A thrilling Seagal entry in enough budget and the kind of movie he was making at the beginning of the decade. Here N.Y detective Jack Cole (Steven Seagal) wearing Nehru jackets and prayer beads is teamed with L.A. Police Det. Jim Campbell (Keenen Ivory Wayans) , but they are a little different . Seagal results to be an ex-CIA operative who has been convinced by a Buddhist monk to stop murdering enemies and along the way pursues a California serial killer called ¨The Family Man¨. As they investigate a series of ritualist crimes in which the victims are crucified against the walls of their houses . While Cole uses his special band of non-violence by slashing , chopping and impaling his way . Later on , they are aware the fact the Russian mafia has something to do with it all . After Cole's spouse is murdered , he is implicated and then somehow the mafia and Cia are blended into the mix .
The film displays several gunshots , struggles , bloody killing and lots of violence when the fights and killing happen . It's exciting and tense, at time passable action movie , but the fighting and gun-play are well done is this routine actioner ; in addition , introducing something new into the mix , self-mockery . Slick action movie from Seagal in which , both gained weight and lightened up , as he enjoys really and heads crack and bones rattle . Here Seagal stiffer and more humourless than ever but he finally wipes out enemies , while he cleanses his mind with Tibetan prayer beads . Despite the strained at buddy-buddy humor beween N.Y. Inspector Steven and the local homicide detective Wayans as mismatched colleagues , both of them play an attractive couple as two tough law enforcers . Wayans , clearly a better actor than this material suffers notably in action scenes and he plays a street-wise , fast-talking detective who cries over old movies as Casablanca. Our protagonists are accompanied by a good support cast , such as : an over-ripe Bob Gunton , John M. Jackson , Michelle Johnson , Stephen Tobolowsky , Ryan Cutrona , Richard Gant , Nikky Cox , Johnny Strong , Alex Panevega , Peter Jason , Wendy Robie , and Brian Cox who confirms his status as a great secondary of the 90s , among others .
The picture belongs to best period in Seagal hits including acceptable films as Hard to kill, Marked to death , Out of justice , Under siege , Undersiege : Dark territory , On deadly ground , Executive decision , Fire down below , The patriot . Following the last period of Seagal career, when he's doing middling and low budget films, lackluster , directly to video and many are deemed semi-turkeys stinkers , such as : The foreigner , Ticker , Half past dead and many others . Following the tendency to oriental action cinema, Seagal-also producer- hired Asian directors as Mink (Into the sun) , Leong (Out the reach),and Siu Tung Ching. These movies aren't on the level previous successful and big budget movies, such as Under siege I,II, Glimmer man, Exit wounds, Fire down below, Executive decision , among them. The film is produced by Julius Nasso , Michael Rachmil and Steven Seagal himself and his production called Seagal/Nasso Productions. Being professionally directed by John Gray , though it has some flaws and gaps . He was the youngest recipient ever of an American Film Institute Independant Filmmaker Grant . He is a writer, director and producer, known for Reckless (2014) White Irish Drinkers (2010),Born to Be Wild , Ghost Whisperer (2005), Haven , The Hunley (1999) Martin and Lewis, and Helter Skelter. The story is occasionally entertaining but only for the Steven Seagal fans. A decent Seagal action piece won't convert die-hard detractors and aficionados will not disappoint . A predictable movie when it is no being unbelievable .
