Hard to Kill (1990) - Critic Reviews

Mr. Seagal is effective for both his novelty value and his ability to be both literally and figuratively disarming. And the film itself is a lively one for its genre, ambitious enough to do more than simply string fight scenes together.

63

Richard Harrington Washington Post

Director Bruce Malmuth keeps the pace taut, the shots tight.

60

TV Guide Magazine

As it is, Hard to Kill has just enough going for it between the explosions and bone-crunching fight scenes to qualify as two hours of solid, high-decibel action entertainment.

60

Variety

It ain’t pretty, but it gets the action fans off.

40

William Thomas Empire

One for fans only.

40

Time Out

While Seagal is spraying bullets, breaking bones and throwing interchangeable bad guys through windows, this has a certain mindless appeal. But Malmuth's flaccid direction lacks the vicious muscularity and authentic edge of Seagal's previous feature.

30

Michael Wilmington Los Angeles Times

There's nothing dopier than the crooks in one-against-a-hundred action movies -- except maybe the people who cook them up. [12 Feb 1990, p.F8]

25

Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle

This time the martial arts philosophy lesson rings hollow. [10 Feb 1990, p.C5]

25

The Seattle Times

Steven Seagal should go into a seven-year coma more often. It suits his acting ability. A coma is what happens to him in Hard To Kill, his latest hard-to-swallow and dull-to-sit-through formula vigilante movie. [10 Feb 1990, p.C7]

16

Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly

At this point, revenge thrillers have become so standardized that these films are really all the same film — a Mixmaster blend of Death Wish, Dirty Harry, Enter the Dragon, and Rambo. A star with a personality would only gum up the works.