The Patriot

Wesley McClaren leaves the biological division of the CIA to become a small town doctor. When a group of American terrorists release a toxin into the air, it mutates and the vaccine becomes useless. McClaren becomes trapped in the town with the terrorists in a race to find a new vaccine. However when his daughter seems to be beating the toxin the terrorists decide to use her blood as a vaccine and McClaren is forced to protect her while seeking an alternative cure.

This is yet another Seagal film where he preaches about his beliefs and promotes Native American culture etc. The down side of this is that it tends to overpower the action scenes - for example the last 10 minutes of `On Deadly Ground' was Seagal giving a lecture on big businesses impact on the environment. Here Seagal is battling a virus, so there's even less action - they wheel the terrorists in in an attempt to give Seagal some real people to fight. However there are no really good action scenes - which are the only thing Seagal can do well. In the place of action we have Seagal telling off scientists for storing diseases, telling everyone about the benefits of Native American ways etc. This makes the film feel very dull and wordy and I really wanted more action - but there just wasn't the chance for fights.

Seagal isn't very good. He's looking old and podgy and less suited to the all round action man. The huge amount of talking scenes highlights Seagal's weaknesses as an actor. The terrorist leader is poor, but it is interesting to see LQ Jones (A Boy and His Dog) as Frank. However Seagal is really stretched.

Overall this is poor - the threat of biological warfare is an interesting, emotive subject, but here it's hard to be interested due to Seagal forcing it down out throats. And the ending is hard to swallow and typical of Seagal's blind love for all things Native American.

Continuing my plan to watch every Steven Seagal movie in order I come to

The Patriot (1998)

Following his split from Warner Bros, Segal's business partner, Jules Nasso, put together a four-picture deal for Seagal. This was the first film that the financing had been solely raised by Seagal/Nasso Productions. There were no company logos, just Inter light Pictures and Baldwin/Cohen Productions present in association with Seagal/Nasso Productions

Apparently Seagal thought audiences were paying to see his movies for his acting ability, so he tries to show case that here as Doctor Wesley McClaren and its pretty embarrassing when he does try to do some serious acting. Like attempting to portray frustration as the soldiers die despite his best effortsnto save them.

I have to say, for me, this is the first bad movie in his filmography. Seagal adopts a really bad Western accent here. When combined with his trademark whispery voice, half the time I could not make out what he was saying. I'm the end I had to put the Subtitles.

Most of this movie is so moronic and implausible it beggers disbelief. There is lots of easily spotted foreshadowing and screenplay 101's littered all the way through the movie. I did make it to the ridiculous end, though.

The Patriot was the first Steven Seagal movie to be released straight to video in most countries. In just 10 years he had gone from promising action star to straight to video.

There are only three movies that have shown Steven Seagal can act and this is one of them. Along with "Fire Down Below," and "The Glimmer Man" Seagal has shown he has talent.

Though there is not that much action, "The Patriot" is the best film because it means that the supporting cast along with Seagal must come together to pull off a winner.

I enjoyed everything about this film from the plot, casting and pace of the movie.

I was completely impressed by the performance of Camilia Belle who portrayed the daughter because she was a breath of fresh air to Hollywood even though she was in other films.

This is worth everyone's attention because Steven Seagal has finally made a movie that is tolerable and can be watched in comfort with the knowledge that it will not be boring.

I give "The Patriot" an 8 out of 10.

I've seen a lot of Steven Seagal movies. I enjoy a lot of them. But I have to be honest, I don't always know if "laughing with him or at him". If you know what I'm saying. Steven Seagal in "The Patriot" is the Seagal I like best. He speaking quietly of "important" issues and then throws some guy through a window. He's a modern day Billy Jack and, every now and then, I need that. "The Patriot" is not Seagal's finest hour but it's not one of his weak ones either. It okay. It gets a passing grade.

The film is a mish-mash of incoherent cliches ranging from a little girl and her pony, to Waco-like backwoods terrorists, to wise Native Americans. To be fair, the version I saw probably suffered slightly from poor editing for television broadcast.

Those who like Steven Seagal will be especially disappointed; yes, there are a few short action scenes, and people do die (most from natural causes). But much of the film is so sugary sweet that when it's all over, you will envy the dead.