Rating: Summary: A Little Preachy, but still Entertaining. Review: "On Deadly Ground" (like Van Damme's "Nowhere to Run") is the kind of Seagal film that Seagal Fan's Mother's like better than they do. It's Rare, but it happens. It happens because theses films try to make a Point, and Action Fans don't want films with Points, they want films with Action.We do get a Fair Share of Action in this film, (mostly, toward the Climax) but we get a lot more in Seagal's Previous films. We also get Michael Caine as a Deliciously Evil Villain who is Bound to be taught a lesson. Another good point is that the Film gets Better as it goes along, which is Rare in the Action genre these days. Steven acts with his Fists and is as good as ever, Michael acts with his Accent and is as good as ever and the rest of the cast is fairly ordinary. The Only Standout is John C McGinley as one of Michaels Henchman, his "Love to Hate" performance had me Swearing at the Screen and he makes the film Twice the Fun as we just can't wait until Steven opens up a can of Whoop... on him.
Rating: Summary: A movie that barely gets off the deadly ground Review: "On Deadly Ground" is definitely not one of Steven Seagal's best movies. In this movie, he stars as an oil rig worker who is environmentally concerned, and he ends up going against his employer who is searching for him. "On Deadly Ground" does have a plot, but not that great of one and that's really where the movie suffers. If it would've had a better storyline, it could've been a great movie. The action and fighting sequences in the movie are well done. It also has good special effects. The scenery in the movie is another good thing about it with the snowcapped mountains all through the movie. All in all, "On Deadly Ground" does have some mildly entertaining action sequences, but overall it's just an average movie. I'd recommend getting other Steven Seagal movies such as either one of the "Under Siege" movies before I'd recommend getting this one.
Rating: Summary: A movie that barely gets off the deadly ground Review: "On Deadly Ground" is definitely not one of Steven Seagal's best movies. In this movie, he stars as an oil rig worker who is environmentally concerned, and he ends up going against his employer who is searching for him. "On Deadly Ground" does have a plot, but not that great of one and that's really where the movie suffers. If it would've had a better storyline, it could've been a great movie. The action and fighting sequences in the movie are well done. It also has good special effects. The scenery in the movie is another good thing about it with the snowcapped mountains all through the movie. All in all, "On Deadly Ground" does have some mildly entertaining action sequences, but overall it's just an average movie. I'd recommend getting other Steven Seagal movies such as either one of the "Under Siege" movies before I'd recommend getting this one.
Rating: Summary: Actually, it's more like a 3 and a half stars! Review: A haunted statue is stolen from a room under high security and the thief goes unnoticed and doesn't leave a trail. Fearing the the thief/thieves are supernatural in nature, the owner of the statue hires mystics to investigate its disappearance. It's the characters in this anime production that make it enjoyable. The villian of the film doesn't steal the statue because he's evil and wants to `destroy the world' which would be typical in a lesser film. No, instead in this, the villian was born with a skill that was relatively useless in today's society but has found an outlet to really show off what he can do. Kujaku, the main character of the film gets motion sickness while in a car/train which makes him feel like a regular human more so then your regular anime demon/spirit hunter. The Master of Curses character is fun to watch because when he uses his powers, they tend to backfire on him. The drawbacks to Spirit Warrior: Festival of the Ogres Revival is that there are at least two occasions in which characters make reference to something which made me go what? Who? And this is important because? Well, at least they know what they're talking about. Also, the action scenes tend to be okay in Spirit Warrior. There is nothing wrong with okay action scenes except that the film's climax, which is a ten minute action scene, wasn't as exciting to watch as it should have been. Sure the heroes were being beaten around but I didn't feel as if they were truly threatened. But the climax, as is, is okay. If the action scenes were more then okay, I could see giving this a four star review. The only difference I can remember between the sub and dubbed version of the film is that in the dubbed version of the film, they name their attacks (which I find funny) while in the subbed version they just make noises like `kai moh sai.....' type thing. Anyway, Spirit Warrior is a fun way to spend fifty minutes of your life.
Rating: Summary: What is the essence of man? Ha! Not worth one star. Review: Academy Award winner Michael Caine must have really needed a paycheck when he signed on to this rubbish. Steven Seagal (did anyone see his True Hollywood Story...Ha!) stars as an ex-government agent (of course he does) who now works as a firefighter for the world's largest oil rig (I mean toy model/painting). Eventually Seagal's conscience gets to him and he turns on the company and begins to help the Eskimos (ha). "What is the essence of a man?" Seagal actually says this in the film right before taking on a factory worker. It's okay to put messages into films and the message this film tries to put out there is a worthy one. However, the message becomes stupid in the context of this ridiculous film. Next to TICKER and THE PATRIOT, this is by far Seagal's worst film and he directed this one and I can't believe I saw this at the theatre because this movie doesn't look like it should have ever made it to the theatres.
Rating: Summary: Packing On Deadly Pounds Review: After making his most successful film in 1992 (Under Siege) Seagal was then given the power to produce and direct a film. Audiences are still suffering today. Seagal starred in some quick but competent cop on a mission flicks in the late 80s and early 90s. Then something happened. He got power, and he decided he wanted to make a statement. This is rarely a good idea for actors, specifically action movie stars with ponytails. In this one, Seagal is fighting the evil oil industry. A massive oil company is up to some shananagins in Alaska, and it's up to Seagal as an EPA agent (with a shadowy background) to stop these injustices. Seagal's solution to the violence and environmentally unsound practices of the company is to kill a number of people and then cause more environmental damage by blowing up a pricey oil rig. The company is headed by none other than Michael Caine, who is sporting oil-black hair and some ridiculous rubber-face makeup. Caine makes the film worthwhile for those who are morbid enough to watch a fine actor's most shameless hour. I believe, most of the time, that bad movies are not born but made. Seagal may feel that the oil industry is shafting the people, and he is likely right, but the form his statement takes is ludicrous even if he doesn't realize it. Actually, Seagal probably believes he's making an important statement and serious film (while satisfynig fans) and this sincerity is what makes it all the more laughable. The film is appalling in most respects, but it offers the violence you came to see. Seagal was just plain fat by this point (though he would, in fact, get fatter) but it doesn't stop him from dispatching all level of minion from Caine. Seagal finally lost it when he made a speech during the finale that denounced the practices of the oil industry. Honestly, the guy might be sincere, and he actually has valid points (there is doubtlessly shady business happening with respects to oil in the world) but his forum is questionable. The plot has many holes, the victims have holes, Seagal is fat, there is a spiritual angle that exploits typical conceptions of Eskimos and Native Americans and Michael Caine is priceless. Simply a must for the bad movie addict, this is astonishingly not even close to Seagal's worse. Now that is a real achievement.
Rating: Summary: Packing On Deadly Pounds Review: After making his most successful film in 1992 (Under Siege) Seagal was then given the power to produce and direct a film. Audiences are still suffering today. Seagal starred in some quick but competent cop on a mission flicks in the late 80s and early 90s. Then something happened. He got power, and he decided he wanted to make a statement. This is rarely a good idea for actors, specifically action movie stars with ponytails. In this one, Seagal is fighting the evil oil industry. A massive oil company is up to some shananagins in Alaska, and it's up to Seagal as an EPA agent (with a shadowy background) to stop these injustices. Seagal's solution to the violence and environmentally unsound practices of the company is to kill a number of people and then cause more environmental damage by blowing up a pricey oil rig. The company is headed by none other than Michael Caine, who is sporting oil-black hair and some ridiculous rubber-face makeup. Caine makes the film worthwhile for those who are morbid enough to watch a fine actor's most shameless hour. I believe, most of the time, that bad movies are not born but made. Seagal may feel that the oil industry is shafting the people, and he is likely right, but the form his statement takes is ludicrous even if he doesn't realize it. Actually, Seagal probably believes he's making an important statement and serious film (while satisfynig fans) and this sincerity is what makes it all the more laughable. The film is appalling in most respects, but it offers the violence you came to see. Seagal was just plain fat by this point (though he would, in fact, get fatter) but it doesn't stop him from dispatching all level of minion from Caine. Seagal finally lost it when he made a speech during the finale that denounced the practices of the oil industry. Honestly, the guy might be sincere, and he actually has valid points (there is doubtlessly shady business happening with respects to oil in the world) but his forum is questionable. The plot has many holes, the victims have holes, Seagal is fat, there is a spiritual angle that exploits typical conceptions of Eskimos and Native Americans and Michael Caine is priceless. Simply a must for the bad movie addict, this is astonishingly not even close to Seagal's worse. Now that is a real achievement.
Rating: Summary: Toxic to your mind. Review: As someone who actually cares a lot about the environment, I am usually a pretty easy sell on the idea that oil companies are evil. However, I didn't buy the nonsense that this silly, illogical piece of fluff was peddling to the audience. "On Deadly Ground" stars Michael Caine as the demonic head of an oil company. He was the sole shining star in this stinker of a movie. How he ever got talked into starring in this film is one of the greatest mysteries known to man. Caine's character was really scummy but you almost had to like him since he was the only one with any acting skill up on the screen. Steven Seagal, who also directed and produced this film, was his usual one note superhero/killing machine character that he always is. He single-handedly seemed to be killing more people than any oil spill has ever done. The plot is simply laughable. Evidently, some oil companies purposely sabotage their own drilling facilities, hold press conferences where the reporters don't ask any questions, and even murder unarmed Eskimos in front of dozens of witnesses without batting an eye. Please. "On Deadly Ground" may have been trying to pass on an important message but it went about it the wrong way. People who go to the movies don't want to spend their hard earned money watching something that looks and sounds like propaganda. There is also so much violence in this movie that it's hard to swallow the "harmony with nature" ideas that are presented to us. Perhaps Seagal should have toned down the massacre just a touch. Watch "Under Siege" if you want to see Seagal at top form.
Rating: Summary: Despite its sensationalism; Makes powerful statement Review: Based on a recommendation by "Free Energy" mogul, Patrick Bailey, I watched the movie "On Deadly Ground," directed and starred by Steven Seagal. Bailey, a Ph.D. Nuclear Physicist graduate from MIT, recommended the movie to me as an illustration that there are several very wealthy and influential movie stars who are supportive of the "free energy" or "zero point energy" field, and who are likely to fund it once a feasible prototype surfaces. In the film, Seagal plays an ex-government operative, Forrest Taft, who works as a high-tech firefighter for Aegis Oil, which in its quest to secure its next contract -- the world's largest oil rig -- cuts corners, needlessly destroying some of its own equipment and killing several workers, with no regard for the environmental impact of its accidents and policies. Taft's conscience gets to him and he turns on Aegis Oil and takes down their largest refinery (without causing an oil spill), enabling the land to go back to the Eskimos from which it had been taken. The movie concludes with a speech by Taft that includes reference to high efficiency carburetors and magnetic engines being suppressed because of big business not wanting their monopoly to be broken. It is obviously intended as a statement for our actual situation in the world. Such devices do exist; and they are being suppressed by unscrupulous means. I personally know several individuals who have been on the receiving end of brutal suppression tactics. The overall message of the movie was indeed worth while, though too much of the violence was sensationalized, something I found ironically hypocritical to the theme of improving the planet and bringing about a time of peaceful existence. Some reviews I read called the environmental statements and Native American spirituality "corny." I didn't think so, though I did notice that there was sensationalism in the speech that diminishes its credibility. For example, not all auto emissions are cumulative poisons. CO2 is dangerous, but it is replaced out of the body by oxygen when a person is removed from the presence of high levels of it. I will admit that some of the portrayals in the movie were over done; but such is the nature of theatre, is it not? -- exaggerate to make a point. I especially appreciated the dignity extended to the Native American (Eskimo) spirituality; not that I view that as the solution for the planet, but I do reverence it as having its place in the body of Christ, which finds great richness in the unity of diversity. Wanting to share with you the text of the speech at the end of the movie, I tried to find it on the internet, and could not locate it; so I transcribed it myself. Here is an excerpt: Closing scene: Speech given at Alaska State Capitol building in Steven Seagal movie, "On Deadly Ground." [BEGIN QUOTE] How many of you out there have heard of 'alternate engines' -- engines that can run on anything from alcohol to garbage or water; or carburetors that can get 100s of miles to the gallon, or electric or magnetic engines that can practically run forever? You haven't heard about them because if they were come into use, they [would] put the oil companies out of business. The concept of the combustion engine has been obsolete for over 50 years, but because of the oil cartels and corrupt government regulations, we in the rest of the world have been forced to use gasoline for over 100 years. [END OF QUOTE] Conclusion Overall, I was impressed with Seagal. This was the first movie of his that I've seen; and because I do not enjoy the glorification of violence, it will probably be my last. However, someday I imagine I'll meet Seagal and talk about how to get free energy devices out into the world. My message to Seagal would be to learn from Mel Gibson's movies -- let us know what happened without glorifying the bloody moments that we all know exist in violent situations. Don't belabor us with the gory details.
Rating: Summary: Not all that bad. Review: Before I watched this movie, I expected it to be really bad. But I don't think it was that bad. It was quite entertaining. Some scenes were unnecessary, for example the fight in the bar (but it's always fun to see Mike Starr). It also feels like the moviemakers made a more or less desperate attempt to give the movie some spiritual depth, which only makes it strange. I wish the movie had a better lead actor, Steven Seagal is quite bad, but Michael Caine is good in his part as the evil owner of the Oil Company. The characters are quite simple and Seagal's speech in the end of the movie doesn't really fit in, but as an action movie, I think this movie is totally okay and quite entertaining. If it is on TV and you have nothing else to do, why not watch it?
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