Marked for Death (1990)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Dwight H. Little

Writers (WGA):

Michael Grais (written by) &
Mark Victor (written by)

Release Date:

5 October 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

He's a good cop. In a bad mood.

Plot:

Chicago DEA agent John Hatcher has just returned from Colombia, where his partner was killed in the...

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Jamaica | Jamaican | Uncle Niece Relationship | Suburbia

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 9	11:05 AM	MAX
Sat. Nov. 14	5:10 PM	MAX
Thur. Nov. 19	5:00 PM	MAX

Cast

Steven Seagal	...	John Hatcher
Basil Wallace	...	Screwface
Keith David	...	Max
Tom Wright	...	Charles, Jamaican Cop
Joanna Pacula	...	Leslie
Elizabeth Gracen	...	Melissa
Bette Ford	...	Kate Hatcher
Danielle Harris	...	Tracey, John's Niece
Al Israel	...	Tito Barco, Columbian Drug Lord
Arlen Dean Snyder	...	Duvall
Victor Romero Evans	...	Nesta
Michael Ralph	...	Monkey
Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter	...	Nago
Tony DiBenedetto	...	Jimmy Fingers
Kevin Dunn	...	Lt. Sal Roselli

Also Known As:

Screwface (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

West Germany:18 (video premiere) (cut) | Germany:18 (video premiere) (cut) | Iceland:16 | UK:18 (DVD version) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (DVD version) (cut) | Finland:K-16 (VHS version) (cut) | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1991) | UK:18 (re-rating) (uncut) (2001) | South Korea:18 | Malaysia:18PL | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:R | Australia:M (cut) | Australia:R | France:-12 | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Carpinteria, California, USA

Company:

Victor & Grais

Trivia:

The DVD release features a screen capture from the James Bond movie License to Kill, featuring the semi performing a wheelie through the burning remains of a second semi. Obviously this scene is not in the movie, and it is made even more odd by the fact that this movie is a 20th Century Fox release while License to Kill is an MGM release.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the car chase scene, the same bright yellow 1979 Toyota Celica can be seen waiting at the red light at various intersections.

Quotes:

Screwface: I have a message for you from Tito. He say for you to meet him... in HELL!

Movie Connections:

Edited into Malevolent (2002)

Soundtrack:

The Shadow of Death

Great action flick

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.