is a pretty stupid movie, and if you're looking for truly great, even intelligent action entertainment, you would do best to look elsewhere. Heck, even this film's sequel, UNDER SIEGE 2, is slightly more entertaining than this! Skip it.

Die Hard on a Battleship
Steven Seagal's best movie and a superior action flick in its own right. Seagal's acting can generously be described as "understated". However, he is very convincing as a one man wrecking ball. The production value is excellent, as no expense was spared on the casting and action scenes. Busey and Jones eat up the screen in deliberately hammy performances and Erica Eleniak is hot. Definitely worth repeated viewing. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Thrilling, best in it's genre...
This movie is among the the best and most thrilling of the post Harry Callihan, 1980's genre of cop movies. As Nico Toscani, a naturally macho yet morally upright and skilled cop (who is also ex-CIA and former Aikido instructor), Seagal is impressive and yet so refreshingly believable. The short martial arts action sequences are first rate - no drawn out Hong Kong formula stuff. The cafe jazz music score is memorable and rightly paced for the exciting car tailing sequences through downtown Chicago.

Nico Toscani's Sicilian background adds to the color of the drama. There are even hints of his family background being not too far removed from the wiseguys. I mentioned Nico being macho. I'd like to qualify this by saying that he's not devoid of charm and his role is less one-dimentional than one would expect. The tough-guy persona is just a facade for an individual with strong convictions and a democratic political outlook. Equally competent is Nico's partner, Delores Jackson, played candidly by the veteran Pam Grier. The main villain, the pure evil CIA doctor Zagon, is played by the veteran villain actor Henry Silva.

Don't expect any critics' choice awards for this movie, because the script does have its share of cliches. Seagal plays a cop who is on to something very big, defies higher authority and, as expected, is taken off the case - like in so many other cop movies of the genre. The outcome is predictable. You know that good is going to triumph over evil in this movie. Despite it's predictability, the plot is fresh and to a great extent realistic. Most importantly it's entertaining.

There are surprisingly bold political statements made in this movie about the dubious role played by the CIA in the affairs of many a third world country. These statements are not too far fetched and must never be underplayed when you consider the "blowback" - CIA jargon for repercussions - being felt to this day. There are far too few movies being made these days that hold the government accountable. Unfortunately it's usually the ordinary citizen who becomes the indirect victim to the follies of an agency whose modus operandii includes criminal conduct and whose agents operate "Above the Law".

The impressive and ship-shape Seagal in this movie inspires you to ditch your six-pack of beer for a six-pack of Gatorade. He inspires you to reach into your closet for your old karate uniform or gym gear and to whip yourself back into physical and mental shape. Too bad Seagal has physically floundered since then. He does have the potential to stay there. One would hope that he would take his cues from Eastwood and Bronson, both of whose careers have had them stay in shape and play lead roles well into their sixties and seventies.

First and (easily) Best Seagal Movie
Once upon a time, an ex-CIA martial arts master quit the CIA and wrote a movie with a new plot but a character that seemed a lot like the writer

Steven Seagal is best known for his action movies, in particular the parts where he does his hand to hand thing. In his case, he's an aikido expert, and that's hard to explain. Most martial arts movies talk about Kung Fu and Tae Kwan Do where people punch and kick and you can generally tell what's going on. Aikido, on the other hand, is about redirecting an opponent, making him basically want to fall down. In the movie, it looks a lot like a bad guy rushes as Seagal, he touches them with his little finger and then they decide to throw themselves in the air in ways you thought were impossible. The moves take, oh, about two seconds to perform, with Seagal's part being only about 2 microseconds. If you want to watch Seagal in classic aikido action, be prepared to pause, slow motion and rewind. It's amazing looking and absolutley bizzare (since being marveled by the movie, i have gone out and studied aikido, and it seems even more impressive, although realistic, now)

The movie's about an ex-CIA officer turned Chicago cop (and, in my opinion, an extremely unlikeable one; that macho Italian family man thing to me just looks like a dull-witted bully control freak). He runs into some old CIA friends from 'nam who are doing naughty things

This movie has a plot, and a darn good one at that. It's a very, very interesting movie, much unlike, say, all the big budget movies he did after this one. While his later movies are bad jokes, new age mantras and B-movies, this one is really, really good. There are only a realistic number of fight scenes (gosh, i wish there were more, but that would have changed it from a drama to an action film, which this really isn't), but they are wonderful

Bottom line, this movie is awesome. i don't know if Seagal wrote and directed the later films he did (he was close to a one man production company on this one), but i wish he'd turn down those big budget formula films he's been doing and go back to doing the realistic, semi-autobiographical films like this one. He's mostly considered a joke now, but when this movie came out, when he was Seagal the writer and not Seagal the action hero, he was revered, and for good reason

Seagals explodes into cinema!!!
Great score, great story, great action. This is Seagals best film next to Under Seige. Too bad he fizzeled out after a coupla good ones. Charles Bronson remains King of the genre. Check out The Mechanic and Death Wish 2 and 4....

SEAGAL'S FIRST MOVIE IS NOT TO BE MISSED!
A COP [STEVEN SEAGAL] BATTLES POLICE CORRUPTION AND DRUG DEALING. THIS WAS SEAGAL'S FIRST MOVIE. IT HAS SOME VERY GOOD ACTION SCENES. THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL MOVIE FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES TO COLLECT SEAGAL MOVIES OR ACTION MOVIES IN GENERAL. THIS MOVIE IS ALSO GOOD FOR ANOTHER THING, IT SHOWS US THE OLD STEVEN SEAGAL WHO LOOKED TOUGHER AND WAS IN BETTER SHAPE, UNLIKE TODAY.
I ADVISE ALL ACTION FANS TO ADD THIS TO THEIR COLLECTION NOW!

typical but decent
It's always fun to watch Steven Seagal beat [up] 10 people at once, then start running like a 5 year old girl. Yes this is a cheesey action movie with all the usual formulas, but Seagal seems to be a better actor than people like Chuck Norris, Vann Damme, Arnold, and Sly. His wisecracking remarks are definitely better than all the stupid one-liners in those other guys' movies. This was Seagal's first movie. If you've never seen one of his movies, this would probably be the best one to star with. Also a great supporting cast like Henry Silva (what a suprise, he's the lead villian!) Chelcie Ross (Harris from Major League) Pam Grier, Sharon Stone (she can't act, but she's okay here), and those same 2 cops that are in all the other movies filmed in Chicago. (The Fugitive, Code Of Silence, etc) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Here's a movie that only a Steven Seagal fan could love. It's not nearly as good as Under Siege (the movie destined to remain Seagal's high-water mark), but not any worse than Above the Law. This time ol' Steve is an agent of the Environmental Protection Agency who's busting heads in Kentucky. He's on good terms with the local yokels (including Marg Helgenberger and Harry Dean Stanton), but locks horns with a slimy mogul (Kris Kristofferson) who's using abandoned mines to dump toxic waste. Along with an ecological message, Seagal serves up several broken limbs, cracked skulls, and bloody noses, and he even finds time to do some guitar picking with country boys such as Travis Tritt and Randy Travis. Once you've heard Seagal crooning a country tune, you'll be eager to see him go back to whuppin' the bad guys. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Screwface is Dead!
You take a Jamaican druglord named Screwface and you take the funniest, laziest action star named Steven Seagal and you have ingredients to real comedy. Seagal shoots a woman in a rotten country and is ashamed to be a police officer. Hey, he shouldn't feel bad after she killed his partner. Well, Seagal goes back to America and looks for his family and friends. In town, a druglord takes advantage of children and sells them drugs. Oh, that doesn't fly with this genius. Seagal takes matters into his own hands when his niece is shot. Major bone snappage! The fight in the jewelry store is hilarious and Seagal fights Screwface in Jamaica! Eye gouges and decapitation. Distasteful! But, wait, there's another Screwface in Los Angeles, they're twins. What a plot twist. "Screwface is dead, so you can get the freak out of town!" Seagal gives this brother more pain with a back snap, gouge, and thrown down an elevator shaft. It was the most disturbing thing I have ever seen. Pure comedy.

Seagal at his best
Marked for Death is by far Steven Seagals best film. John Hatcher(seagal) has just retired from the Drug Enforcement Agency after his partner dies on a case. When a Jamaican Drug Posse marks seagals family for death, seagal realizes that he needs to pay them back, with interest. Seagal, teamed up with a jamaican cop and an old friend of his, to teach the posse that there's just some families that you don't mess with. If you don't like car chases, snapped arms and heads being chopped off, this movie isn't for you. Its's to bad they don't make action movies this great anymore.

NOT REALLY ALL THAT GOOD
A FORMER COP [STEVEN SEAGAL] GOES AFTER SOME LOCAL JAMAICAN DRUG DEALERS. THIS WAS AN UTTERLY DISSAPOINTING FILM, BEING THAT ''ABOVE THE LAW'' WAS SO GOOD. HAS THE USUAL SHOOTOUTS AND THE USUAL CAR CHASES THAT ONE WOULD EXPECT TO FIND IN A STEVEN SEAGAL MOVIE. DIEHARD SEAGAL FANS [WHICH IS WHAT I AM, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT] MIGHT LIKE IT. OTHERS SHOULDN'T EVEN WASTE THEIR TIME.

The last of his (non-Under Siege) good ones
As someone else said (probably on this website), S Seagal probably became a parody of himself faster than any other action hero of our time. Other than the "Under Siege" pairing, Marked for Death was, to my mind the last really great movie he did.

It is Seagal at his brutal best. As the Editorial Review says, he plays a disillusioned former DEA agent, who comes back home), to find his neighborhood being ravaged by a group of Jamaicans and their drug trade. Seagal cleans it up the situation as only he could: blasting a handful of the bad guys away with pistol and shotgun, and beating the rest savagely.

This movie, like his premier "Above the Law", has some of his technically most proficient Aikido, particularly after he crashes his car into a department store and then takes on about four adversaries in a randori, or challenge of one defender against multiple attackers.

Of course, it would not be some shattering news to reveal here that in the end, Seagal prevails over the leader of this drug posse, nicknamed Screwface (the name comes from a Bob Marley song). They fight with swords, bottles, and ultimately hands. But the climactic fight is equally brutal as it is final.

It was not nominated in the "Best Movie" category. It is not particularly thought provoking. But what it is is an action movie. And as that, it is worth the price of admission.

You want arms being snapped in two? Right here.
This was Seagal's third film, I believe, and he was really in his 'prime'. This flick has the kind of bone-crunching action you demand from the genre.

Seagal plays a cop taking on some scary Jamaican drug lords. They're into voodoo or something, Seagal gets his Mustang wrecked, and before the end, a lot of arms and wrists are going to be snapped like so many twigs.

What has happened to Seagal? In this movie his fight scenes are pretty good. They had perfected the Seagal film formula by this point and would follow it with the equally brutal Out for Justice. This was before the filmmakers had to extensively doctor the fight scenes with camera tricks like fast motion and telephoto lenses in order to disguise the fact that Seagal had become old, fat, and completely out of shape.

Seagal's last few films have gone straight to DVD and they are absolutely appalling, yes, even for a Seagal film. Marked for Death is a actually good for what it is. Compare it to something like Ticker or Out for a Kill and see how the mighty have fallen. Seagal's IHOP excesses have destroyed him. Watch Marked for Death to see him in all of his bullying, macho glory. ... Read more

Description

Hollywood action star Steven Seagal (EXECUTIVE DECISION, GLIMMER MAN) provides big-screen heroics in this exciting, nonstop hard-hitting thriller where every second counts! Dr. Wesley McClaren was the government's top immunologist before giving it all up for a quiet practice in a small Montana community. But the peace is abruptly shattered when a violent extremist group unleashes a rapidly spreading lethal biological agent and takes over the town! As more and more people die from a baffling illness, the edge-of-your-seat suspense only intensifies as McClaren races to outsmart the militia men and find a cure before the insidious disease spreads worldwide! ... Read more

Reviews (46)

not exciting
This is one of Seagal's lesser efforts. All actors end up in some clunkers and this is one of Steven's. I feel he's been in 12 great movies and so it's not unusual to have some duds. The Patriot, The Foreigner, Out For A Kill, and Ticker are duds, but the other dozen films are worth a look and fun stuff.

BETTER THAN ''OUT FOR A KILL''? SH*T!
A DOCTOR MUST STOP A DEADLY DISEASE FROM KILLING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. LET ME JUST ASK THIS, JUST WHO IN THE F*** CARES? THE SUPRISINGLY LOW AMOUNT OF ACTION JUST STOPS THIS MOVIE DEAD IN IT'S TRACKS. SEAGAL SPENDS 95% OF THIS MOVIE TALKING TO PEOPLE. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST PATHETIC EXCUSES FOR A MOVIE! THIS MAKES ''FIRE DOWN BELOW'' SEEM LIKE ''UNDER SIEGE''! STEVEN SEAGAL FANS WILL BE ULTIMATELY DISSAPOINTED BY THIS MOVIE. STEVEN SEAGAL SHOULD FIRST BEAT THE SCREENPLAY WRITER'S A** FOR GIVING HIM THE WORST MATERIAL OF HIS CAREER. AND SEAGAL SHOULD THEN BEAT THE DIRECTOR'S A** FOR RELEASING THIS EMBARRASING MOVIE. THIS MOVIE AIN'T EVEN WORTH RENTING! IT'S MOVIES LIKE THIS THAT CAN KILL A MOVIE STAR'S CAREER. PLEASE, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIS MOVIE. AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS MOVIE. I SEE WHY THIS PARTICULAR MOVIE WAS NEVER PUT IN THEATRES.

Where is the action?
Good story, decent acting, well shot, great score...BUT...Where is the action? Pretty weak and anti-climactic ending.

It's no "Out For Justice" but better than "Out For A Kill"
Not a lot of action. Not a lot of fights. Not much of anything. Just a bunch of extemists spreading a virus in a small Montana town. But how lucky that town is. There happens to be a martial arts expert who also finds cures for diseases who lives in that town. Steven Seagal looks pretty bored most of the time. It has some minor suspenseful moments here and there. You probably won't go bragging to your friends about how great this movie was. This movies best performance was by the head baddie, Gailard Sartain. (Hollywood Knights, The Real McCoy) He seemed to fit the charactor perfectly.
Definitely not one of Steven Seagal's best. As far as I know, this movie didn't win an Academy Award for best picture, or best screenplay. At least it's better than most Van Damme movies.

Very poorly made!
In this film Steven Seagal rides around in prairies and visits a secret underground lab to save the world from a viral weapon created by the government. However, the world isn't Earth, because it'd never happen in such a ridiculous way on Earth. For example, at one point the good guys want to distribute a helpful substance to the population. So do they package it in bags and hand it out, or have people come to a station to pick some up? No, they sprinkle it across the town from a helicopter. Good idea!

There's almost no subtlety in this film, even when it's really called for. No plot twist comes off as inventive or even interesting, and many outcomes are very easily guessed. There was one moment of anticipation that turned out opposite from how you'd expect, but even that was just sort of cheesy. Character development is pretty much limited to identifying which stereotype a person falls into (disgruntled idealist, concerned doctor, wise native, etc), so that without plot or characters, action is left as the selling point of the film. The action's almost non-existant, and very sporadic. It more or less consists of Seagal occasionally needing to distract a person, grab their gun, and knock them unconscious. And finally, the film's dramatic scenes are poorly done, as they're either really standard and not very forceful at all, or they're done in a strange way that minimizes their effect (for example a potentially thought-provoking scene at the end that's just sort of done in a sappy way). Poorly made. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Steven Seagal's acting sucks
I couldn't take it for more than 1/2 hour or so. Steven Seagal calls himself an actor? Basically, he just sits with a face competely void of any expression, and speaks in a monotone. A newsreader can do better than that.

Ain't got a Scooby
Some spoilers btw.

This DVD has a major flaw. More than half the film's dialogue is in Japanese and the DVD does not have subtitles automatically burned into the screen. You have to turn them on, thus subtitling the English dialogue too. Of course, I only figured this out after watching the whole film and not understanding a single thing about it.

Still, no subtitles can explain the utterly pointless opening scene that contributes nothing to the rest of the film or what purpose the FBI 'sidekick' character Sean (Matthew Davis) served or why he was killed for finding a severed pinkie which the bad guy clearly did not want as he chucked it in a bucket right away. Why was Seagal's girlfriend killed? What was the point in killing them if it didn't even motivate Seagal into actually doing something other than going from place to place asking questions, and getting answers, in Japanese. What was the main story? Why is he wearing an M-60 with grenade launcher on his back on the cover when it makes no appearance in the film? Who was that lady following Seagal around? My god, it's such a poorly written and poorly told story I can hardly believe it.

I have liked none of Seagal's non-American movies of late. The Foriegner was one of the worst film's have ever seen. But this film does have strong production values, a more mainstream production team and a slightly cool final scene with bad guys getting chopped up and stuff but I still wouldn't recommend renting it, especially since the DVD is messed up and it's nowhere near as good as his older movies like Out for Justice or Under Siege 2.

The DVD is in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound and some pretty heavy punches during the fight scenes.

Note to non-cockneys. Scooby=Scooby Doo=Clue

BETTER THAN KILL BILL -SEAGALS BEST
THIS IS DEFINITLY SEAGALS BEST MOVIE.WONDERFUL FILMED;PRETTY SWORD AND ACTION SCENES;BLOODY SHOOTOUTS AND A GOOD STORYLINE
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST THE CREDIT SONG SUNG BY HIMSELF:

THIS IS NOT A CHECK IT OUT MOVIE - THIS IS A MUST HAVE!!!!!!

I WATCHED IT MORE THAN 30 TIMES and the movie get better and better!

A NEW YEAR, A NEW DIRECT-TO-VIDEO SEAGAL FLICK: 2.5 STARS
AN EX CIA AGENT [STEVEN SEAGAL] INVESTIGATES THE MURDER OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNOR, WHICH WAS PURPETRATED BY THE YAKUZA. AS A STEVEN SEAGAL FAN, I WENT INTO THIS ONE WITH A LITTLE SENSE OF HOPE. BUT, AFTER SEEING THIS ONE, I WAS A LITTLE DISSAPOINTED. YOU CAN'T HELP BUT ASK YOURSELF DIDN'T YOU MOSTLY SEE THIS MOVIE BEFORE? JUDGING FROM THE WAY THAT STEVEN SEAGAL WEARS THE SAME CLOTHES IN ALMOST ALL OF HIS MOVIES NOWADAYS, HIS MOVIES MUST NOT BE GETTING TOO MUCH TIME PUT INTO THEM. ANYWAYS, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE POSITIVES OF THE FILM: IT DOES HAVE A DECENT STORY, BEING THAT THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF SEAGAL'S STRAIGHT-TO-VIDEO EFFORTS AND THERE IS SOME GOOD ACTION THROUGHOUT THE FILM. IF IT JUST WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN MY INTEREST FOR ENOUGH OF ITS RUNNING TIME, I MIGHT'VE GIVEN THIS MOVIE POSSIBLY 3 OR EVEN 4 STARS. I'D ADVISE MOST ACTION FANS TO GO FOR THIS ONE IF THEY NEED A MOVIE TO RENT TO KILL SOME TIME. BUT, FOR A BETTER SEAGAL STRAIGHT-TO-VIDEO MOVIE, GET BELLY OF THE BEAST.

over and over again
Once again Segall is a renagade c.i.a. man who has retired. But they keep calling him back to duty. This time the governer of Japan gets killed. Segall goes in and starts to kill the Yakasua.
Alot of sub-titles in the movie which was shot overseas, so many of his co-stars are from Japan. Segall must not be credible in Hollwood any more. Its an o.k. movie I guess but, his flicks have taken a big downward turn in recent years. One note: if you have a home theater the dolby 5.1 soundtrack was quite good. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Despite critical roasting and a blink-and-you-missed it theatrical release, Half Past Dead is surprisingly not half bad. Once you recognize this bastard child's recent action-flick heritage (The Rock being the most obvious of a dozen pilfered plot lines), you can kick back and enjoy the unexpected perks that arise when a deep-cover FBI sleuth (Steven Seagal) accompanies a convicted crook (rapper Ja Rule) into "New Alcatraz" prison. A death-row killer (Bruce Weitz) sits on a $200 million goldmine, keeping his secret as a bargaining chip when criminal commandos (led by the ever-cool Morris Chestnut) drop in for a lethally greedy raid. After cutting his teeth on trashy, short-lived TV series, director Don Michael Paul can't do much to help the puffy, career-tanking Seagal, but he's got lively allies in Ja Rule and alleged "has-been" Nia Peeples (forget Lara Croft, this babe rocks), and even legendary action-TV producer Stephen J. Cannell drops in for a cameo. Derivative from the get-go, but fun just the same. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Not half bad...
Half Past Dead, is a reasonably entertaining, comic book level, action flick. While no masterpiece, it does have its moments, and some pleasant surprises. Action veteran Steven Seagal heads a diverse cast, and though we don't see too much of his trademark fighting style, he delivers a solid performance, with perhaps a bit more depth of character than usual.

Seagal is Sasha Petrosevitch, an undercover FBI agent, working to gain the confidence of Nick, a big time car thief, played by rapper Ja Rule. After a confrontation with the FBI, both men are incarcerated on Alcatraz. Bruce Weitz (Hill Street Blues) is Lester McKenna, a prisoner who has stolen and hidden 20 million in gold bullion. On death row, he is about to be executed, when the prison is invaded by the "49ers", a group of criminals who want McKenna to reveal the gold's location. Morris Chestnut is Donnie Johnson (49er One), the group's charismatic and ruthless leader. His second in command is 49er Six, played with style and panache, by the explosive and sexy Nia Peeples. Johnson's plans need to be adjusted, when the inmates get involved.

Actor/Writer/Director Don Michael Paul provides an informative commentary that stresses and details, the trials and tribulations of bringing this low budget production to the screen. Paul's screenplay was originally written years before, but was shelved because of similarity to Jerry Bruckheimer's film, "The Rock". Rewritten to incorporate modern elements of hip-hop culture, Paul explains that his goal was to produce a fast paced film, with a stylized music video vibe. His big screen directorial debut was filmed primarily in Berlin, shortly after the 9/11 incident. Despite the monetary difficulties, the film delivers some decent action scenes, with enough of a plot to hold things together. Rated PG-13, it contains massive amounts of gunfire and violence, punctuated by a rap and metal soundtrack.

Ja Rule's performance is quirky, and he does a passable job in his action scenes. Morris Chestnut makes an eloquent and intelligent villain. Linda Thorson, as a Supreme Court Judge, and Bruce Weitz, are not bad. Supporting characters played by Claudia Christian, Tony Plana, and the rapper Kurupt, are less developed and more one-dimensional.

Nia Peeples is a suprisingly impressive bad girl. Costumed in a tight black outfit, her look combines elements from The Crow, and The Matrix. Peeples looks great carrying a gun, and performs most of her own fight scenes. Her background as a dancer is put to good use, as her flashy fighting style primarily features kicking and jumping, bringing an edge to the proceedings.

As for Steven Seagal, this film, like Exit Wounds, seeks to build some ties with hip-hop culture. His character is troubled, reflective, and a bit restrained, taking the back seat at times to others. He doesn't engage in much hand to hand, and editing makes his fight scenes flow. Those looking for old school Steven, may be disappointed, but the reality is that time catches up with all of us. Nonetheless, Seagal carries the film, making it an enjoyable and entertaining escape for action film aficionados.

Seagal's Career
The title of the movie does not refer to Seagal's career. Those mean critics need to go away! "Half Past Dead" stars Steven Seagal as Sascha Petrosevitch, an undercover agent who goes into Alcatraz by mistake? Who knows. Nick (Ja Rule) tells him to say, 'ay-eet' not 'aight.' Get it right lordage. They are imprisoned in the New Alcatraz where a band of criminals break into the prison to find two million dollars of U.S. gold. Ok? Who cares. All that should matter to a fan of Steven Seagal's is that he takes care of business. Major flippage. One person must've flipped four times in the air before hitting the ground. Pure ability. How can that helicopter hold so much weight? Nia Peeples can kick some rear after working with Chuck Norris on "Walker, Texas Ranger." That bellboy from "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory" is back and plays an over-the-top mastermind. Yes, Seagal's presence is enlightening to everybody in the room. I liked how Kurupt took matters into his own hands and jumped off the third floor without a rope, 'comprende this!' This movie is comedy. Lordage.

excellent
this movie i would say is excellent. since this movie has alot of action.

great movie
thsi was such a great movie. since this movie is action packed.

da best
this is by far the best movie i have ever seen. since this movie has great acting. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After making his action-hero debut in 1988's Above the Law, Steven Seagal followed up with this typically formulaic action thriller, in which the ponytailed crime fighter is shot full of bullets and left for dead after he uncovers a powerful circle of corrupt politicians. After seven years in a coma, he returns to consciousness and is nursed back to health by--surprise, surprise!--a gorgeous woman, played by Seagal's then wife Kelly ("don't hate me because I'm beautiful") LeBrock. Once in peak condition, snarlin' Steve sets out to satisfy his hearty appetite for revenge, and the bone-crunching action kicks into high gear with the requisite chases, hand-to-hand combat, and escalating body count. This is one of Seagal's best vehicles, establishing the star's screen persona before it grew stale in later films. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (19)

THE GOOD OL DAYS OF STEVEN SEAGAL
AFTER SPENDING 7 YEARS IN A COMA, A COP [STEVEN SEAGAL] GOES AFTER SOME CORRUPT PEOPLE THAT KILLED HIS WIFE. THIS MOVIE SHOWS THE OLD STEVEN SEAGAL THAT ACTION FANS REMEMBER AND LOVE. THIS MOVIE HAS GOOD ACTION AND A LOT OF EXCITEMENT, WHICH IS MISSING FROM A LOT OF SEAGAL'S RECENT MOVIES. FOR FANS OF SEAGAL, THIS SHOULD BE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE.

Best Seagal flick of all time
Many reviewers will not give credit where credit is due. Seagal is a master in his art, and a good actor with great on screen presence. Hard to Kill is Seagal's best film ever. This is an action film, when was the last time an action film was supposed to be completely realistic. In this movie Seagal's character is Mason Storm, a high ranking detective who is violently murdered along with his wife by hitmen (fellow LAPD detectives) whom are corrupt and close-knit with an up and coming senatorial candidate Vernon Trent, after he learns of Seagal secretly taping a planned hit of his while undercover at a dock (beginning of the movie). The bad guys think Storm is dead when he suddenly appears to be alive but in a coma. Storm's best bud and fellow detective keeps it a secret for 7 years until Storm awakens from the coma. From there it's pure action as he both tries to escape the grasps of the bad guys once again and heal, and deliver some much deserved payback. Hence the name "Hard to Kill". To any Seagal fanatic, this is his best film ever, hands down. Everyone else who is just an action movie buff might not think so, but then they truly don't understand what Seagal is all about including his great martial arts backround and poise. This flick is great suspense and adreneline with a stupendous story, so grab the nachos, popcorn, snowcaps, goobers, sodapop or whatever, and hit the lazyboy and relax, and get ready to see an awesome film. If you're new to Seagal, start with his first flick "Above the Law", then this one, and go from there. If you want to see a most horrible Seagal film, see one of his latest flicks "Half Past Dead" Seagal gets a bad rap due to his more recent films in the mid 90's till now when he gained a lot of weight and picked and directed bad scripts and screenwrites while resting on his early accomplishments. Hard to Kill, however is pure action, and you can take that to the bank!

Hard to Watch...
Don't get me wrong, I love these types of films but this one took WAY too long to get going. Once it did nothing great really happened. LOTS of broken wrists and arms but no really interesting action sequences. This director is no substitute for Andrew Davis. From what I've seen of Seagals movies, I rate Under Seige and Above the Law as his finest moments, and both were under the direction of Andrew Davis...

Great Action Scenes!
Hard to Kill is an entertaining movie filled with some very impressve action scenes, ok acting and an interesting story though sometimes the dialogue is a little corny but the action scenes are the best part of the movie and I recommend Hard to Kill to fans of action movies.

Not what I remembered, but...
I had these memories of Hard to Kill being an awesome movie. Back in the late 80's it was, but according to today's standards it's pretty tame stuff. Maybe we're all spoiled. I no longer consider this one of his best movies (-1 star). I liked him in The Patriot and Glimmer Man, for instance. Nevertheless, this movie has a place in action film history. Back in the late 80's, early 90's Steven Seagal was the premiere action star. So this movie is a must-have as one of the better Seagal films (4 stars). It's a classic action film of days gone by. Although you can still see Seagal in his latest efforts playing the same role, this file was his second and was one of the two that put him at the top. ... Read more

Description

An Alaskan oil worker is left to die in the Arctic wilderness after threatening to go public about unsafe drilling practices.Ultimately, he plots his revenge after being rescued by a tribe of Eskimos. ... Read more

Reviews (43)

A movie that barely gets off the deadly ground
"On Deadly Ground" is definitely not one of Steven Seagal's best movies. In this movie, he stars as an oil rig worker who is environmentally concerned, and he ends up going against his employer who is searching for him.

"On Deadly Ground" does have a plot, but not that great of one and that's really where the movie suffers. If it would've had a better storyline, it could've been a great movie. The action and fighting sequences in the movie are well done. It also has good special effects. The scenery in the movie is another good thing about it with the snowcapped mountains all through the movie.

All in all, "On Deadly Ground" does have some mildly entertaining action sequences, but overall it's just an average movie. I'd recommend getting other Steven Seagal movies such as either one of the "Under Siege" movies before I'd recommend getting this one.

Seagal to World: "Love nature, or I'll kill you."
Seagal or Van Damme?
That's like asking, spastic colon or dysentery?
Unless you're 9 years old, this is worthless debate. They both appear in terrible movies. Van Damme flexes and kicks people in the head (tossing in the splits at some point) and Seagal squints, runs like a girl, and fights dozens of bad guys who move with the reflexes of a tackling dummy.

What really singles out ON DEADLY GROUND is that a real actor, in this case Michael Caine, appears in the film. Here's a new debate for everyone: which check made Michael Caine feel the most "dirty": ON DEADLY GROUND or JAWS: THE REVENGE?

The one truly inspired moment of this film comes at the very end. After decimating an army of thugs and blowing up an Alaskan oil refinery that resembles an earthbound version of the Death Star, Seagal appears at a press conference to lecture us ON SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT! No kidding. He single-handedly destroys our 49th state and then warns us about the threat of pollution.

If you really want to see an impassioned anti-pollution film featuring a hero of limitid acting range, then seek out GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER. The Big G was onto the environment message years before Seagal started polluting the screen.

Packing On Deadly Pounds
After making his most successful film in 1992 (Under Siege) Seagal was then given the power to produce and direct a film. Audiences are still suffering today.

Seagal starred in some quick but competent cop on a mission flicks in the late 80s and early 90s. Then something happened. He got power, and he decided he wanted to make a statement. This is rarely a good idea for actors, specifically action movie stars with ponytails.

In this one, Seagal is fighting the evil oil industry. A massive oil company is up to some shananagins in Alaska, and it's up to Seagal as an EPA agent (with a shadowy background) to stop these injustices.

Seagal's solution to the violence and environmentally unsound practices of the company is to kill a number of people and then cause more environmental damage by blowing up a pricey oil rig. The company is headed by none other than Michael Caine, who is sporting oil-black hair and some ridiculous rubber-face makeup. Caine makes the film worthwhile for those who are morbid enough to watch a fine actor's most shameless hour.

I believe, most of the time, that bad movies are not born but made. Seagal may feel that the oil industry is shafting the people, and he is likely right, but the form his statement takes is ludicrous even if he doesn't realize it. Actually, Seagal probably believes he's making an important statement and serious film (while satisfynig fans) and this sincerity is what makes it all the more laughable.

The film is appalling in most respects, but it offers the violence you came to see. Seagal was just plain fat by this point (though he would, in fact, get fatter) but it doesn't stop him from dispatching all level of minion from Caine.

Seagal finally lost it when he made a speech during the finale that denounced the practices of the oil industry. Honestly, the guy might be sincere, and he actually has valid points (there is doubtlessly shady business happening with respects to oil in the world) but his forum is questionable.

The plot has many holes, the victims have holes, Seagal is fat, there is a spiritual angle that exploits typical conceptions of Eskimos and Native Americans and Michael Caine is priceless.

Simply a must for the bad movie addict, this is astonishingly not even close to Seagal's worse. Now that is a real achievement.

SEAGAL TRYS TO ACTUALLY SERVE A PURPOSE
I ALREADY DIDN'T EXPECT MUSCH OUT OF THIS MOVIE, BEING THAT SEAGAL HIMSELF DIRECTED IT. BUT CMON, THIS WAS STRAIGHT UP TERRIBLE! A MAN MUST STOP AN OIL TYCOON FROM TURNING ALSAKA INTO ONE BIG ECOLOGICAL DISASTER. THIS MOVIE'S BIG ON ENVIROMENTAL MESSAGES, BUT VERY SHORT ON THRILLS. I GUESS SEAGAL TRYED TO DO AN ACTION MOVIE THAT SERVED A PUPROSE, WELL, HE FAILED MISERABLY. I KNOW SEAGAL CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS.

Better than Marked for Death
Without a doubt, On Deadly Ground is Steven Seagal's funniest movie to date. Of course, with his directorial debut, Seagal decided to make a movie completely about his political views. As a result, we find ourselves facing not only a bad action flick, but also a lecture about saving the environment at the end of the movie. Other memorable moments include the famous barfight scene where Seagal beats an oil worker beyond recognition, then poses the philosophical question, "What does it take to change the essence of a man?" After recieving the correct response of "time" from his adversary, Steven pats his new friend on the shoulder and moves on to the next scene. What did I learn from watching this movie? Explosions will extinguish fires, oil rigs would constantly be on fire if it weren't for a special device called a "preventer," and that Steven Seagal can actually make a movie that is funnier than Marked for Death using his own directing talent. ... Read more

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Steven Seagal gets killed during the first 20 minutes of this enjoyable thriller, so the movie scores points for ingenuity because it immediately improves when you realize that Seagal's role is just a heroic cameo. That leaves Kurt Russell to star as an American intelligence expert who (due to Seagal's untimely demise) finds himself leading a strike force against Islamic terrorists who have seized in-flight control of a 747 jetliner with 400 passengers. It's not all that different from Air Force One, but the formula story perks right along with considerable suspense as Russell's cohorts (Oliver Platt, Joe Morton) try to defuse a chemical bomb that could wipe out (you guessed it) the entire Eastern seaboard. John Leguizamo plays one of the U.S. commandos attempting to stop the violent hijackers, and Halle Berry costars as a flight attendant who risks her life to assist Russell's rescue team. As action movies go, Executive Decision marked an impressive directorial debut for veteran film editor Stuart Baird. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (60)

The best airborne action film since Airport
I don't watch a lot of "contemporary action" flicks, but this one is really good. To me, its scenario of a jetliner being used as a weapon of terror has an eerie prescience that lends a touch of horror and plausibility that its makers, back in 1996, probably didn't anticipate. Kurt Russell plays Dr. Donald Grant, a think-tanker who, through a series of plot twists, finds himself, along with a technical engineer (Oliver Platt) and a special-forces team (John Leguizamo, Joe Morton, B. D. Wong, Whip Hubley), secretly boarding a 747 that has been hijacked by a fanatic Islamic terrorist (David Suchet) and his band--most of whom don't have a clue about his secret agenda, a nerve-gas bomb whose presence Grant has deduced from his studies of the perp. Their mission: find and disarm the bomb and take down the terrorists before they can slaughter the entire East Coast. With the help of a stewardess (Halle Berry) and a plainclothes air marshal (Richard Riehle), they do both, only to find that the pilots have been killed and Grant, who's never flown anything bigger than a single-engine Cessna, must get the damaged liner down safely. The tension keeps ratcheting up steadily as complications are tossed into the Americans' path: the loss of their leader (Steven Seagal) and much of their equipment, an injured team member (who happens to be its bomb expert), the discovery of failsafes on the bomb and a sleeper agent aboard who can set it off manually, and a flight of combat jets prepared to shoot the plane down. Even after you've viewed it once, you'll still find yourself jamming your foot on the brake in the last few minutes as the crippled liner makes a long terrifying slide through ranks of parked small craft and into an earthen berm. A wild ride and one that any lover of nonstop action should enjoy.

A lot of fun if you don't take it too seriously
A group of fanatic middle east terrorists hijacks a US-bound airliner, holding its crew and passengers hostage and demanding the release of their leader - a fearless mastermind of terror brazenly seized by US special forces in a daylight raid. We soon learn, from a brilliant civilian analyst named Grant (Kurt Russel) that the hostage bid is actually a clever smokescreen - that the airliner is actually loaded with a highly potent nerve gas, perhaps enough to end life as we know it on America's east coast. Without any proof, the US government has the choice blasting the plane into oblivion to end a threat it could never prove, or allowing the plane to reach US airspace, where it will disperse its deadly cargo. Instead, a tricky plan is chosen - use a stealth transport with a special airlock to insert a team of special forces onto the plane, to retake it and disarm the bomb.

Up until then, "ED" is content to be a generic, enjoyable yet eventually forgettable action movie involving airplanes and "reel bad arabs" (Hey, I didn't make that up - some guy wrote a book about stereotyping arabs, and somebody else recommended that instead of this flick, as if the audience of one and the other's readership overlap that much). This flick came out in March - not quite the time when people are lining up at the box office. Though not a bad movie, it somehow manages to approach what we all love as the "so bad, we love it" category. Something funny happens midway through though - you realize that you're watching a parody (probably unintentional, but why spoil the fun?) with plenty of violence, but still one that isn't quite right enough to take seriously. Steven Seagal plays the intrepid head of the special forces, but he's dispatched early on, leaving his team to shoulder the task of ending the flying seige. You really know something's wrong when, while describing the plan, Seagal suddenly but calmly tells the military brass and the political heads involved that what he really wants is Kurt Russel's character (tuxedo and all) to come along for the trip. The script suggests he's laughing inside at Russell who'll have to face these bloodthirsty terrorists alone, but he's more likely laughing at us. The flick lards it up further in its choice of miscas