User reviews

Okay, that may not sound much, but after seeing Segal's recent outings I can look back at films like this with a certain nostalgia. This was made back in the day when Segal was in shape, did his own fight scenes and the film makers in question didn't have to resort to using lame CGI and camera tricks during action scenes. It has an edge that is just lost in these hideous later outings (the kind where an overweight, 54 year old man jumps from a moving train with 2 pistols and wipes out a squad of heavily armed thugs).

This time Segal is under the guise of DEA agent John Hatcher. He "retires" from the job shortly after loosing one of his colleagues in a deal gone wrong. Hatcher goes to visit his sister and niece to try and 'find his old self', whilst visiting he also encounters an old friend and military partner Max(Keith David). Hatcher and Max soon run into a bunch of ruthless Jamaican drug dealers who have moved in on the area, and their voodoo practising leader SCREWFACE...

Que violence galore!!

Expect bone breaking violence from this film, as Hatcher and Co. shoot, beat and tackle their way through the posse in order to save Hatcher and his family's lives-who have been "marked for death" by the gang. I would say this is one of Segal's most violent movies, and that is saying something.

The third one off the ranks (behind "Above the Law" and "Hard to Kill"), comes another three word title to the cycle. In what is a familiar one-note, bone-crunching action vehicle for Steven Seagal --- but hey that's the way we love 'em! Simple, little story and Seagal handing out plenty of point-blank beat downs. However he's hard-pressed to do so, until it becomes personal. Then it never lets up, so Seagal in his usual cool and collected manner does it easy. Somehow despite the vicious threats and explosive situations, never do you feel that he's in any real sort of danger. Although he does meet his match when he goes face to face with Screwface at the film's savage climax. It's a rarity, but yeah, he gets thrown around a bit. Just a bit. Still without leaving a scratch.

After seeing his partner get shot-up on a botched undercover job, John Hatcher retires from the Drug Enforcement Agency to return back to his small hometown. Through one of his old pals he learns that a Jamaican posse led by drug lord Screwface have infiltrated his neighbourhood controlling the drug scene. At first Hatcher just looks away not wanting to get involve, but when he finds himself caught up in an incident between the Columbians and Jamaicans. Screwface vows that he and his family are now marked for death --- and when he lives up to that threat he goes after Screwface and his posse.

After a blistering start, it does slow down before ramping things up again when Hatcher eventually breaks out his short-lived, self-pitying slumber when payback becomes a driving factor. It's so forced and overblown (this is all happening in a small town), but it's engagingly exciting and furiously staged with director Dwight H. Little's tight handling. The set-pieces, like the car chase/department store melee displays such confidence. The camera really likes watching Seagal in the grove, and his quick aikido abilities are simply are marvel to watch. Be it with a gun, sword or hand combat. It's all brutal and high-octane, and surprisingly at times it can become a nasty piece of work. The performances are acceptable with Seagal stoic as ever, but where it matters he's quick on his feet. Basil Wallace is a fearfully hammy treat as the commanding, over-the-top Screwface with those glaring green eyes. His presence just seems to linger, even when he isn't on screen and he does get some insane dialogues. Keith David is solid and so is Tom Wright. Joanna Pacula appears in a minor role and horror fans will recognize a young Danielle Harris.

"Marked for Death" is excessive, ruthless, but mindlessly numbing early 90s action. Seagal's best was still to follow a year later.

Of Stevens Seagal's movies, this is clearly one of the better. It's from 1990, and that was around his prime time as a action star. ("Under Siege" came two years later). There are a couple of really cool fights in this movie where Seagal handles lots of bad guys without any effort at all. The last part of the movie, where he's invading the Jamaica-man bad guy's base is especially entertaining. In this movie, he has one of the best comments of all his films:"One thought he was immortal, and the other one thought he could fly. Both were wrong". Watch the movie to find out what I'm talking about. You won't regret it if you like easy action.

I cannot believe this film got such bad ratings as it is one of my favourite action flicks of all time. Marked for Death has Steven Seagal playing John Hatcher a cop whose out for revenge against a gang of Jamaican drug dealers. The film has some terrific action sequences and set pieces, example being the shopping centre fight which really showcases Seagal's talents. This has excellent pacing as well as good location shoots. The score for Marked for Death is amazing, suiting the film so well, giving it the right sinister kind of atmosphere. The voodoo elements were cool, Screwface has to be one of the best villains and the twist at the end is unexpected. The violence in the uncut version is some of the most brutally realistic you can find in a mainstream action flick, with Seagal snapping bones as if they were twigs. Be warned though, like most of Seagal's films, in the U.K Marked for Death was cut badly by the censors so nearly all of the bone breaking violence is now gone, leaving just a standard badly edited action film. If you want to see the real power of Marked for Death then you would be advised get your hands on the uncut versions somehow. The only minor flaw with this film is that the beginning in Mexico is a little ropey, but apart from that the only Seagal flick that Warner bros didn't make but Fox did, deserves a place next to Under Seige 2 as being one of my favourite Steven Seagal films.

An American action film; A story set in Chicago about a recently retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent whose family is attacked by a drug lord so he retaliates with fierce vengeance. While this amounts to a formulaic crime based actioner, it has a charismatic protagonist who cuts a striking figure dispatching villains in well choreographed martial arts. Otherwise it lacks suspense. Low lighting works well for mood and tone but in some scenes it feels too murky for purpose. Many of the villainous characters are bluntly observed. They either reinforce racial stereotypes or talk in a clichéd 'made man' gangster speak.

Filmed at the time when Seagal was a bankable star. Tall, skinny, charismatic and with a perfect face for camera. And this one is one of my favorite early Seagal films, which is still watchable today. Let's begin.

Seagal plays a temporary retired DEA agent who returns home just to find out that Jamaican drug gangs are swarming his hometown. So, as usual he gather his friends and armaments and proceed to give the villains some good Seagal justice. Because this is a Seagal film, you don't need to pay attention to anything that important. Just to be entertained is the main focus. Like in most of Hollywood action films. What can you say about Seagal here? Well, nothing actually. The guy can't act, he is the master of his own "acting style" called "Seagalism" and he can't do anything about it. He is basically himself here, playing the same hero, with the same appearance again. One of his friends is played by Keith David. Easily the coolest character in the film and one of the best actors in the film. Keith David is a great actor and they could have gave him more material to work with. Our leading villain is Screwface, played by Basil Wallace. I have to admit, Screwface is pretty much underrated character and performance by Wallace is great. Though I think that his Jamaican accent is little bit over the top. I am not an expert on accents, but that's just what I think. The other Seagal partner is Charles, played by Tom Wright. Wright is always cool and relaxed in his performances, therefore, he is pretty much enjoyable to watch here. We have Joanna Pacula as a police detective, who serves as a love interest for Seagal, however, there was nothing much between them, although their scenes suggested so. They, indeed had some chemistry. So, there is actually no further point in providing development for any of the characters. We have appearances of Elizabeth Gracen, Kevin Dunn, Peter Jason and Bette Ford, for example and early appearances of Danny Trejo and Danielle Harris. Also, musician Jimmy Cliff makes a cameo appearance. Him and Seagal are friends in real life. So, you can see the connection right there.

The movie overall, is not bad. It's a typical Seagal action film from the 90s, which is very enjoyable with high-voltage action scenes and, also with good fighting scenes. This is one of those films where Seagal is using Aikido very extensively, which is well choreographed. There is no special need to talk about the story, script, cinematography (though film has this dark toned camera), editing and other stuff... Just turn off your brain and enjoy this film. It's a classic today.

DEA agent John Hatcher (Steven Seagal) returns from Colombia after the death of his partner. He goes home to his sister's family in Chicago. He and army buddy Max (Keith David) have a drink and he reluctantly gets in the middle of a shootout with the drug gang Jamaican Posse. The leader of the gang is Screwface (Basil Wallace). John arrests one of Screwface's man and his sister's house is shot up. His niece Tracey (Danielle Harris) is left in critical condition.

It's one of Seagal's better efforts for what that's worth. He kicks some bad guys and shoots up a storm. The bad guys use Jamaican voodoo but that adds to the atmosphere. None of it should be taken seriously. It's straight forward and without any apologies.

You can split Segal films into 2 categories, the early stuff (Hard To Kill, Nico) and the later stuff (Fire Down Below, Today You Die). The latter group doesn't usually even get to the cinema but the former has some real action gems. Marked for death is one of them.

This film has loads of martial arts, Yardies, drugs, black magic, Drive by shootings, people dressed like Aswad, and the big black guy from platoon who escapes from the shootout at the end by getting rotated back to America. One of the things that ruins Segal films is having too much shooting and not enough fighting, But the action is pitched just right here, with still enough shooting thrown in to spice it up. The guys playing the Yardies are fantastic and the dialogue is second to none, in fact for those IDM fans out there Luke Vibert sampled some in 'screwface'. Other than Segal and the platoon guy the only person I recognised was Danny Trejo, Hollywoods default Mexican criminal. This is an action classic folks, watch it or Screwface will give you a thousand deaths worse than mine.

This one was pretty decent,, not his best work,, but pretty good nonetheless, he is supposed to be retired just coming back from Columbia where his partner was killed, he get's mixed up with the Jamaican's and get's "Marked for Death" both him and his family, the film is mainly set in Chicago, which i always liked, then switches to Jamaica at the 3/4 pole,, there are a lot of good fighting scenes, and martial arts where Seagal just does what he does best in these films and kicks butt up and down the street,, he even has a few funny lines in the movie. There is even some swordplay in the movie also, the plot line isn't too bad,, mainly it's a story of revenge in this one, overall i'd say that this is a pretty good movie.

**SPOILERS** After a blotched up drug bust in Mexico where both his partner Chico, Richard Delmente, was killed and the women member of the Mexican drug gang who killed him was in returned shot to pieces by DEA agent John Hatcher, Steven Seagal, the very dependable and cool as a cucumber drug cop just about had it with his job as a law enforcer. Feeling that he's turning into the very thing that he's been battling all these years a cold-blooded and inhuman monster is just about to call it quits.

Given a two month vacation, with pay, from his job by the DEA in order to get his nerves and head straighten out Hatcher goes back to his hometown in Chicago to take things easy and relax . Hatcher soon runs into an unexpected problem in a nightclub. It's there that he's caught in the middle of a gang rub out where he ended up knocking out and capturing a member of a vicious Jamaican drug posse. Enraged that anyone would dare lay a hand on one of his gang members posse leader Screwface, Basil Wallace, has not only Hatcher but his entire family marked for death.

One of Seagal's lesser efforts not that "Marked for Death" lacks any of the usual trademark gore and violence, in fact it's one of the most violent films that Seagal ever stared in, that's so common in his movies. The story is a bit muddled due to the fact that Screwface and the Jamacian gang members talk is such an unintelligible Jamacian/English dialect. It would have been very wise for the movie to have put in sub-titles or, for the TV audience, closed captions so that you can get to understand just what their saying!

Hatcher, or Seagal, has a bit of trouble here with the Jamacian posse who come across as if their so doped up on pot that their almost immune to both bullets and Hatcher's karate fists and kicks. The posse members end up giving Steven Seagal the hardest time I can remember him having with the bad guys in any of his movies. The posse attempts to murder Hatcher while he's visiting his sister and badly wounds his niece Tracy. Hatcher now throws off and sheds his good guy and new found pacifist persona and goes full out after the posse in a number of wild and bone breaking scenes. One of the most notable in a downtown Chicago department store where he ends up putting almost all of Screwfaces boys not just to sleep but into traction as well.

The posse's last hope to put Hatcher out of business falls apart when he, after being trapped in his car, slips out of the trap they set for him. Before you know it the posse is out packing and on their way back to Jamaica; reduced to putting voodoo and black magic spells on Hatcher as a last and desperate attempt to defeat and kill him. Taking his friend high school football coach and former DEA agent Max, Keith David, as well as visiting Jamacian police captain Charles, Tom Wright, along with him and an arsenal of weapons Hatcher is now going to make sure that Screwface and his posse will never threaten him his family or anyone else again. Hatcher does this by taking the fight, that Screwface started with him in Chicago, back to his home turf.

Very violent and bloody ending with Hatcher not only showing his unmatched fighting and marksman abilities but his fencing skills as well. There's a knocked down and drag out battle with Screwface that last far longer, with the crazed Screwface getting in a few good and solid licks and jabs, then with any of the bad guys that Steven Seagal ever had it out with on the screen.

Although I am not a huge fan of action movies I enjoy them from time to time. One of the reasons I saw this movie is because it has Steven Seagal as the lead, and there was a period back in the 1990s when he used to do some great movies (such as ABOVE THE LAW, UNDER SIEGE, ON DEADLY GROUND, OUT FOR JUSTICE) and I consider him an enjoyable actor despite he has also made various terrible movies especially in recent years. While this one didn't struck me, I still liked it.

At the beginning John Hatcher (Seagal) is in Columbia chasing a thug (played by a then unknown Danny Trejo) and after he manages to capture there is a brutal murder where a young prostitute is involved (and there is also some blood splattered in the process). As a result he retires and returns in the USA with his family. He passes by the local school and meets his childhood friend Max Keller (Keith David), who has become the trainer for the school's football theme after he left the US Army. Max and John join forces to find out about the man who sells drugs illegally in their hometown; it's a Jamaican witch doctor named Screwface that has lots of henchmen that worship him as a God, One night Max and John go to his HQ in a small Jamaican island and Hatcher be-heads Screwface with a sword; back in the US he shows the head to his friends but Screwface arrives as the decapited one was his twin. Hatcher manages to get rid for him and while he goes away into the night with Max he realizes that he has freed his hometown from the dangers of drug smuggling.

One of the reasons why I liked this movie is because Steven Seagal played so well and in a convincing way a man that wants justice and won't stop at nothing for getting it (and he doesn't take NO for an answer) and I really felt his reasons for behaving that way as very appropriate. It actually reminded me a bit of the DIRTY HARRY movies. The soundtrack was also very good and I loved the ending song JOHN CROW.

Seagal gives one of his best performances and I think he was born for this role. Keith David gives great support as Seagal's best friend who follows him around. In supporting roles even then-unknown character actors Kevin Dunn and Danny Trejo.

Although not an excellent action movie, it was quite decent despite a few gory scenes. Great for Steven Seagal fans and enjoyable for everyone else.

In 'Marked for Death,' Seagal is simply a retired undercover troubleshooter for the DEA who moves back to his home town ignoring that Jamaican drug pushers known as posses are invading his old neighborhood... He sees his little niece hit after a shootout, and later his sister almost sacrificed in a voodoo ceremony...

Torture and maiming are posse trademarks and posse gunmen are said to prefer shooting their victims in public... Seagal never gives up and never loses his temper... He lets his actions speak for him... He perfectly knows that he has to strike the root in order to stop the evil-doers... He has to destroy their system, and kill their supreme leader... Otherwise they will never stop until he and his family are dead...

Seagal is steely eyed and calm yet quick on the trigger, skillful with the use of sword, and no superior force can dash his style... However, it is not just his talent as a martial-arts champ that has attracted his growing legion of fans but his enigmatic charisma...

Seagal goes to confession early in this one and actually tries reforming, but when Jamaican drug dealers target him and his family, well... he has a relapse. A perfect example of the kind of action picture he does best: short, simple and lots of good action scenes. And I have to admit, I wasn't expecting the little plot twist at the end.

A DEA agent decides to retire and live life in the slow lane and settle down in the suburbs however a Jamacian drug posse puts his plans on hold and although our DEA agent keeps a cool head at first, when they gun down his niece and attack his sister, it's time for the DEA agent to chuck his reserve and deal out justice. Marked For Death is on par with movies like The Punsiher(1989) and American Ninja, in that the ridiculous story gives way to lots of action which of course overshadows the script and story. In Marked For Death we have cheesy villains who practice hokey voodoo rituals which add to the goofiness that make this a compulsively watchable effort. Also Seagal's fight sequences consist of bad guys getting bones broken and killed in mean spirited ways. I of course hold this is in high regard. There maybe hardly any development but when you have a one man army snapping bones and beheading the bad guys, one hardly cares.

* * out of 4(Fair)

I'm going to comment on this movie, but before I do, I have to mention Steven Seagal's running. This is the fifth movie I've seen him in and I don't know where he learned how to run. His right arm flails like it has a mind of its own. It is not an effective way to run yet he is really fast in his movies.

OK, I said my piece.

In "Marked for Death" Hatcher (Steven Seagal) finds himself at odds with a Jamaican cartel known as a posse. In this movie where Jamaican involvement in drug dealing is grossly exaggerated, Screwface (Basil Wallace) and his crew run the streets of Lincoln Heights, Illinois. That means we see a bunch of dreadlock wearing Black guys selling drugs to suburban white kids.

As if.

Hatcher was retired from police work and wanted nothing to do with fighting drug gangs until a couple of Jamaicans cruised through his suburban neighborhood and shot up his home. It was the absurdest of actions based upon the lamest of pretexts, but what better way to bring a guy out of retirement than revenge?

Once Hatcher was effectively activated by the Jamaicans like a killbot that was given the proper password, he began shooting, stabbing, and snapping his way up the Jamaican food chain. He had his partner Max (Keith David) along for backup and sloppy seconds because Hatcher had to contend with violence AND Voodoo. It seems the Jamaicans' evil ways were aided by witchcraft as well as weapons.

"Marked for Death" was hardly distinguishable from "Above the Law" or "Hard to Kill." The plots were different, but in all three Seagal is with law enforcement, is out for revenge, and does all the typical action hero stuff (gun battles, car chases, explosions, and hand-to-hand combat). "Marked for Death" was cool when I was twelve, but now it seems a little stale.

DEA Agent John Hatcher (Steven Seagal) is busy kickin' ass in Colombia when he decides to make his return to the U.S. after some spiritual enlightenment from his priest. He returns to find his city overrun by Jamaican 'posses', and when at a bar, he and his old friend Max (Keith David) find themselves caught amidst a gang war shootout. Hatcher, naturally, kicks the s**t out of some of them and finds that he and his family have been 'marked for death' by gang boss Screwface (Basil Wallace). His sisters house is attacked and when his niece is shot, Hatcher and Max team up with Jamaican police man Charles (Tom Wright) to find Screwface and end his reign of terror.

Clearly neither Screwface nor his ever-dispensable gang of cronies have ever seen a Steven Seagal film, or they would have left him the f**k alone. Guns, swords and even voodoo cannot stop the pony-tailed action hero. This is actually considered to be the 'finest' of Seagal's vast action backlog, which is quite tragic given that this film is pretty s**t. I will say this for it, however - it's relentlessly entertaining. Yet this derives from the unintentionally hilarious dialogue, woeful acting, some appallingly gruesome action scenes, and plot devices that simply defy logic.

Possibly the funniest moment in the film has Hatcher, who has, by the way, just committed murder (he's retired from the police) and has to be the police's main suspect, taking part in a high speed chase through the city that sees one car drive along the pavement causing massive damage, only to later fly through the window of a department store. Hatcher walks in shooting and stabbing his way through the bad guys only to calmly stroll out afterwards. Surely the police would have noticed something during the carnage? Yes, yes, I'm missing the point, this is a dumb action film - this is hardly trying to be The Wire.

Marked for Death does have the sense to show off Seagal's martial arts skills. While many of his other films have him mainly either carrying a gun or simply throwing people onto tables, this has him breaking many, many bones with his bare hands. It's shockingly gory for an 90's action film, which naturally makes the whole film more likable. Basil Wallace is plenty of fun as the interestingly named Screwface, all wide-eyed and using an over-accentuated Jamaican accent. The voodoo element is certainly different, and the practises shown in the film are apparently well-researched and accurate. Definitely one for the action junkies, but for me, it's a laughable nostalgia trip into an overly macho time, and ultimately a rather forgettable one.

www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

A war veteran and ex-drug agent named John Hatcher (Steven Seagal) retires himself from his dangerous employment. He returns to his family , his sister (Bette Ford) and nephew(Danielle Harris). But he confronts against a Jamaican dope delinquents led by Screwface (Basil Wallace who's a better villain than Seagal's previous films). And as the title says marked him and his family for death. Hatcher and his pals (Keith David and Tom Wright) are back in action to track down the Jamaican killer who is threatening his family. Then Hatcher and Screwface playing a cat-and-mouse game.

Elaborately produced action film with tough Seagal is just another action film full of struggles ,thrills, noise and lots of violence. Ever-wooden Seagal as almost always, playing a two-fisted and loner cop, he delivers the goods in his own style full of usual violence and fights with snapping wrists and worth it just to see Steve in Jamaica where appears singing Jimmy Cliff. Atmospheric musical score by James Newton Howard though composed by synthesizer and appropriate cinematography by Ric Waite. The picture was made in the Seagal's best period when he played high budget movies such as ¨Hard to kill¨(1990 by Bruce Malmuth), ¨Under siege¨ ( Seagal's best film to date, 92, Andrew Davis), ¨Dark territory¨ (95, Geoff Murphy), ¨Executive decision¨ (96 by Stuart Baird), ¨Glimmer man¨ ((96, John Gray), ¨Exit wounds¨(2001, Andre Bartkowiak), among others. Nowadays he does fairly low standards, lesser budget and direct to video movies, such as ¨Half past dead¨, ¨The foreigner¨ and its sequel and many others.

Director Dwight H. Little who gave credibility to Wesley Snipes in 'Murder at 1600' teams up with Aikido expert Seagal for this action-filled cop thriller. The result is a strong outing for action enthusiasts and Seagal is fun to watch.

Marked for Death (1990) spends more time on action sequences, than it does with focusing on its characters. After his first two impressive efforts, Above the Law (1988) and Hard to Kill (1989), this third Steven Seagal picture makes the idea clear: anyone who opposes him is meant to look like a fool; the bad guys are just there to make him look good.

Seagal had been steadily building an audience that seemed a bit larger than those that follow the kick-'em-up antics of Chuck Norris or Jean Claude Van Damme.

In Marked for Death, Seagal tosses aside any pretense at style and heads full throttle into exploitation. This film contains loads of graphic violence, gore and nudity that seem to be there for no reason other than to please rowdy moviegoers, who are unable to distinguish between action pictures that tell a story and those that simply pour on the thrills without rhyme or reason. And he deserves some real blame for this lapse in taste as a producer of "Marked for Death."

Seagal plays John Hatcher, a retired DEA agent who comes home to Chicago, where his family is being attacked by a Jamaican street gang, who attack his sister's house, and the film proves that it isn't squeamish when Hatcher's niece (Danielle Harris) is shot in the crossfire. Hatcher gets mad, and he decides to team up with his old friend, Max (Keith David), a school gym teacher, and Charles (Tom Wright), a Jamaican cop.

Naturally, Hatcher declares war on the chief bad guy, a dread-locked Jamaican voodoo priest called Screwface (Basil Wallace), a nickname that apparently means "outrageous overacting."

And it is almost unbelievable in the way Seagal picks off various members of the gang: he gouges one guy's eyeball, he breaks a guy's back, and he breaks numerous arms and limbs.

All logic for this movie is thrown out the window- -through the glass, that is. Why aren't Hatcher and friends indicted for all the property damage they cause or the body count that piles up? And how did they get their cache of automatic weapons from Illinois to Jamaica by plane without being detected?

Seagal has a Clint Eastwood stoicism about him that fans once seemed to enjoy, and despite the three different characters he's played in as many films, each dresses in Oriental black bathrobes, and wears a ponytail. One of the problems that I have with some of Seagal's movies is that the main characters never seem to be in serious jeopardy, and because he's the star, of course, no one can lay a glove on him, except for the bad guy.

Seagal's heroes are all interchangeable, as are most of the plot lines and action sequences. Regardless of whether he's masquerading as a ship's cook, a fire fighter, or an L.A. cop wearing love beads, Seagal is always Seagal, which is exactly what his fans want. In fact, the sameness of these films is such that, if I wanted to, I could take an old review, change the names, and have a reasonably accurate take on the new movie. Not that I'd ever really do that...

Let's face it; You either like Steven Seagal or you don't. His movies aren't masterpieces, they're all predictable and pretty similar and old Steve is always...well, just plain old Steve. His older films, starting with Above the Law in 1988 and concluding with (I think) Exit Wounds were however all filled with great production values and a certain kind of ambition to give action fans what they want. From that point on, his films (all going directly to TV) have lessened their standards somewhat and old Steve is all but forgotten. I happen to be a huge fan of Seagal's early work, particularly this film, along with Out for Justice and his Under Siege flicks.

Here, Seagal is ready for retirement when he accidentally pisses off some Jamaican druglords who have in turn marked him and his family for death. Seagal naturally gets mad and what's more important; He gets even.

I love these no-nonsense action flicks that delivers what you most crave for; ACTION and plenty of it. Director Dwight H. Little (Halloween 4, Rapid Fire) handles the proceedings well and actually gives the film some stylistic flair as well. In most parts, the script is well written and it gives Seagal some great one-liners.

Seagal, as always, is reliable and delivers the same performance as usual. His roles don't require much range, but in the action department he kicks ass. Keith David, a regular supporting actor, gives a good performance and overall the cast do a good job.

Unfortunately Seagal's days of high class movies are gone and will probably never come back. But his body of work in the twentieth century will satisfy me, it's the twenty first century Seagal I'll mostly skip through.

Yes, Steven Segal has packed on the pounds lately - haven't we all. He doesn't move like he did in his early films. I believe this was his second film and it has all the action one could wish for in a kick-butt martial arts action movie.

You are not here to see Oscar-worthy acting or sumptuous costumes and sets, you are here for an adrenaline-pumping vicarious thumping of the bad guys - in this case Jamaican drug dealers. so, sit back and enjoy the ride with a big bowl of popcorn and you will not be disappointed.

Now, if I could just figure out the name of that drop-dead beauty he was dancing with in the Jamaican bar, I would die a happy man.