The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

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bradavon
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by bradavon »

Markgway wrote:You're not paying attention to the film yet you can discern that the dialogue is woeful?
Yes.
Markgway wrote:Actually, Out for Justice has the best script of any Seagal movie, so try paying a little more attention next time.
That doesn't mean it has anything but woeful dialogue. In the end I watched all of it. Good for a Seagal vehicle, not overall a great movie (good fun though) but it reminds me how bad action films have got, with there sanitised PG-13 rating.
Shingster wrote:Well Van Damme's actually grown as an actor whilst Seagal still puts in the exact same performance he has in all his films, but the Seagal in the early 90s definitely had better screen presence and stronger charisma than JCVD in the early 90s.
That's basically what I'm saying. I've not seen any recent Van Damme/Seagal film.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by grim_tales »

I just realised Out for Justice was on TV the other day but I missed it - doh! It was ITV so I dont know if it'd be uncut or not.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by Markgway »

Grim - I don't think ITV cut movies in late time slots anymore, but I didn't see it so can't vouch for an uncut version. Just get the DVD. You know you want to. :D

Brad - Clearly you know nothing about good dialogue or the way people in Brooklyn talk so let's just skip over your comments.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by Shingster »

Markgway wrote:He's always had movie star charisma (see Bloodsport, Kickboxer, etc) but it wasn't until about 1990 that he took a stetch as an actor and developed a "cooler" on-screen presence.
Yeah I'd agree with this. Seagal to me back in the early 90s had an advantage because he conveyed a certain type of character in a more naturalistic way, whereas Van Damme always had to act harder because of the "foreign actor" barrier. So while VD would be trying to convey more heroic, altruistic characters - even villains as well, Seagal simply oozed New Yoik/New Jersey goombah bad-assery, and Seagal more than VD almost never strayed a cm outside his comfort zone.
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bradavon
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by bradavon »

Markgway wrote:Brad - Clearly you know nothing about good dialogue or the way people in Brooklyn talk so let's just skip over your comments.
I forgot you come from Brooklyn. It's very exaggerated. If you think it's accurate you're a fool. It doesn't stop the dialogue from being hammy.

It was pretty darn violent, for what that's worth. One point Seagel blew the leg off a guy and stuck a screwdriver in the main bad guys forehead. I'd be surprised if it was cut, given how violent it was. Not that I'd mind, it's a "TV Movie", if you get my drift.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by saltysam »

On Deadly Ground 1.5/5

One of Seagal's worst,utterly stupid and self-indulgent.

Glimmer Man 2/5

One of Seagal's better received efforts,i'm not a fan though.i found it rather plodding.

Fire Down Below 3/5

This one wasn't too well liked but i thought it was ok,decent entertainment.

Executive Decision 3/5

Seagal's is more a cameo role in this one and the movie itself is a decent actioner.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by Markgway »

bradavon wrote:I forgot you come from Brooklyn.
Born and bred.
It's very exaggerated. If you think it's accurate you're a fool.
It captures the rich flavour and the colloquial expressions. Naturally there's dramatic licence otherwise it would be boring.
It was pretty darn violent, for what that's worth. One point Seagel blew the leg off a guy and stuck a screwdriver in the main bad guys forehead. I'd be surprised if it was cut, given how violent it was.
Sounds uncut. And it was a corkscrew not a screwdriver. But then you weren't paying attention.
Not that I'd mind, it's a "TV Movie", if you get my drift.
I don't. No one does. Ever.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by Markgway »

Added a couple more reviews...
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oldeschool17
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by oldeschool17 »

The credit card and pistol whipping scene in Glimmer Man is still vivid in my mind. My friend and I at the time would hit the rewind button on those scenes
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by saltysam »

working class blu-ray fan
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by Markgway »

Ooh... forgot to review TICKER. :D
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by saltysam »

I see Hard To Kill has snuck out in the uk as a hmv exclusive...pity it's just the dvd, not the blu.
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Markgway
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by Markgway »

Yeah, I noticed that.

Why now? Eleven years after it was passed by the BBFC!

I have the R1.
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chenlung
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by chenlung »

Markgway wrote:Yeah, I noticed that.

Why now? Eleven years after it was passed by the BBFC!

I have the R1.
Have you ever noticed that balletic flip when Seagal knocks the bloke down (or up :P ) at the ranch :D ?

I have R1 as the UK either had a limited, or non-existent release.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by Markgway »

That's a lot of grain. Picture looks hazy.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by grim_tales »

Looks very grainy.
Is the black dot in Cap 1 intentional?
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by saltysam »

The Marked For Death dvd looked like shit.So though this isn't a stellar transfer it still pisses over the dvd i'd say.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by DangerousLeeHandsome »

I'd say Marked for Death BD transfer looks decent and unmanipulated. Grain is a good thing.

Seagal's best:
Above the Law - 3/5
A decent performance from Seagal with some decent action. Too bad the plot gets way too complicated for its own good and the last third of the film kinda fell apart for me.

Hard to Kill - 3.5/5
The plot is predictable, the premise is unoriginal, the acting is passable, but I found HTK to be really entertaining. Action wise, I thought it improved on everything seen in Above the Law.

Marked for Death - 3/5
There's some decent action. The jewelry store fight is money! Could've used a better story that didn't portray Jamaicans in such a negative light.

Under Siege -3.5/5
One of his best efforts IMO. I think I actually like the sequel a bit more.

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory -3.5/5
Probably his best. I really enjoyed this movie.

Exit Wounds - 3/5
Pretty enjoyable even if the plot is dumb as hell. Nonstop action, which I like.

Seagal's Worst:
On Deadly Ground - 0.5/5
The worst piece of shit that actually made it to theatres.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by Markgway »

DangerousLeeHandsome wrote:Could've used a better story that didn't portray Jamaicans in such a negative light.
Why? Doesn't Jamaica have criminals? Is there an acceptable ratio - must include one good Jamaican for every three bad ones? Besides there was a good cop (played by Tom Wright) who was Jamaican. OK, he dies, but he dies a hero. And there was also a gratuitously pandering disclaimer at the end about "The Posse" only representing a tiny minority of Jamaicans - as if that were necessary. Why don't we get those disclaimers when the villains in movies are English? Lest everyone assume that all English are villains. Look how bad Brooklyn is portrayed in Out for Justice. Is that a problem too? Smells like PC bullshit to me.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by JCLegend86 »

DangerousLeeHandsome wrote:I'd say Marked for Death BD transfer looks decent and unmanipulated. Grain is a good thing.

Seagal's best:
Above the Law - 3/5
A decent performance from Seagal with some decent action. Too bad the plot gets way too complicated for its own good and the last third of the film kinda fell apart for me.

Hard to Kill - 3.5/5
The plot is predictable, the premise is unoriginal, the acting is passable, but I found HTK to be really entertaining. Action wise, I thought it improved on everything seen in Above the Law.

Marked for Death - 3/5
There's some decent action. The jewelry store fight is money! Could've used a better story that didn't portray Jamaicans in such a negative light.

Under Siege -3.5/5
One of his best efforts IMO. I think I actually like the sequel a bit more.

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory -3.5/5
Probably his best. I really enjoyed this movie.

Exit Wounds - 3/5
Pretty enjoyable even if the plot is dumb as hell. Nonstop action, which I like.

Seagal's Worst:
On Deadly Ground - 0.5/5
The worst piece of shit that actually made it to theatres.
I dont get why you hate "On Deadly Ground" so much? Theres gotta be atleast 10 Seagal movies thats worse than this?
And you totally forgot "Out For Justice" :P

Personally I kinda like his first 7 movies:
Above the Law (1988)
Hard to Kill (1990)
Marked for Death (1990)
Out for Justice (1991)
Under Siege (1992)
On Deadly Ground (1994)
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)

It went badly downhill after this. Glimmer Man, Fire Down Below and Exit Wounds are OKs.
Its the same with all good old action stars, around 1995 all went downhill: Jackie Chan (Still great though, but not the same), Arnold Schwarzenegger, JCVD etc... Action movies just got poor after this, with a few exeptions.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by DangerousLeeHandsome »

JCLegend86 wrote:I dont get why you hate "On Deadly Ground" so much? Theres gotta be atleast 10 Seagal movies thats worse than this?
And you totally forgot "Out For Justice" :P
On Deadly Ground is terrible. Of Seagal's theatrical features, this is definitely the worst. As for Out for Justice, I didn't like that one too much. The finale is one of the weakest of any Seagal flick. I would've liked a little more physicality from the villain but Seagal basically chews him up like nothing.

Hard to Kill and Under Siege 2 are his best.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by Markgway »

DangerousLeeHandsome wrote:As for Out for Justice, I didn't like that one too much. The finale is one of the weakest of any Seagal flick.
OFJ is easily his best film and the super violent finale is class. I wish all action movies ended with a scumbag getting a corkscrew stabbed in their head.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by Markgway »

Added Pistol Whipped.
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Re: The Steven Seagal Films Review Thread

Post by Markgway »

Just added a review for Shadow Man.
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