Nico, Acima da Lei

In Japan, the Sicilian martial arts expert Nicolo "Nico" Toscani (Steven Seagal) is recruited by the CIA Special Agent Nelson Fox (Chelcie Ross) to join the Special Operations Forces in the border of the Vietnam and Cambodia. In 1973, Nico witnesses the torturer Kurt Zagon (Henry Silva) interrogating prisoners of war and he is disgusted and quits the CIA, returning.

Fifteen years later, Nico is married with a baby with his wife Sarah (Sharon Stone) and they live in the same house of his mother. Nico is a tough and incorruptible narcotics detective of the Chicago Police Department very close to his partner and friend Delores 'Jacks' Jackson (Pam Grier) and his friend Detective Lukich (Ron Dean). When Nico and Jacks investigate a drug traffic operation, they arrest the gang of the drug dealer Tony Salvano (Daniel Faraldo) but they find that they are smuggling the plastic explosive C4 instead. However there is an interference of the FBI and Salvano and his partner are released by FBI Agent Neeley (Nicholas Kusenko) and the detectives are forbidden of proceed with the investigation. But Nico does not stop and is suspended from the police force. But when there is an explosion in the church of his neighborhood and his friend and parish priest Joseph Gennaro (Joe V. Greco) is murdered, Nico chases Salvano and discovers a corruption ring that is planning to kill the American Senator Ernest Harrison (Joe D. Lauck) that is investigating the involvement of the CIA with drug traffic.

"Above the Law" is the excellent debut of Steven Seagal in the cinema industry. When I saw this movie for the first time twenty-five years ago, I immediately became fan of this actor that used the style of Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood associated to great fight choreography and violence. Today I have seen it again on DVD and the story is still full of action and has not aged after all these years. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Nico Acima da Lei" ("Nico Above the Law")

This is Steven Seagal's film debut , here he also co-wrote and co-produced . The pictures in the opening credits , including the one of the baby Nico , are actually real pictures of Steven Seagal in his youth . It deals about Nico , a tough Chicago cop , he's a CIA ex-agent , Vietnam veteran and Aikido expert . He teams up with a police woman (Pam Grier) , forming a two-fisted duo . Nico takes on drug smuggling ringleader (Daniel Faraldo) and undergoes a violent confrontation against corrupt Cia agents (Henry Silva) and criminal gangs.

The picture packs noisy action , buddy movie , thriller , shootouts, suspense and results to be quite entertaining . Violent and not particularly literary but worthy entry in action genre . Wooden Seagal plays the violent Nico , he cleans up Chicago city by means of punches , kicks, bounds and leaps , martial arts abound with fights certainly slick . The sword-fighting sequence was staged using Steven Seagal's own martial arts . Steven Seagal personally selected every weapon seen in the film . The Aikido expert Seagal saves the day in this exciting movie which co-produced and wrote developing some autobiographic events about his real-life . In the film appears Sharon Stone in role secondary , as Nico's wife , furthermore Michael Rooker, almost extra and Ron Dean , an actor which director Andrew Davis likes to use in most of his movies . The picture contains enough action and violence for fans of the genre and the addicts will give this a passing grade because being professionally directed by Andrew Davis . He has shot most of his films in Chicago and he's an action movies expert (The guardian , Collateral damage , Chain reaction , The fugitive) and previously gave credibility in a vehicle for Chuck Norris (Code of silence) and again directed to Seagal in his best movie (Under siege) . This one is an acceptable thriller , exciting and tense at times with fine work , as always , from director Andrew Davis . If you're a former Steven Seagal fan you'll like it because is a strong outing for action buffs .

This movie obviously isn't deep, but it is fun. The plot moves along quite nicely, there's plenty of humor, and the martial arts scenes are very well done. Seagal actually does have a presence on screen (as opposed to say, Chuck Norris or Claude Van Damme). The movie is low budget, but it has the virtue of recognizing the fact and not attempting effects shots that don't work (as opposed to "Under Siege 2").

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"Above the Law" was Seagal's debut film. It wasn't the best, but we got to see martial arts on display that was for maiming and dismembering instead of marathon fighting like most. His disabling moves weren't for the faint of heart.

Seagal played Nico Toscani, a Chicago P.D. detective that caught on to a plot to kill a senator. He and his partner Delores Jackson (Pam Grier) shot and fought their way to discover the culprits (OK, so it was mostly Toscani).

Toscani, like just about every action hero, fearlessly went up against incredible odds, danger, and death knowing that even if he didn't have a gun he was always armed and dangerous. You can look at this as heroic or unfathomably stupid. I'm sure it comes down to whether or not you like Seagal.

ABOVE THE LAW is still Steven Seagal's best. He's done many entertaining films since, but this ones remains his best. It's a great urban crime drama with Seagal in peak form as a cop with lightning-fast moves and a knack for delivering justice. Okay, the story of a cop being suspended and ignoring orders to finish the case on his own has been done a gazillion times, but I've never cared about repetition. I just care about the overall outcome of the film. The story isn't great, but keeps you interested and moves at a good pace, with Seagal dispensing bad guys left and right. I love the gritty urban feel of the movie. Director Andrew Davis makes good use of his hometown Chicago's locations. Pam Grier is good, and (avoiding convention) isn't killed off for being the star's partner, and Sharon Stone, as Seagal's wife, has learned to act in the three years since KING SOLOMON'S MINES. Henry Silva is creepy as the bad guy, surrounded by a group of weasel henchmen who eventually all get their ticket punched by Seagal. David Michael Frank also composes a great contemporary-styled soundtrack that deserves a full soundtrack release; it's great music, and a great theme. The action is fun, the pace is good, and Seagal does a good job as always with his slick moves. It may not be great, but it sure is fun.