Désigné pour mourir

Okay, that may not sound much, but after seeing Segal's recent outings I can look back at films like this with a certain nostalgia. This was made back in the day when Segal was in shape, did his own fight scenes and the film makers in question didn't have to resort to using lame CGI and camera tricks during action scenes. It has an edge that is just lost in these hideous later outings (the kind where an overweight, 54 year old man jumps from a moving train with 2 pistols and wipes out a squad of heavily armed thugs).

This time Segal is under the guise of DEA agent John Hatcher. He "retires" from the job shortly after loosing one of his colleagues in a deal gone wrong. Hatcher goes to visit his sister and niece to try and 'find his old self', whilst visiting he also encounters an old friend and military partner Max(Keith David). Hatcher and Max soon run into a bunch of ruthless Jamaican drug dealers who have moved in on the area, and their voodoo practising leader SCREWFACE...

Que violence galore!!

Expect bone breaking violence from this film, as Hatcher and Co. shoot, beat and tackle their way through the posse in order to save Hatcher and his family's lives-who have been "marked for death" by the gang. I would say this is one of Segal's most violent movies, and that is saying something.

You can split Segal films into 2 categories, the early stuff (Hard To Kill, Nico) and the later stuff (Fire Down Below, Today You Die). The latter group doesn't usually even get to the cinema but the former has some real action gems. Marked for death is one of them.

This film has loads of martial arts, Yardies, drugs, black magic, Drive by shootings, people dressed like Aswad, and the big black guy from platoon who escapes from the shootout at the end by getting rotated back to America. One of the things that ruins Segal films is having too much shooting and not enough fighting, But the action is pitched just right here, with still enough shooting thrown in to spice it up. The guys playing the Yardies are fantastic and the dialogue is second to none, in fact for those IDM fans out there Luke Vibert sampled some in 'screwface'. Other than Segal and the platoon guy the only person I recognised was Danny Trejo, Hollywoods default Mexican criminal. This is an action classic folks, watch it or Screwface will give you a thousand deaths worse than mine.

Yes, Steven Segal has packed on the pounds lately - haven't we all. He doesn't move like he did in his early films. I believe this was his second film and it has all the action one could wish for in a kick-butt martial arts action movie.

You are not here to see Oscar-worthy acting or sumptuous costumes and sets, you are here for an adrenaline-pumping vicarious thumping of the bad guys - in this case Jamaican drug dealers. so, sit back and enjoy the ride with a big bowl of popcorn and you will not be disappointed.

Now, if I could just figure out the name of that drop-dead beauty he was dancing with in the Jamaican bar, I would die a happy man.

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.

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.