Rating: 
Summary: Aikido? What is That?
Review: Steven Seagal is the freshest new martial arts genius since Bruce Lee. From the opening credits of this work of art, the Aikido master demonstrated his lordage by flipping and clothes-lining some Japanese guys in a dojo. Ultra purity! Steven Seagal has a look about him that is just pure comic genius. His facial expression never changes and soul that doesn't care about anyone. That is pure lord right there. He walked into a bar asking where his cousin was and the men wouldn't cooperate. So, he used his elbows for defense and flipped guys around. Flexibility! After that incident, Seagal faced an opium dealing wiseguy that he dealt with in Vietnam. The car chases are funny and Steven Seagal is the best thing that happened since Jean-Claude Van Damme. Talk about defying the lordage! Watch out for Pam Grier and Sharon Stone who are comical. "Crazy idiot!"
Rating: 
Summary: Above the laws of common sense
Review: Steven Seagal who seemed to be in better shape here plays Nico, a cop with a bad attitude who bucks the system to put an stop to a iliegal CIA drug running operation in Chicago. The action is good and the fighting sequences are well staged especally the fight in the grocery store. But this was the first of many of Segal's films that litterey have him look like he's indestrcuble, of course he's not. The villan Zagon(played by Henry Silva) was effective but in the end he could not help to be turned out like a cartoon character, doesn't make any sense how you can be tied up, beaten, druged up and still have enough strengh to break free kill everyone in sight and walk away in a bloody mess. Only in a Seagal film this absurity can happen. But it still remains one of his better films if you can see any difference from ABOVE THE LAW to any of his other films.
Rating:
Summary: typical but decent
Review: steven seagal's entry into the movie world as a young 35 yr old martial arts man and chicago cop.
this movie , not to be taken seriously is packed full of guns and broken bones.
the actors who played chicago cop's....no checkerboard hats,
seemed more outta place,, like security guards.
if your 15 yrs old and in need of a hero, this action movie will fill that need.
Rating:
Summary: good martial art's movie
Review: steven seagal's entry into the movie world as a young 35 yr old martial arts man and chicago cop.
this movie , not to be taken seriously is packed full of guns and broken bones.
the actors who played chicago cop's....no checkerboard hats,
seemed more outta place,, like security guards.
if your 15 yrs old and in need of a hero, this action movie will fill that need.
Rating:
Summary: A Cop With An Attitude!
Review: Steven Seagal's first and one of the best movies he has ever made. This movie will blow you away! I think Steven Seagal is one of the best Martial-Artists out there...and there is only one action superstar that can take out the garbage, no it's not Chuck Norris....it's Steven Seagal! 5 stars all the way!
Rating: 
Summary: The birth of Seagal-mania
Review: The movie that kicked off another action star phenomenon, and rightly so. Despite action movie over-the-top-ness and inevitable drawn out gun fights, ABOVE THE LAW and Seagal were welcome newcomers to the genre.Mentioned in the same breath with Eastwood and Norris, Seagal stood out with a mystery surrounding him with no ties to other stars; Norris had Bruce Lee... Eastwood had...who didn't Eastwood have, but Seagal seemingly came from nowhere and no-one and this man from nowhere electrified audiences with a "new" brand of martial arts and a fresh, moody, whisper breathed persona. Director Andrew Davis, his apparently fave location Chicago, and a familiar stable of his actors add character and value to this film. The story is certainly adequate and the theme noble, action sequences very well done, good music and a more than acceptable performance from the unexperienced lead actor. It's certainly easy to armchair quarterback this fellow but throw ourselves in front of a movie camera for the first time and I doubt we'd fare any better. I believe this film and Under Siege are Seagal's best. As for his other films I suspect his growing power in the industry intimidated his peers who lost the guts the speak up when his performances floundered and his physique expanded beyond the point of acceptability for an action star. I feel outside of these two films (and maybe MAKED FOR DEATH which did have a [cool] department store battle)Seagal has fallen short of his potential. Some performances, most obviously THE PATRIOT, was basically "phoned in". I would love to see him take 5 years off, re-create himself and make the comeback of the decade. My own armchair quarterbacking aside, Above the Law remains a very good first time film and worth a fresh look now and then.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling, best in it's genre...
Review: This movie is among the the best and most thrilling of the post Harry Callihan, 1980's genre of cop movies. As Nico Toscani, a naturally macho yet morally upright and skilled cop (who is also ex-CIA and former Aikido instructor), Seagal is impressive and yet so refreshingly believable. The short martial arts action sequences are first rate - no drawn out Hong Kong formula stuff. The cafe jazz music score is memorable and rightly paced for the exciting car tailing sequences through downtown Chicago. Nico Toscani's Sicilian background adds to the color of the drama. There are even hints of his family background being not too far removed from the wiseguys. I mentioned Nico being macho. I'd like to qualify this by saying that he's not devoid of charm and his role is less one-dimentional than one would expect. The tough-guy persona is just a facade for an individual with strong convictions and a democratic political outlook. Equally competent is Nico's partner, Delores Jackson, played candidly by the veteran Pam Grier. The main villain, the pure evil CIA doctor Zagon, is played by the veteran villain actor Henry Silva. Don't expect any critics' choice awards for this movie, because the script does have its share of cliches. Seagal plays a cop who is on to something very big, defies higher authority and, as expected, is taken off the case - like in so many other cop movies of the genre. The outcome is predictable. You know that good is going to triumph over evil in this movie. Despite it's predictability, the plot is fresh and to a great extent realistic. Most importantly it's entertaining. There are surprisingly bold political statements made in this movie about the dubious role played by the CIA in the affairs of many a third world country. These statements are not too far fetched and must never be underplayed when you consider the "blowback" - CIA jargon for repercussions - being felt to this day. There are far too few movies being made these days that hold the government accountable. Unfortunately it's usually the ordinary citizen who becomes the indirect victim to the follies of an agency whose modus operandii includes criminal conduct and whose agents operate "Above the Law". The impressive and ship-shape Seagal in this movie inspires you to ditch your six-pack of beer for a six-pack of Gatorade. He inspires you to reach into your closet for your old karate uniform or gym gear and to whip yourself back into physical and mental shape. Too bad Seagal has physically floundered since then. He does have the potential to stay there. One would hope that he would take his cues from Eastwood and Bronson, both of whose careers have had them stay in shape and play lead roles well into their sixties and seventies.
Rating: 
Summary: "You guys think you're above the law? Well you ain't!"
Review: This quote is a good representative of the rest of the movie. Both make little sense and obviously took little time to create. Although Above the Law got two stars just like The Patriot, this movie beats The Patriot only when it comes to funny lines. For example: "You ever noticed how clean babies smell, like nothing in the world's ever touched them?" Steven Seagal must have liked his experience of breaking body parts in the movie, as this is an essential element in Marked for Death. Seagal does not think his enemies are above the law, but he and his family clearly are. It is OK for his cousin to be doing crack; she just needs to go home and take a shower. It's OK for Steven to use someone else's registered handgun to shoot a man who has already surrendered after his is taken away due to his suspension from the police force. As far as Steven Seagal action movies go, this one can be avoided. It has no random breast shots and not enough broken limbs.
Rating:
Summary: "You guys think you're above the law? Well you ain't!"
Review: This quote is a good representative of the rest of the movie. Both make little sense and obviously took little time to create. Although Above the Law got two stars just like The Patriot, this movie beats The Patriot only when it comes to funny lines. For example: "You ever noticed how clean babies smell, like nothing in the world's ever touched them?" Steven Seagal must have liked his experience of breaking body parts in the movie, as this is an essential element in Marked for Death. Seagal does not think his enemies are above the law, but he and his family clearly are. It is OK for his cousin to be doing crack; she just needs to go home and take a shower. It's OK for Steven to use someone else's registered handgun to shoot a man who has already surrendered after his is taken away due to his suspension from the police force. As far as Steven Seagal action movies go, this one can be avoided. It has no random breast shots and not enough broken limbs.
Rating:
Summary: The First Steven Seagal Movie.
Review: When ex-soldier turns Cop (Steven Seagal) in the Streets of Chicago. When he decides to takes on the Corrupted CIA Officers, who were involve in a Conspiracy in the Vietnam War. Directed by Andrew Davis (The Package, Under Siege, The Fugitive) has made a Top Notch Action/Thriller. This was a small hit at the Box Office in Theaters, it was also Seagal`s first film but it`s a gained a cult following on Video also, which it did made Seagal a new action star. The Supporting Cast include:Pam Grier, Sharon Stone, Daniel Faraldo and Herny Silva. This film is a strong entry for Action Buffs. Story by Andrew Davis and Steven Seagal. Screenplay by Steven Pressfield (He wrote the novel of The Legend of Bagger Vance) and Ronald Shusett (Alien). Grade:B+.
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