classicsoncall Don't you just love watching insane people in movies? Take Screwface for example; he's so over the top and out of control that you don't know what he'll do next. Even made his posse shudder.This is one of the few Seagal flicks that got by me back in his heyday. Probably because between him and Van Damme, the pictures have such similar titles I probably thought I'd already seen it. No matter. This film delivers pretty much like all the rest if you go for this stuff.But there's always been something that bothered me about action films in which the bad guys never follow through. This picture had two instances where Hatcher (Seagal) was on the ropes - in the car wreck and at the warehouse in Jamaica. Both times Hatch would have been a goner if the bad guys just finished him off right then and there. Especially the second time when it was Screwface (Basil Wallace) holding all the cards. Not that I'm rooting for the bad guys, but in real life, wouldn't you want to just get things over with? Instead, Screwface must have thought about revenge just a bit too long and then just lost his head.

vojinvidanovic I find the movie acting and action scenes over-toned, but I am not a fan of Steven anyway. What does come at deeper level is the "choice of enemy".Well, its no secret Jamaican gangs (posse) exist. Whether they rule US streets, that is pretensions. However, Stevens movies were never realistic, but about action and "defense of US pride and justice" but this one kicks it over the edge with a lot of stereotypes.Dreadlocks are criminal stereotype, instead of Rastafarians who are peaceful and certainly not a violent international drug dealers (even when it comes to herb).While Screwface does display some Rastafarian features such as Patois language, and observing US as "Babylon system" he does practice belief in Voodoo and magic (which isn't prominent in Jamaica at all). Gang members call each other Rasta - while real faith opposes crime and violence and is often victim of it (e,g. Robert Nesta aka Bob Marley was a a wound victim of a paid assassins of such a posse)Such elements have ruined something that could have been a good action movie with a message, and depicts overall Jamaicans as primitive and drug dealing people.That this isn't alone voice is indicated by real Jamaicans / Rastafarian protest at time of movie release, being put on a list of most racist movies ever and overall today perception "of how not to do movie and play with other cultures".What is even strangest is that movie featured some nice reggae and rap music, such as Jimmy Cliff. I suppose buying music for soundtrack goes before movie is presented to the musicians. They do also appear live in clubs of Jamaica.

Tweekums When DEA agent John Hatcher's partner is killed he decides it is time to retire as no matter how much they do and how many villains they arrest there is always somebody else waiting to take there place. When he returns to his home in Chicago he finds the Jamaican Posses are selling drugs. At first he doesn't want to get involved but eventually he has no choice and deals with one of the gang. This puts both him and his family firmly in the sights of Screwface, the gang's leader. After an attack on his home leaves his niece critically injured he sets about hunting Screwface down; a mission that will take him from Chicago to Jamaica and back again and everywhere he goes he fill have to take on Screwface's many men and the black magic they claim to wield.If you enjoyed other early Seagal films you are sure to like this as it is packed with bone crunching action; he frequently has to fight several thugs at once. As well as the expected martial arts action there is plenty of gunplay, a car chase and even a sword fight! The story isn't too deep but there is an unforgettable twist that first time viewers are sure to enjoy. Seagal isn't the best actor in the world but he knows how to do action so if that is what you want you won't be disappointed. Some of the Jamaican patois is a little hard to understand but that doesn't spoil anything as most of what they say can be guessed anyway… it is nearly always a threat of some sort!

KineticSeoul This is the first Steven Seagal movie I seen. So I wasn't familiar with his films but from what I know, he usually plays a arrogant and cocky character that goes after the bad guys without hardly ever getting hurt or breaking a sweat. So in another words it sounded like some absurd and ridiculous action movie with bunch of kung-fu thrown in and to some degree that is exactly what this movie is. In this Steven Seagal's character is a retired DEA after on a the line of duty things don't go according to plan. And now he is going after Jamaican drug dealers with dreadlocks and is in some sort of cult with a couple of friends after they mess with his loved ones. Yeah the plot is very very narrow and the villains are comical and not in a good way either. After just few minutes in the movie just seemed to drag, constantly putting excuse to put some action sequences in which this has a lot of. Steven Seagal beats people up while saying catch phrases, some works some just don't. Just about everything about this movie is generic and predictable and almost nothing is all that engaging. The fight sequences with Seagal using judo or aikido was sort of cool though and watchable thus I give this movie a 4.5 even if the acting is atrocious thus I am being generous. I will just say this movie didn't make me a fan of his.4.5/10