The Keeper

"The Keeper" is better than most Steven Seagal Direct to Video films (but not as good as any of his theatrical films from back in the day, of course). I mean, anyone who says this is a downturn in quality obviously never saw "Kill Switch" or "Out for a Kill," "Today You Die," or any of the other Seagal DTVs that were so re-dubbed, re-edited, and filled with stock action sequences cut-and-pasted from other films that they were totally incomprehensible. At least "The Keeper" had a basic story you could follow and made sense overall. It's almost at the level of lower tier action flicks like Charles Bronson's "Evil Men Do," or Burt Reynold's "Malone" (and about at the level of Van Damme's "Border Patrol"). Serviceable vehicles for aging action stars. And the film has a tiny bit of Seagal-dubbing at the opening, a few lame supporting performances, and some minor continuity and plot hole problems--the usual for super low budget action flicks. But the leading lady is pretty good--delivers her lines well and is sexy in that gangly, puppet-ish Scarlette Johanssen way). And the guy that plays her dad is channeling Levon Helm, so that's OK. The film's opening, where cop Seagal is shot and then has to train his way back to fighting health, is pretty good, but seems to be from a different movie; none of the characters it introduces appear later on in the movie (in fact, the opening incident isn't even mentioned later on). I suspect that the best parts of two not-that-great screenplays were melded together.

But the really WEIRD error in this otherwise workmanlike flick is that Seagal's character's name, Rolland Sallinger, changes halfway through to Rolland BALLINGER! Just out of nowhere, one of the other actors start calling him "Ballinger" instead of "Sallinger"! This is both the kind of thing you'd expect in a Seagal DTV, given that they are often slapdash, but also exactly what you wouldn't expect! I mean, Seagal's DTVs are notorious for the re-dubbing of dialog and the makers of The Keeper opted not to re-dubb dialog in a case where it actually would have made sense to do so!

All in all, though, this is a passable 90 minutes entertainment for fans of the giant, middle-aged, whispering bada$$ we all secretly love.

And so Steven Seagal continues his prolific career in straight-to-video product with THE KEEPER, another film completely indistinguishable from the dozens he's made since evacuating our cinema screens back in the 1990s. It's a completely serviceable movie that plays out as a string of action sequences well executed but completely unmemorable; there are scenes of Seagal fighting in hand-to-hand combat with bad guys, disarming bad guys and engaging in shoot-outs with bad guys. The plot is weak and the script limited; essentially, this is one of those action-star-as-bodyguard movies featuring our hero risking his life to save a young woman from the clutches of kidnappers.

The good things? The film is ably directed and the fight sequences short, snappy and well-handled. Seagal is pretty poor, it has to be said, and there's still far too much distraction from his copious use of doubles (not content with a mere body double in the fight sequences, he now employs a hair double for back-of-the-head shots). Thankfully his voice is only dubbed in the opening scene, which is something. The unfamiliar supporting cast is very bland with the notable exception of Liezl Carstens, who I found quite smouldering as the sultry young damsel-in-distress; if ever an actress could pull off the unconvincing romantic scenes involving her and Seagal's character, it would be her.

An American action thriller; A story about a policeman who is double-crossed by his partner and relieved from duty on medical grounds but is approached to protect the daughter of an old friend. Next stop Texas for the aikido master. Seagal looks of pensionable age so not so convincing as a cop, but as a personal bodyguard he is more convincing and carries the part with a modicum of charisma. Sound is a problem in parts, where audio levels are a bit low, but otherwise this is a film of adequate structure and sharp editing. All in all, a film that meanders in the first act and treads water in the second, rescued only by intermittence: Seagal being put to work his impressive martial arts.

I just saw the Keeper and I agree with may of the reviews here that this is one of Steve's better pictures of the last few years. Having said that, I must also observe that those who disparage the acting of Seagal and his co-stars would not know good acting if it walked up and bit them.......Granted he is not a great actor, maybe not even a good one, but he is a decent actor capable of displaying and selling humor when it is called for. THAT is a sign of an actor who knows what he is doing.....as the old actor said on his death bed "Dying is easy, it's comedy that's hard."....and truer words were never spoken. All of those in this picture who delivered lines did so on an acceptable level...Academy Award performances they are not, but if you think this is bad acting....you have not been around much.

Just another mid 2000s Steven Seagal action flick, hard cuts lots of stunt doubles doing crazy things while Seagal stands there and waves his arms and waddles around smacking and shooting ppl

this time he is a cop recovered from a near death who helps a friend with his kidnapped daughter mostly non sense script as per usual. Plot kinda useless in these

Just enjoy the cringy and absurd dialogue and lots of seagal smacking guys and slapping and tossing them all over the place just don't ask questions you won't really get answers

hey yall fahgot ya knife man in that Louisiana twang with a waddle swagger.