ON DEADLY GROUND
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1994 Michael John Legeros
Directed by Steven Seagal (!) Written by Ed Horowitz & Robin U. Russin Starring Seagal and Michael Caine MPAA Rating "R" Running Time Approx. 110 minutes
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"Mr. Taft is the patron saint of the impossible."
- Michael Caine, speaking of
Seagal's character
ON DEADLY GROUND proves, without a doubt, that Steven Seagal directs as badly as he acts. This environmental actioner is p.u. from the word g.o. and even co-star Michael Caine, aka Mr. Will Act For Food, can't help defuse this bomb.
The plot is some superior nonsense about a nasty oil mangate (Caine) and the Bad Things he's planning for the pristine Alaskan wilderness. Eskimo environmentalists want him stopped--but they have no power. Or hero. Until the company's head firefighter, Forrest Taft (Seagal), enters the picture.
When Taft gets wind of his boss's *real* plans, The Ponytail takes an armed stance against his employer. They try to kill him, he tries to kill them, and it all wraps up with Seagal on a soapbox.
Pay attention to the opening scene--the first clue that Seagal doesn't have one--and you have still have time to ask for your money back.
At the beginning, Taft arrives in Alaska to "blow out" a "well" fire. Yes, a "well" fire! Anyone who's seen HELLFIGHERS knows that you can't get much more exciting than this. But, believe or it not, Seagal sieves the action right out of this explosive situation.
And he does this for the *entire* film.
His "back up" is fine--production designer Wm. Ladd Skinner, cinematographer Ric Waite, composer Basil Poledouris--but even *they* can't compensate for dingbat direction. With a poorly staged scene, who cares about Skinner's authentic-looking Eskimo village? Or Waite's almost-unreal Alaskan photography? Or Poledouris energized score?
Seagal even botches the obligatory bar-fight. Instead of anything resembling choreography, he resorts to silly slow-motion to punctuate his punches.
The Big Shoot Out is the Big Disappointment. Even after a middling midsection, one still hopes for a rousing round-up of John Woo proportions. Sorry Charlie, no Grand Guignol here. Just a sloppy mix of bullets and bad-guys and immolations and explosions and 101 Other Ways For Bad People To Die. Hardly the right reward for having to sit through Eskimo subtitles, R. Lee Emery's crewcut, and Steven Seagal trying to be Kevin Costner.
Even with a "real" director, ON DEADLY GROUND is still a tough sell. Seagal seems to have lost his charisma (there's a relative term, if there ever was one!); certain supporting players are downright awful; and the plot has more holes than a bad Schwarzenegger story.
And, just when you think you can't "stands no more," Seagal wraps this stinky cheese with a five-minute (cut from fifteen!) environmental speech complete with stomach-turning footage.
Why didn't he do a documentary, instead?
Bottom line: ON DEADLY GROUND is an awful film. The bad direction
is courtesy of Steven Seagal, who graciously
contributes to the bad acting. Even Michael Caine
looks good in comparison. Do yourself a favor and
rent HARD TARGET.
Grade: F
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