Born to Raise Hell

I wish I could meet Steven Seagal, not only to ask for his autograph but also to sit down with him and discuss what's made his recent string of movies so disappointing for even a devoted fan like me. I would use BORN TO RAISE HELL here as an example, being sure to compliment the film's strengths but also making clear to him exactly what about it sucks. I'm not so naïve to believe that Seagal is in total creative and technical control of each of his features, but perhaps I could convince him to take a more hands-on role in their production and perhaps aikido-chop the idiots who are truly responsible for the lackluster nature of some of these movies.

The plot: An international drug task force operating out of Romania, headed by ex-Interpol agent Samuel Axel (Seagal), sets its sights on bringing down the operations of a deadly and sadistic gang of drug traffickers...

People who don't like Steven Seagal by default are going to hate this movie. Seagal occupies most of the scenes (perhaps still making up for his absence throughout most of AGAINST THE DARK?) and his character is boisterous, arrogant, and most of the other characters cow to him in one way or another. Surprisingly, I found myself appreciating this: a supercilious Steven is still more fun to watch than the detached, bored-looking dope he played for a while in movies like FLIGHT OF FURY. However, whatever effort he seems to have made for this film is marred by extensive dubbing of his voice - something not present in his movies to this degree since the picture I just mentioned. There aren't any other real technical snafus to be seen, but further post-production add-ins like nonstop slow motion, freeze-frame shots galore, and way too many time-killing collage scenes continue to have the movie feeling more like Seagal's trash pictures of yesteryear, moving him further and further away from the high standard he had achieved with URBAN JUSTICE.

The action scenes are composed mostly of boring shootouts, but there are a couple hand-to-hand encounters which, while not too flashy, feature Seagal doing just about all of his own moves and getting some good aikido throws in. There's also an impressive instance wherein he kicks a thug so hard that the man flies about six feet through the air before crashing through a bench. These lead up to the finale with martial artist Darren Shahlavi, who had been running around the rest of the picture as the necrophilic, drug-dealing main villain. This is where things get *really* disappointing, to the point of costing my rating an entire star. Shahlavi had consistently delivered great physical performances in the past, and one of his most recent movies at the time - IP MAN 2, released on the same day as BORN TO RAISE HELL - featured him in some very good fights with Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung; in this one, however, he has one very brief fight halfway through the film before getting absolutely manhandled by Seagal during the climax. The fact that Shahlavi had just been in an internationally-acclaimed martial arts masterpiece makes this ugly and one-sided encounter more disappointing than Seagal's similar exchanges with Gary Daniels and Byron Mann: at least they didn't have any recent major successes behind them to live up to.

At this point in our conversation, if I had been able to speak freely and if the rumors concerning Seagal's temper and ego were true, I figure he'd either have left the room in disinterest or he would have me by my throat. I'd quickly try to point out that the acting is decent in general and, despite being shot in Romania, the film's cinematography is less grey than I expected and pretty fun to look at...but would this be enough to save me? It certainly isn't enough to save the movie, which I fear can be shelved along with the growing number of failed DTV outings starring the Buddhist Bonecrusher. I doubt that I'll ever actually have this conversation with Steven, but I'm still holding out on the hope that he's going to get back on the horse and make it worth being a fan of his again; when this one came out, it really wasn't.

Another ill-distinguished action odyssey from big man Seagal, in which an age-old storyline involving rival gangs of gangsters and one dedicated cop is spoiled by dumbass direction and some of the worst editing you'll ever witness. Yes, it's another low rent movie in which a great deal of could-have-been-good action scenes are spoiled by dizzyingly bad, sea-sickening cutting.

Seagal has more of a hand in this than usual, having written and produced as well as starred (although, as is the norm for the actor these days, sometimes the hand isn't his own: the body and voice doubles are back in force). This time around he's an imported American cop, wearing a flak jacket and leading a police squad through some grimy streets in scenes probably inspired by his own TV show, STEVEN SEAGAL: LAWMAN. Along the way he contends with Brando-lookalike Russian mafia man Dimitri and a particularly vicious rapist/murderer gypsy.

The supporting cast and locales are entirely Romanian, and a great deal of scenes take place in strip joints where women parade around in their next-to-nothings and Seagal glowers at anyone who comes close. There are the requisite goons to be dealt with, along with walking clichés (the partner who finds out he's about to become a dad) and a 20 year-old girlfriend who awkwardly frolics with the star in the sack at one stage. Not a good look, man.

'BORN TO RAISE HELL': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Another generic Steven Seagal action film, in this one he plays an Interpol agent caught in the middle of a Russian and Gypsy street gang war in Eastern Europe. Seagal also wrote the script while veteran stuntman and actor Lauro Chartrand makes his directorial debut. Another up and coming martial arts star Darren Shahlavi co-stars as the movie's villain. The action scenes are decent but the story is tired and dull. If you're an action junkie and or Seagal fan you probably won't be disappointed though.

Seagal stars as Samuel Axel, an Interpol agent recently put on assignment in Eastern Europe. He's also breaking in a new partner, a rookie named Steve (D. Neil Mark) who's also expecting a child. The two are a part of a special task force investigating gun and dope smugglers in the Balkans. Their prime interests are a Gypsy gang leader named Costel (Shahlavi) and a Russian gang leader called Dimitri (Dan Badarau, who shares a striking resemblance with Marlon Brando). When things get messy Axel is forced to resort to unconventional measures in order to get the job done.

Like I said Seagal is credited for writing the script but it's basically just parts of a dozen other movies pieced together. The story is irrelevant and about as forgettable as they come. The action scenes are entertaining none the less. A much better fight scene could have been choreographed between Seagal and Shahlavi though. What we get is routine and could have been filmed with anyone opposite Seagal. What a waste of talent! Still the movie was made for just $10 million and say what you will about Seagal's career but his movies continue to be profitable successes. This is just one of many that will soon blur in with all the others but during the 90 minutes I spent watching it it was mildly entertaining.

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Continuing my plan to watch Steven Seagal movie in order, I just watched Born To Raise Hell (2010)

I have enjoyed some of his recent dtv movies, but this is a step back. It started out ok for the first hour, then just went down hill and by the end I was looking at my phone. It is predictable, ludicrous and often dull. It has few ok action scenes but it's all just the usual Seagal dubbed and doubled nonsense.

The movie also ends with yet another rather anti-climactic fight, which lasts all of 90 seconds and is completely one sided favouring Seagal.

The once glorious (well I'm sure some still believe that to be the case) Steven Seagal might be lingering in direct-to-DVD haven, but these enterprises sometimes provide the goods, that's if you're not expecting much. But then again there are some just plain and dull outings and for me this European stint "Born to Raise Hell" fell in to this group. Seagal feels like nothing more than a bit player and a bored one too. Spending more time sitting about, pondering, having a heartfelt chats or if he has to - walking from 'a to b' to shoot someone or casually crack some bones. So when it comes to the explosive bursts, they do lack any sort of punch or adrenaline despite the seedy scene. Here he plays a streetwise American Interpol agent assigned to a drug / weapon trafficking task force in Eastern Europe. This is one rather generic action drama, which thinks it's tough, but comes across as violently spiteful and sluggishly paced with a bogged down script. The director keeps it rather kinetic with the filming techniques, being slickly dressed up with sped up visuals, slow motion and titled camera angles. The performances are nothing to write home about, but the cast do acquit themselves well enough. Not terrible, but a very ho-hum Seagal vehicle.

"I like your style".