The Patriot (1998)

User Rating:

3.7/10   

Director:

Dean Semler

Writers (WGA):

William Heine (novel)
M. Sussman (screen story)

Release Date:

10 July 1998 (Spain)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

Every second counts.

Plot:

A respected doctor must race against time to find a cure for a lethal virus, unleashed by a paramilitary militia leader.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Montana | Militia | Virus | Immunologist

Cast

Steven Seagal	...	Dr. Wesley McClaren
Gailard Sartain	...	Floyd Chisolm
L.Q. Jones	...	Frank
Silas Weir Mitchell	...	Pogue
Camilla Belle	...	Holly McClaren
Dan Beene	...	Richard Bach
Damon Collazo	...	Lt. Johnson
Whitney Yellow Robe	...	Dr. Ann White Cloud
Brad Leland	...	Big Bob
Molly McClure	...	Molly
Philip Winchester	...	Young Miltiaman
Douglas Sebern	...	Judge Tomkins
Ross Loney	...	Clem
Bernard O'Connor	...	Dr. Tom Hergot
Leonard Mountain Chief	...	Grandpa

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

90 min | Argentina:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Philippines:PG-13 | Iceland:16 | Sweden:15 | Finland:K-15 (DVD version) | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:18 | Norway:15 (video premiere) | Portugal:M/16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Montana, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Dr Wesley McClaren’s assistant in his clinic is played by Steven Seagal's real-life daughter, Ayako Fujitani.

Goofs:

Continuity: Wesley McClaren breaks the stem off an empty wine glass to defend himself, but in previous shots it was full.

Quotes:

Dr. Wesley McClaren: [to Holly while entering the reception room at the hospital] Get your homework done and if there are any guys in here no flirting. No dating until you are 40.

Soundtrack:

Indian Elixer

So boring I forgot that it even existed

The Patriot (nothing to do with the Mel Gibson film of the same name) came out Steven Seagal was still doing that 'saving the environment' thing in his movies. Which is fine. But it doesn't make for good action.

When the plot(?) of this film finally kicked in I saw the twist(?) coming a mile off. Seagal's anti-warfare, care-for-mother-nature stance is not very subtle. For a film that was originally going to debut in the cinemas it is shot very much like a TV movie despite some wonderful shots of the country by Dean Semler, the photographer of Dances with Wolves.

Steven Seagal does like 1 fight scene in the entire film and it's totally boring. As an action film it fails, as a drama it stinks, as an environmental message it's obvious. Avoid like Ebola crossed with plague.