Framed on a drug-smuggling charge, an Archeology professor lands in a Chinese prison and is released only to be targeted by the henchmen who set him up. I don't know why Steven Seagal continues to make films in cinema. It's like everytime he releases a new "adventure", his intelligence dwindles because of the
need for philosophical dialogue. Even his accent is getting more indecipherable; now to a near-whisper, proving the need for the subtitle option in the Menu section. It would have been a better idea if the film was released with dubbed voices, or maybe in another language altogether; only to completely remove any trace of Seagal's tone. Furthermore, the choreography is elementary, proving that Seagal has already reached that level where his best days were in the eighties. His movements are stiff, over-weight and unbearable to the point of ripping off one's eyelashes. Why I even watched this film to the end is beyond me. I guess I was hoping that maybe this film would stop emitting a foul-smelling odor. The production, however; was surprisingly good, with a crisp presentation and nice scenic backgrounds. But once Seagal and friends appeared on screen, the film plunged into a downward spiral of utter crap. There are no standout performances here; feeling like the cast was pulled right off the street to act out their scenes in a whopping three days; breaks included. Kata Dobo, who played his wife Maya, also couldn't save this film with her rather quick topless scene. If anything, that scene only further hurt the film by showcasing it as a re-enactment in one of those FBI documentaries; she removed her shirt and they hug, with Seagal literally patting her back like a friend. The random narrative dialogue from Michelle Goh seemed to also come in at useless points of the film; blurting out lines that we don't care to know. It's perplexing how Steven Seagal still has a loyal fan base after releasing horrid films after another. The Glimmer Man was probably the last decent film Seagal had performed in and even then, Keenan Ivory Wayans stole the spotlight. The string of straight-to-video releases that Seagal puts out on an annual basis is trite, obnoxious and should be stopped right now. Out For A Kill, you are horrible.
March 1, 2011
