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.
