Mercenary for Justice

"Mercenary for Justice" is garbage. Sure, it looks slick, with above-average (by DTV standards) production values, international locations, and some great stunts. But don't let the looks fool you. The story makes no sense whatsoever from beginning to end, and Seagal's ego-feeding is in full-force here (he is introduced as "the most decorated soldier in Gulf War I" - apparently he wouldn't even settle for "second most decorated" - and, of course, nobody can land a single tiny hit on him in a fight, despite the fact that these days he has to send his stunt double to climb over a 10-foot wall). The viewer has no idea what is going on or why, and in a turn of events that shows just how utterly moronic this script is, Seagal and his female partner Jacqueline Lord kill several perfectly innocent Cape Town cops and security people who were just trying to protect the bank that these two were (inexplicably) robbing, yet the film apparently expects us to continue regarding them as the good guys (!!!), because they are trying to save a black kid and his mother. What the hell? Oh, and why does that kick-ass muscular and deadly female mercenary we see in the opening sequence get killed off so quickly? At least SHE could climb over a wall. (*1/2)

This movie isn't bad. Obviously it is not like Nico, above the law or under siege. Not even the glimmer man. But considering the facts is OK.

Again an ex-CIA agent/mercenary blah-blah-blah...

You will see Seagal shooting a few rounds, kicking some butts here and there. An attractive presence (Jacqueline Lord) in his side. There are some smirks (if not laughs) in some points and a semi-satisfying ending.

I don't recommend to watch it with any degree of serious attention, but if you catch it on TV check it out.

Overall: It is what it is!

'Mercenary for Justice' is a routine fare, that works only in parts. Its a regular Steven Seagal film, with good action & a strictly passable story.

'Mercenary for Justice' Synopsis: A mercenary gets involved in a mission that threatens the lives of his kin. In order to succeed, he must break into one of the most well guarded prisons in Eastern Europe and free the son of the most notorious drug lord in the world today.

Not much really stands out in here, besides Seagal of course. I've been a fan of his & he does deliver some kick-ass action here too. Although appearing morbidly overweight, the action star still has the chops. As for the Screenplay, it has some interesting moments & some sequences, particularly the penultimate portions, are engaging. Don E. Fauntleroy's Direction is alright.

On the whole, 'Mercenary for Justice' is, at best, a one-time watch.

Quite a sloppy and lethargic straight-to-DVD Steven Seagal action joint. I've been watching a few of these in recent times, hoping I might just come across a diamond in the rough, but it has mainly been depressing. However where else can you see Seagal being at the end of this line "Yeah, that's it for you poophole!". Yes I'm not kidding. That's what some macho said and Seagal made sure it wouldn't happen again. By taking out this guy, plus the bathroom it occurred in too. Surprisingly here Seagal looks like his doing most of his own stunts, but then again the martial art combat is lacking (plenty of slapping and people being thrown about) and more time is taken up with relentless gunfire and explosions. Like its jacked-up opening. While competent in execution, it remains a pedestrian display. The story follows that of a group of mercenaries being betrayed, and than going onto a mission to free an important figure from a highly protected South African prison. After the betrayal John Seeger is threatened into helping out in this new mission, when his late-friend's family is kidnapped and used to make him participate. The plot seems confounded with so many details, involving double crosses and political interest. Then throw in the usual words of wisdom from Seagal, which randomly come from nowhere and he slurps them out making the meaning of them just as hard to understand. Slapdash performances by the rest of the cast.

"The man's a f*cking ghost."

Seagal has of late been doing material so utterly poor, to suggest that it may be time for him to call it a day, and concentrate on a promising music career. Seagal looks old, overweight and lethargic in his recent films and aside from the slightly more professional twosome of Into The Sun and Belly Of The Beast, looks utterly bored. Add to this fact he is not doing his own stunts, fighting or even dialogue, then clearly many fans are getting annoyed. However Seagal has one of the most forgiving and undemandingly loyal fan bases out there, so he's getting away with it.

Mercenary For Justice is on one hand the usually bog standard he's been doing lately, but on a slightly more positive not he does most of his ADR looping and also all his own fights. Now that might seem like something that should be a given for an action man but these days Seagal films are rated on the following: Participation in fights, stunts, in the shooting itself (not using stand ins!) and participation in performing his own dialogue. As such this film is a step up from Black Dawn and Today You Die, his previous two, poor, poor movies.

The trouble is that the film has an awful script, poor direction and of course an incredibly wooden performance by its lead. The action is all filmed rather than using stock footage, as in the other Seagal and Don E Fauntleroy team up, Today You Die, which borrowed from several films. This it least has Fauntleroy showing slightly more control behind the camera, but unfortunately the film is one of a line of contractually obligated films Seagal had to do. Sure he got well paid to do them, but the fact is there have been rumours of on set troubles with Seagal, turning up late, changing the script. How true this is I don't know but certainly in this film and TYD, Seagal is probably only present for 2/3 of the movie. Thankfully MFJ marks the last time Seagal will work with these producers and this director, following a much publicised legal battle of suing and counter suing.

MFJ makes no sense whatsoever, perhaps largely due to the slipshod and difficult production thanks to the problems between the producers and the star. This is so poorly constructed and shabbily put together that it makes one wonder just how Seagal fans (myself included can keep coming back in the vein hope he'll do a good movie again. Similarly the film is not helped by a poor cast around Seagal, who lest we not forget is not in the movie that much. However Luke Goss isn't bad, but he is sorely underused. In perhaps the most awful performance ever committed to a B action film, Roger Guenveur Smith, grates, and annoys in the most clichéd British bad guy role, in which every word is ludicrously overly enunciated. As such the poor cast fails to engage in the dull and dragging scenes without the main man Seagal. The action itself ranges form mediocre to bad. There's plenty of explosions but the film is badly edited and the fights sequences are particularly dull, despite Seagal's participation in them. They unfortunately lack imagination and aside from some bone breaking and flushing peoples heads down toilets, it's all pretty brief and uninspired.

The sad thing is that many Seagal fans will "settle" for this junk. It shouldn't be that way. I only hope that the far more promising sounding projects, Shadows Of The Sun and Prince Of Pistols will have a more interested Seagal. I don't blame the big man for not raising his game in a film this poor, he was allowed to give minimal effort to collect a big fat paycheque, so fair play to the man. However he will have to deliver better films otherwise the paycheques could well dry up. DTV films don't have to be awful and Lundgren and Van Damme are proving that. I hope Seagal takes note in his next few films, but thankfully I see there will be little chance they are as bad as this. *1/2