Zum Töten freigegeben

A war veteran and ex-drug agent named John Hatcher (Steven Seagal) retires himself from his dangerous employment. He returns to his family , his sister (Bette Ford) and nephew(Danielle Harris). But he confronts against a Jamaican dope delinquents led by Screwface (Basil Wallace who's a better villain than Seagal's previous films). And as the title says marked him and his family for death. Hatcher and his pals (Keith David and Tom Wright) are back in action to track down the Jamaican killer who is threatening his family. Then Hatcher and Screwface playing a cat-and-mouse game.

Elaborately produced action film with tough Seagal is just another action film full of struggles ,thrills, noise and lots of violence. Ever-wooden Seagal as almost always, playing a two-fisted and loner cop, he delivers the goods in his own style full of usual violence and fights with snapping wrists and worth it just to see Steve in Jamaica where appears singing Jimmy Cliff. Atmospheric musical score by James Newton Howard though composed by synthesizer and appropriate cinematography by Ric Waite. The picture was made in the Seagal's best period when he played high budget movies such as ¨Hard to kill¨(1990 by Bruce Malmuth), ¨Under siege¨ ( Seagal's best film to date, 92, Andrew Davis), ¨Dark territory¨ (95, Geoff Murphy), ¨Executive decision¨ (96 by Stuart Baird), ¨Glimmer man¨ ((96, John Gray), ¨Exit wounds¨(2001, Andre Bartkowiak), among others. Nowadays he does fairly low standards, lesser budget and direct to video movies, such as ¨Half past dead¨, ¨The foreigner¨ and its sequel and many others.

Director Dwight H. Little who gave credibility to Wesley Snipes in 'Murder at 1600' teams up with Aikido expert Seagal for this action-filled cop thriller. The result is a strong outing for action enthusiasts and Seagal is fun to watch.

Although I am not a huge fan of action movies I enjoy them from time to time. One of the reasons I saw this movie is because it has Steven Seagal as the lead, and there was a period back in the 1990s when he used to do some great movies (such as ABOVE THE LAW, UNDER SIEGE, ON DEADLY GROUND, OUT FOR JUSTICE) and I consider him an enjoyable actor despite he has also made various terrible movies especially in recent years. While this one didn't struck me, I still liked it.

At the beginning John Hatcher (Seagal) is in Columbia chasing a thug (played by a then unknown Danny Trejo) and after he manages to capture there is a brutal murder where a young prostitute is involved (and there is also some blood splattered in the process). As a result he retires and returns in the USA with his family. He passes by the local school and meets his childhood friend Max Keller (Keith David), who has become the trainer for the school's football theme after he left the US Army. Max and John join forces to find out about the man who sells drugs illegally in their hometown; it's a Jamaican witch doctor named Screwface that has lots of henchmen that worship him as a God, One night Max and John go to his HQ in a small Jamaican island and Hatcher be-heads Screwface with a sword; back in the US he shows the head to his friends but Screwface arrives as the decapited one was his twin. Hatcher manages to get rid for him and while he goes away into the night with Max he realizes that he has freed his hometown from the dangers of drug smuggling.

One of the reasons why I liked this movie is because Steven Seagal played so well and in a convincing way a man that wants justice and won't stop at nothing for getting it (and he doesn't take NO for an answer) and I really felt his reasons for behaving that way as very appropriate. It actually reminded me a bit of the DIRTY HARRY movies. The soundtrack was also very good and I loved the ending song JOHN CROW.

Seagal gives one of his best performances and I think he was born for this role. Keith David gives great support as Seagal's best friend who follows him around. In supporting roles even then-unknown character actors Kevin Dunn and Danny Trejo.

Although not an excellent action movie, it was quite decent despite a few gory scenes. Great for Steven Seagal fans and enjoyable for everyone else.

Of Stevens Seagal's movies, this is clearly one of the better. It's from 1990, and that was around his prime time as a action star. ("Under Siege" came two years later). There are a couple of really cool fights in this movie where Seagal handles lots of bad guys without any effort at all. The last part of the movie, where he's invading the Jamaica-man bad guy's base is especially entertaining. In this movie, he has one of the best comments of all his films:"One thought he was immortal, and the other one thought he could fly. Both were wrong". Watch the movie to find out what I'm talking about. You won't regret it if you like easy action.

The third one off the ranks (behind "Above the Law" and "Hard to Kill"), comes another three word title to the cycle. In what is a familiar one-note, bone-crunching action vehicle for Steven Seagal --- but hey that's the way we love 'em! Simple, little story and Seagal handing out plenty of point-blank beat downs. However he's hard-pressed to do so, until it becomes personal. Then it never lets up, so Seagal in his usual cool and collected manner does it easy. Somehow despite the vicious threats and explosive situations, never do you feel that he's in any real sort of danger. Although he does meet his match when he goes face to face with Screwface at the film's savage climax. It's a rarity, but yeah, he gets thrown around a bit. Just a bit. Still without leaving a scratch.

After seeing his partner get shot-up on a botched undercover job, John Hatcher retires from the Drug Enforcement Agency to return back to his small hometown. Through one of his old pals he learns that a Jamaican posse led by drug lord Screwface have infiltrated his neighbourhood controlling the drug scene. At first Hatcher just looks away not wanting to get involve, but when he finds himself caught up in an incident between the Columbians and Jamaicans. Screwface vows that he and his family are now marked for death --- and when he lives up to that threat he goes after Screwface and his posse.

After a blistering start, it does slow down before ramping things up again when Hatcher eventually breaks out his short-lived, self-pitying slumber when payback becomes a driving factor. It's so forced and overblown (this is all happening in a small town), but it's engagingly exciting and furiously staged with director Dwight H. Little's tight handling. The set-pieces, like the car chase/department store melee displays such confidence. The camera really likes watching Seagal in the grove, and his quick aikido abilities are simply are marvel to watch. Be it with a gun, sword or hand combat. It's all brutal and high-octane, and surprisingly at times it can become a nasty piece of work. The performances are acceptable with Seagal stoic as ever, but where it matters he's quick on his feet. Basil Wallace is a fearfully hammy treat as the commanding, over-the-top Screwface with those glaring green eyes. His presence just seems to linger, even when he isn't on screen and he does get some insane dialogues. Keith David is solid and so is Tom Wright. Joanna Pacula appears in a minor role and horror fans will recognize a young Danielle Harris.

"Marked for Death" is excessive, ruthless, but mindlessly numbing early 90s action. Seagal's best was still to follow a year later.

I'm going to comment on this movie, but before I do, I have to mention Steven Seagal's running. This is the fifth movie I've seen him in and I don't know where he learned how to run. His right arm flails like it has a mind of its own. It is not an effective way to run yet he is really fast in his movies.

OK, I said my piece.

In "Marked for Death" Hatcher (Steven Seagal) finds himself at odds with a Jamaican cartel known as a posse. In this movie where Jamaican involvement in drug dealing is grossly exaggerated, Screwface (Basil Wallace) and his crew run the streets of Lincoln Heights, Illinois. That means we see a bunch of dreadlock wearing Black guys selling drugs to suburban white kids.

As if.

Hatcher was retired from police work and wanted nothing to do with fighting drug gangs until a couple of Jamaicans cruised through his suburban neighborhood and shot up his home. It was the absurdest of actions based upon the lamest of pretexts, but what better way to bring a guy out of retirement than revenge?

Once Hatcher was effectively activated by the Jamaicans like a killbot that was given the proper password, he began shooting, stabbing, and snapping his way up the Jamaican food chain. He had his partner Max (Keith David) along for backup and sloppy seconds because Hatcher had to contend with violence AND Voodoo. It seems the Jamaicans' evil ways were aided by witchcraft as well as weapons.

"Marked for Death" was hardly distinguishable from "Above the Law" or "Hard to Kill." The plots were different, but in all three Seagal is with law enforcement, is out for revenge, and does all the typical action hero stuff (gun battles, car chases, explosions, and hand-to-hand combat). "Marked for Death" was cool when I was twelve, but now it seems a little stale.