Above the Law (1988)

Nico Toscani is a martial arts expert who was recruited by the CIA when he was in Japan, he would be sent to Vietnam. While there he witness the sadistic treatment of prisoners by Zagon, an... See full summary »

Director:

Andrew Davis

Writers:

Andrew Davis (story), Steven Seagal (story),

Stars:

Steven Seagal, Pam Grier, Henry Silva

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steven Seagal	...	Nico Toscani
Pam Grier	...	Delores 'Jacks' Jackson
Henry Silva	...	Kurt Zagon
Ron Dean	...	Detective Lukich
Daniel Faraldo	...	Tony Salvano
Sharon Stone	...	Sara Toscani
Miguel Nino	...	Chi Chi Ramon
Nicholas Kusenko	...	FBI Agent Neeley
Joe Greco	...	Father Joseph Gennaro (as Joe V. Greco)
Chelcie Ross	...	Nelson Fox
Gregory Alan Williams	...	FBI Agent Halloran (as Gregory Alan-Williams)
Jack Wallace	...	Uncle Branca
Metta Davis	...	Rosa Toscani
Joseph F. Kosala	...	Lieutenant Strozah (as Joseph Kosala)
Ronnie Barron	...	CIA Bartender

Storyline

Nico Toscani is a martial arts expert who was recruited by the CIA when he was in Japan, he would be sent to Vietnam. While there he witness the sadistic treatment of prisoners by Zagon, an interrogator, when he clashes with him, Nelson Fox, his friend tells him to get away. Nico goes home to Chicago and becomes a cop. 15 years later, when he busts a drug dealer, he tells Nico of a major deal going down, when he busts them, he discovers a cache of plastic explosives. And before he knows it everyone he arrested is released and when Nico tries to find out what's going on, a brick wall thrown in front of him. But Nico isn't about to let that stop him. And before long Fox calls Nico to warn him to back off and it's not long after that he is arrested and suspended from the force. And when a bomb is set at his church, which kills the parish priest, Nico wages an all-out war on whoever's doing this.

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Plot Keywords:

cia | drugs | vietnam | martial arts | explosive | 

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Taglines:

He was a covert agent trained in Vietnam. He has a master 6th degree black belt in Aikido... and family in the Mafia. He's a cop with an attitude.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

8 April 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nico

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$18,869,631 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The sword-fighting sequence was staged using Steven Seagal's own martial arts students.

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Goofs

During the shootout in the garage, when Nico drives a car, his front-right tire gets punctured in the gunfight. Afterwards the front-right tire is whole again, but the front-left tire is damaged instead.

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Quotes

Nico Toscani: Is that what Zagon is; one of your basement boys?
Nelson Fox: Zagon's a rancher. 4000 acres in Costa Rica. Beautiful place.
Nico Toscani: Beautiful place, huh? And tell me, was that bought with opium money from the triangle?
Nelson Fox: And a ton of coke a week from other places.
Nico Toscani: Which he funnels here through Salvano, The Company getting it's cut, of course.
Nelson Fox: Legal tender.
Nico Toscani: Yeah. So war is still the greatest business, huh Nelson? I mean, these guys have financed & started every war we've ever fought. But you know something, nobody ...
[...]

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Connections

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

User Reviews

Seagal's first movie and it was great!

I saw this movie once it came out in the 80's and recently I got on DVD for fun and I realized it was a terrific movie. Nico Toscani has done it all, Martial Arts, CIA, has a mafia family and now is happily married, has a new born son and has a partner he can talk naughty to in front of his wife. Whilst getting his young cousin out of a bar her boyfriend immediately tells Nico of a deal about to take place. Nico follows up on that tip and finally finds out that the guy he arrests is involved with the FBI. He gets a warning to back off from their turf, but Nico is consistent when the local priest is murdered. Seems the local priest wasn't supposed to be killed but another priest who was hiding in the basement was to die due to information confessed to him from someone. Nico discovers that a group of assassins are in town. When his family is put in danger he goes on a rampage.

Note: Did anyone notice the scene where Nico is a fighting a bunch of guys in an Indian's guys store and one minute he is wearing leather boots and when he jumps out of the window he is wearing a black pair of sneakers? Oh and if I am not wrong Someone said Steve instead of Nico when the FBI starts searching Nico's house. A great movie to watch!