Product: Hard to Kill [VHS] (1990)
Rating: 3.0
Seven Years In 96 Minutes
I'm conflicted about "Hard to Kill" (alternatively known as "The Seven Year Storm" - a better title, if you ask me). On one hand, it's a quality vehicle from Steven Seagal's glory days that displays his strengths to near-perfection, but on the other, it's a pretty dumb follow-up to his smarter-than-average debut,Above the Law. Rest assured, it's not a bad action movie by any means, features a couple unconventional touches not seen in other Seagal fare, and certainly belongs on any of Seagal's "best of" lists...but for many folks, that's not saying much.The story: Seagal is Mason Storm - a lone wolf policeman who's made a breakthrough regarding a plot to assassinate a US senator. Before he can deliver the evidence, an attack on his home by the crooks leaves his wife dead, his son missing, and Storm himself in a coma. Protected by his friend and colleague Kevin O'Malley (Frederick Coffin,View from the Top), Storm lies unconscious for seven years until awakening to renewed assassination attempts and a thirst for revenge.For the record, being shot and put into a coma would be the most devastating injury ever done to the near-invincible Seagal until some twenty years later inThe Keeper. That doesn't stop him, however, from managing to outrun an assassin while still bedridden, mere minutes after he wakes up. Throw in the beard he grew during his coma and the taking off of his shirt, and you've got a respectable list of things you see in none other of his films. I suppose that's where the film's main appeal lies: he's put into situations you usually don't see him in - like needing to rebilitate himself to the tune of inspiring music - but the fact that he handles all of them in his usual superhuman way puts a bit of a damper on the thought that his character might be but a man this time around. Credit goes to director Bruce Malmuth (Nighthawks) for pushing him, though.The action is what you'd expect from Seagal at this age. The scene in the convenience store is one of the best examples of seeing practical aikido in use, but both it and the scenes that come after aren't quite as ingenius as in "Above the Law"; in the long run, it's nothing more than Seagal taking out the garbage as usual. However, a later combination of both indoor martial arts and gunplay is one of the finest that Seagal has ever been filmed in: it's a type of scene that hadn't really existed before Seagal and its style still isnt emulated very often, so count your blessings on it. The inclusion of Kelly LeBrock (Weird Science) - Seagal's then-wife - is a two-edged blade: while she gives little more than an acceptable performance, her interaction with Seagal seems to give the martial artist a confidence that he tends to lack in his usual acting and supplies him with a surprising flair that chooses to express itself during quieter scenes - I mean, when's the last time you've seen Seagal guffaw convincingly? Then again, since she was his real-life spouse, it's inevitable that they begin a relationship in the movie, and this doesn't really feel right considering that to Mason Storm, he just lost his beloved wife weeks ago; I figure they were intentionally trying to avoid drama, but it still feels weird.However, when the bad guys get theirs, you some of the most satisfying scenes that our hero has ever uttered harsh language in: you really don't know how good you can feel for a guy until William Sadler (Roswell - Seasons 1-3) is standing with a gun barrel in his mouth, being told what's going to happen to him in prison. The ability to instill this marvelous feel for vengeance earns director Malmuth some kudos...but eventually, it feels like just another run-of-the-mill action vehicle for Steven, since the villain isn't particularly memorable and the scope of the film isn't very big. While it's more interesting than most of the films Seagal would involved in later in his career, it really doesn't top an old-fashioned, to-the-point Seagalian bloodbath likeOut for Justice. Fans should definitely pick it up and 80s-action freaks should get a fix out of this one...but everybody else, rent it first.