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Above the Law (1988)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 11/02, 6/03, 1/04, 1/05, 11/08, 12/13, 1/20

AbL
11/08: I remember when Above the Law came out, Steven Seagal became an instant household name.

It stood that way for the next three must-see Seagal classics: Hard to Kill, Marked for Death, and Out for Justice. Afterwards, the quality of his films began to subside, beginning with Under Siege, and then he hit the nadir by starring in straight-to-DVD releases.

Regardless, Steven Seagal has always remained a memorable actor largely due to his distinctive style: the black-slicked hair with a ponytail, the serious look in his eyes, the bone-breaking Aikido moves, how he holds the gun, and the way he runs like a girl. They're the reasons why I love watching Steven Seagal's first four movies, and I'm always left entertained. Constantly, I find myself revisiting them from time to time because they're fun to watch.

When I see the introduction in Above the Law, it makes me crave for a three-hour biopic of Steven Seagal's fascinating life. His Aikido stuff is awesome, hence the reason for repeat viewings. Too often, macho films have a hero take on five or more guys at once as an obligation to show what kind of badass he is. But when Steven Seagal puts on a display, there's literally nothing like it. He takes the concept of mano a mano to another level. There's one cool scene when he beat out a name from the loser who tried to run away from him. Then, the heavyset white guy in black shirt came over to inquire about his friend before getting knocked down by Steven Seagal's single punch.

All in all, Above the Law is one of the best action flicks ever made, and it's a damn shame about what happened to Steven Seagal's career.

12/13: Steven Seagal still rules.

1/20: The most entertaining part of Above the Law is Steven Seagal kicking everybody's ass.

What I like is it has a story with a lot of layers. Also, it's about a police officer doing the right thing by exposing the sinister inner workings of the CIA even though he has to use illegal means to clear his name. Impossible to miss is the excellent action scenes with lots of Aikido from Steven Seagal.

At the same time, there are good supporting performances by many such as Pam Grier, Henry Silva (who's well known for The Manchurian Candidate via the fight scene with Frank Sinatra), Chelcie Ross, Sharon Stone, Ronnie Barron, and Daniel Faraldo. Even Michael Rooker has a small cameo.

All in all, there's never been anybody like Steven Seagal before or since then.