All of the films I've watched this week have a theme.
That theme is Steven Seagal.
The reason for this being that over the weekend, a discussion took place as to what martial arts film we wanted to watch (being in the mood for martial arts). After deliberating the classics, Enter the Dragon, Fist of Fury, Game of Death, Way of the Dragon, Ip Man 1 and 2 etc etc, we decided to see what either we could rent online or purchase.
We ended up with a Steven Seagal boxed set.....and we started from the beginning.
Nico: Above the Law (1988)
See that face? That's a 'not screwing around' face and Seagal wears it for pretty much the entire film. This early on in his career, Seagal has not mastered emotion or facial expressions beyond 'serene', 'angry' and 'concentrating'. Luckily, the film attempts to bypass the leading role's lack of acting talent by placing as many humanoids in his way for him to punch, kick, throw and shoot.
With a script that is so far into parody it makes Black Dynamite look like a subtle treatise on inter-race relations, it is surprising that the film started up a career considering action films by 1988 had produced some stone cold action classics (Die Hard, Predator). The inclusion of FBI bigwigs, Vietnam buddies, mafia connections and terrible, terrible clothes means that this film is frankly laughable at several opportunities and only means to be funny less than half of the time. Sharon Stone stars as Seagal's wife and is easily the best acting talent in the film, no contest. Add to this ol' Foxy Brown herself Pam Grier in an underwritten role (she's an action star in her own right) and you have a reasonably enjoyable film.
This film's attempt to introduce Steven Seagal as a new martial arts star works fairly well, it gives descriptions of the character's martial arts prowess which oddly mirror Seagal's own. It is strange then that there is remarkably little martial arts in the film, there's a lot of shooting and foot chases and car chases but considering I was expecting a 'martial arts' film, I was hoping Seagal would have had more akido to do.
All in all, not a good film.
Not a good film at all. It is interesting (and a little odd) that Seagal became the action star some of us know and love today off the back of this vehicle.
Out for Justice (1991)
Aww, they don't mess around with these films titles do they? There's none of this '2001: A Space Odyssey' nonsense going on here. Steven Seagal is 'Out For Justice', need you know more?
The reason Seagal is 'Out For Justice' in this film is because his childhood friend, Bobby Lupo got shot in front of his family by one time friend now turned enemy, Richie Madano. The name of Seagal's character is Gino Felino and at one point Gino tells a story about his uncle Pino.....Pino Felino. These are all true. Honest.
Unlike Nico, the reason this film instantly gets a better score in my eyes is that there is a damn good fight scene in this film. Seagal vs Dive Bar. One man enters, one man leaves. Unlike a lot of flashier martial arts, Seagal isn't about looking good, he's about breaking limbs and throwing people about the place and he does it very well. Actually this fight is the film's highlight because the final fight scene is so implausibly one sided, it is funny to watch Seagal spend the best part of five minutes beating up some overweight guy.
The overweight guy in question is William Forsythe, who I only recognise as the gravel voiced sheriff in The Devil's Rejects but here looks like a psychotic child, shooting people for no reason and being menacing and unpleasant to everyone he meets. Needless to say, Seagal and his mob connections are back to find Richie and make him pay. Seagal is on better form here, both with the fighting and the acting but the film still is bordering on self-parody, but without knowing it. A particular highlight is near the beginning when the opening credits begin, the camera freeze frames of Seagal's face through a broken car window that he'd just thrown a pimp through. It's funny and again, it doesn't mean to be a lot of the time.
However, the story in this is a lot less complex than Nico. It's too simple. It's 'Where's Richie?' and then they find him and they fight. Where Nico started to add in crazy plot twists to appear clever, Out For Justice is almost brain dead. There surely must be a healthy medium.
Trailer:
Under Siege (1992)
Aww, they don't mess around with these films titles do they? There's none of this 'Citizen Kane' nonsense going on here. Steven Seagal is 'Under Seige', need you know more?
Well, this film is the height of Seagal's career. The best film he has ever done.....fact!
Playing Casey Ryback, the ship's cook, Seagal brings a level of charm, charisma and action man can-do attitude to this film. Aided, of course by beautifully OTT villains, played by the unholy trinity of Tommy Lee Jones, Gary 'Insane in the membrane' Busey and Colm 'DS9' Meaney, they all chew the scenary until their mouths are full. Gary Busey especially excels as the charmless and dangerous Commander Krill (Busey in drag is a scene that highlights his frame of mind).
The director, Andrew Davis (who also directed Nico) directs this film with flair and style and commands a not terrible cast to perform well with a run of the mill script. The story is a simple, terrorist highjacking narrative but it is elevated with a cheeky humour, nice little one liners and characters fleshed out a little bit more than you would have expected from a film of this type. Once again, the martial arts and gunfights are well done, there is a knife fight towards the end of the film which is just good and there is no shortage of explosions, creative deaths and gunfire to keep the crowd from noticing a number of plot holes.
All in all, a good film. Not even a good film compared to the other Steven Seagal films listed here, it is actually a good film if you're in the mood for, and can tolerate, mindless action.
Trailer:
Until next time folks!
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