Jeu fatal

I'll start by saying that I have seen all of Steven Seagal's films, from Nico to this one, and at one point thought he really went downhill with shadow man and the films that followed (Attack force and flight of fury) then came Urban Justice which I thought was a bit of an improvement and then I saw Pistol Whipped, and thought thats more like it.

Unlike a lot of his previous films this one actually has a deep story, its about a disgraced ex cop who is obsessed with gambling, has a lot of dept and is an alcoholic, he is approached by a mysterious stranger that offers to clear all his transgressions if he agrees to assassinate specific targets.

The performances by the cast are excellent and also unlike Seagal's previous films, he doesn't overshadow the rest of cast, for instants, where Seagal is either framed or has lost a loved one because of a gang, and then all it boils down to is Seagal going from one area to the next and beating the living snot out of who ever made him mad, and in that case the rest of the characters only consist of gangsters, terrorist or to put it mildly, they may has well be in the movie to act as human punching bags, where as in this one you have a lot of great characters like Drea, Blu, the old man and even Matt (Steven Seagal's character).

Lastly, the direction by Roel Reine is definitely the best I've seen out of all the other direct to DVD Seagal movies, and his other credits includes Drifter and dead water(also starring Lance Henriksen).

An unremarkable action thriller, but probably one of Steven Seagal's best films so far. This one has a plot that actually keeps your interest (even though the main "twist" is telegraphed ahead of time) by going beyond the simple "they killed his loved ones and now he wants revenge" scenario, without becoming a muddled mess like, say, "Mercenary For Justice". It also has a pretty slick look, and the action includes a well-filmed car chase climaxing with a spectacular car flip, and a John Woo - style graveyard shootout at the end. Seagal tries to play a morally ambivalent character, which he does up to a point, but the usual problems associated with his characters (the invulnerability and the vanity) are still present (wait till you hear a girl's remark about a certain body part of his). He is still overweight and most of the fight scenes are blink-and-you'll-miss-them, but at least he is there doing them, and doing them efficiently. The movie also benefits from a good supporting cast, though Lance Henriksen should have had more screen time. Renee Goldsberry is gorgeous & tough and earns "Pistol Whipped" a few more points. (**1/2)

Steven Seagall at one time was one of the best action actors around twenty years ago and by the turn of the next decade he would be a attraction to see on screen even if I never went to any of his films in the theatre. The last several years Steven seem to slow down a bit and he wasn't the same kick ass guy he once was but after watching Pistol Whipped. Steven still had it which hopefully it'll be an opportunity to be on screen again and perhaps appearing in a Quentin Taratino film may really boost a comeback for him teaming up Uma Thurman. I always liked Steven Seagall even though many critics don't take him as a serious actor but hopefully they'll praise his acolaides when they start to realize his talent.

I was surprised that this film was very good. To be honest, after the last two Seagal films I thought he was done, but wouldn't you know....he's back. I should have known not to count him out. He definitely hits the bullseye with Pistol Whipped. The rest of the cast for the film did a great job too. Lance Henriksen always plays a good part in anything he does. I was also happy to learn that this film was shot in Connecticut a few towns away from where I live.

I'd like to see Seagal do more small acting roles like he did with Executive Decision. Hopefully he'll be back in the theaters soon. I would have paid to see this movie at a theater.

An American action drama; A story about a man thrown out of the police force under suspicion of theft who is approached by a mysterious man with an offer to wipe the slate clean, but it comes at a high price. Seagal's persona as the drunk and indebted man, down on his luck, and showing some fragility works reasonably well but his character is undeveloped. Some of the scenes with the fallen cop and his daughter are touching all the same. The film contains some good hand-to-hand fighting sequences, plenty of action, explosions and shoot-outs. Some of the slow-motion effects are distracting but the overall production has merit. It has a predictable plot though the film's finale is well constructed.