Above the Law

"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.

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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I was watching television the other day, just flipping through the channels when I came upon 'Above the Law'. I hadn't seen this movie in years, and was anxious to watch it again. I must say that I was impressed. I believe it deserves no less than a 9/10. Why? The martial arts in superb as well as the action in general. Moreover, this movie operates on many different levels of meaning.

M.A. Rogers, in his commentary believes that Seagal's behavior contradicts his affirmation that nobody is above the law. This is not so. I believe that his actions are morally justified, inasmuch as there exists in the plot-line no other way for justice to be done. If the police force is corrupt and the C.I.A. are up to no good (not to mention the usually scum), what is one to do? It is therefore up to Toscani (Seagal) to take on a 'poetic license' of sorts and bring the transgressors back to justice.

M.A. Rogers, however, cogently points out in his commentary, that Seagal portrays a double-edged character. On the one hand he is easily angered, while on the other he puts out this "Mr. Cool" who is rife with obnoxious comments. This is why the film does so well. Important also is the scene in which his wife (Sharon Stone) pleads with him. She asks him to put down his 'pride'. She loves him because he is not like other men, but begs him to think of his family and back down. One cannot help, upon viewing this scene, to think of book six of "The Iliad" by Homer, where Andromache pleads with Hektor to stay in Troy for her sake and for the sake of his new-born son Astyanax. The emotion of the scene in Above the Law is heightened because of Seagal's show of restrained emotion: one isn't convinced that he is a 'family man'. He is. His stern face shows that he is a hard man, with a burden on his shoulders and an obligation to save his society as well as his family from an ailment that abounds everywhere. There is lots more to say on the matter, but I will leave that to another commentary. If you are at all a fan of the genre, than you must see it, even if you care only for the action. But I must make it clear that this movie is just as deep and sophisticated as any current drama. One just has to look beyond the surface.

Michael W. Helfield

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.

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 .