On Deadly Ground (1994)

Mystical martial artist/environmental agent takes on a ruthless oil corporation.

Director:

Steven Seagal

Writers:

Ed Horowitz, Robin U. Russin

Stars:

Steven Seagal, Michael Caine, Joan Chen

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steven Seagal	...	Forrest Taft
Michael Caine	...	Michael Jennings
Joan Chen	...	Masu
John C. McGinley	...	MacGruder
R. Lee Ermey	...	Stone
Shari Shattuck	...	Liles
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Homer Carlton
Richard Hamilton	...	Hugh Palmer
Chief Irvin Brink	...	Silook
Apanguluk Charlie Kairaiuak	...	Tunrak
Elsie Pistolhead	...	Takanapsaluk
John Trudell	...	Johnny Redfeather
Mike Starr	...	Big Mike
Sven-Ole Thorsen	...	Otto (as Swen-Ole Thorsen)
Jules Desjarlais	...	Drunken Eskimo

Storyline

Forrest Taft is an environmental agent who works for the Aegis Oil Company in Alaska. Aegis Oil's corrupt CEO, Michael Jennings, is the kind of person who doesn't care whether or not oil spills into the ocean or onto the land, just as long as it's making money for him. He even makes commercials that make him look like he cares about the environment. Jennings is almost finished with building his new state-of-the art oil rig: AEGIS-1. The problem is that if he doesn't finish building the rig in thirteen days, the land rights will be returned to the Eskimos and the Alaskan government. When Jennings finds out that Taft's best friend Hugh Palmer has a computer disk that contains information about defective equipment on AEGIS-1, he sends out his goons to murder Palmer. When Taft tries to interfere, Jennings tries to kill Taft. But an Eskimo woman named Masu, who introduces Taft to her father Silook, the chief of her tribe, rescues Taft. With Masu's help, Taft begins a trek through the ...

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Plot Keywords:

oil | environmental | murder | tribe | oil spill | 

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Taglines:

His Battle To Save The Alaskan Wilderness And Protect Its People Can Only Be Won...

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Inuktitut

Release Date:

18 February 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rainbow Warrior

Filming Locations:

Carson, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,679,573, 21 February 1994, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$38,590,500

Company Credits

Production Co:

Seagal/Nasso Productions, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Forrest Taft asks the question, "What does it take to change the essence of a man?" to an oil worker. A similar question is posed and answered in an aftershave commercial by Kelly LeBrock. Steven Seagal and LeBrock were married at that time.

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Goofs

Hugh steps in front of his computer to hide the vital floppy disk, then immediately leaves. Later, we see the disk hidden in the closet behind the computer.

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Quotes

[Stone confronts Taft]
Stone: Yeah, that's right! Go ahead, big boy! MAKE YOUR MOVE! Then I'm gonna shove this goddamn shotgun up your ass and blow the top of your FUCKING HEAD OFF!
[Taft grabs the shotgun barrel and reverses it, causing Stone to shoot himself]

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Crazy Credits

The first half of the end credits run over images of Alaska and its various wildlife, until we see Forrest Taft & Masu in a canoe, with Taft pointing out to Masu, a crow in front of them circling over the water (supposedly meant to be Silook in another form)

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Connections

Referenced in Northern Exposure: Zarya (1994)

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Soundtracks

ONE LAST GOOD HAND
Written by John Jarrard and Gary Burr
Performed by Reba McEntire
Courtesy of MCA Records

User Reviews

It's deadly all right

The film where Steven Seagal proves that he's much more than just a lousy actor… he's also a lousy director.

Where to begin? There's a nice mix of action star self-indulgence and political commentary on the evils of oil. Seagal is Forrest Taft (?), a no non-sense renegade who plays by his own set of rules for some sort of oil rigging company owned by some guy named Michael Jennings (Michael Caine playing a character who is so evil, that he has jet black hair!). That is, until Forrest's friends start accusing him of turning his back on the environment. Forrest doesn't like that much. Nobody calls him a 'whore' and gets away with it.

After twenty minutes, and a random bar fight, Forrest reads a fourth grade-level computer screen that pretty much spells out how economically dangerous oil rigs can really be… and how his boss is making sure that silly things like the environment don't get in the way of a profit. Rather than develop complex protagonists and antagonists, we get a clear black and white split: Big corporations and oil companies are evil and Eskimos are good-as they help Forrest become spiritually reborn as a 'man-bear' and regain his sights on kicking ass.

Chances are, you weren't watching for plot anyway. But the guilty pleasure parade just keeps on going: dialogue that'll make you smile (best line: 'You didn't find Flint, but you managed to kill an unarmed Eskimo!'), lots of explosions, horrible supporting actors, and a chance for Steven Seagal to play 'the slap game' with one of his judgmental oil workers. "On Deadly Ground" gives Seagal plenty of opportunity to kick ass and arch his eyebrows in a suspicious manner, but the same can't be said about poor Michael Caine. As the film's antagonist, Caine turns in a two dimensional performance that may have been modeled after a villain from "Captain Planet." There's something sad about watching a two time Oscar winner grit his teeth for two hours of screen time. Just laugh at him. He sleeps on a nice pile of money.

All and all… horrible film that will keep you laughing with it's misguided attempts to make an action film about more than just explosions.

…I, for one, would suggest that Seagal update this film to reflect the events of the Iraq war. He could start off as an Iraqi, hiding the weapons of mass destruction. Then realize Weapons of Mass Destruction cause harm to society. And along the way, get really p***ed off when he finds out it was all about exploiting the Iraqis out of oil.

Summary: Come for the heavy handed ecological commentary and laughable acting; Stay for a wonderfully over-the-top Michael Caine.