On Deadly Ground (1994)

A 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 (Steven Seagal) is an environmental Agent who works for the Aegis Oil Company in Alaska. Aegis Oil's corrupt C.E.O., Michael Jennings (Sir Michael Caine), 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 (Richard Hamilton) 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 (Joan Chen), who introduces Taft to her father Silook (Chief Irvin Brink), ...

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir Anthony Hopkins and Alan Rickman were wanted for the role of Michael Jennings, before Sir Michael Caine stepped in.

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Goofs

When Forrest enters Hugh's cabin, the gun cabinet is briefly visible, with a bolt action rifle on the left, a single barrel shotgun in the middle, and another rifle on the right. When they come down from upstairs, the two rifles have swapped places, and the shotgun is now double-barreled. The two boxes of shells have moved from beside the rifle butt in the bottom right corner, to a shelf near the top of the cabinet.

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Quotes

McGruder: [McGruder is protesting the presence of the FBI] I thought you wanted us to KILL this motherfucker, Mr. Jennings? How are we supposed to shoot him with all these cops standing around, huh? I don't think so.
Liles: McGruder! It is essential that we have the FBI here to cover ourselves legally! And it sure as hell will help with the press. They'll take the fall for anything that happens.
Michael Jennings: Look, don't worry about the FBI. We all know they couldn't find a hooker in a whorehouse anyway.
McGruder: But seriously. He'd have...
[...]

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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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Alternate Versions

German TV and Retail-Video/DVD Versions are cut to reduce violence. The uncut Version is available on Rental-Video and DVD.

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Connections

Referenced in While We're Young (2014)

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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

Better than its critics suggest

Well, as the IMdB reviews show, not everyone is a fan of this film. It's true that the philosophising and Eskimo mystique in the mid-section of the film do slow it down. It is also true that the closing environmental speech may be a tad heavy-handed. Yet I find it refreshing to see a large-budget action movie that actually tries to be about something. To his credit, Seagal's films have generally struck an anti-Establishment tone, in contrast to the complacent Republicanism of Schwarzenegger. Of course, having said all this, the tactics of Seagal's hero Forrest Taft, in blowing up large quantities of Alaska, are not perhaps what Greenpeace would recommend! As to the qualities of the film, there are some strong, savage action scenes, a stylish if over-the-top villain in Michael Caine, and wonderful photography. After all those "Die Hard"/"Under Siege" efforts, with characters running around claustrophobic buildings in semi-darkness, the panoramic views of Alaska make a nice change. Another good score by Basil Poledouris.

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

Gross USA:

$38,590,458

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$38,590,458

Company Credits

Production Co:

Seagal/Nasso Productions, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1