Strangely enough, this movie about serial killers is Steven
Seagal’s most comedic role. He’s a zen cop paired up with Keenan Ivory Wayans
to find a person who is murdering families, but it becomes much more than that
as it involved Seagal’s past. I couldn’t tell you one character’s name, but I
love this movie for all the wrong reasons.
I’m sure, as reviews have mentioned, this was Warner Bros.
fast tracking on the heat behind “Seven.” Around the mid-90’s we had a ton of
serial killer movies. So why not have
one with their most bankable star. I’m not sure what Wayans was doing in
this movie, besides a paycheck, but…you almost sense he was written for a
different person in mind. As with most castings, I’m always fascinated by what
could’ve been. What would’ve been the pairing? I’m not sure. But Wayans hold
his own against Seagal’s random non-sequitor comments. They are odd tidbits of
stream of consciousness that, well, honestly, I’m not entirely sure how Seagal
got away with saying those lines. In fact, he is actually the comic relief.
Kind of.
The story begins with Wayans as a L.A. detective being
paired up with Seagal who is something of an expert at ritual killings. He’s a
zen weirdo who is disliked by the L.A. branch (didn’t know they swapped) police
department. He is a New York transplant and seems to know more than the “laid
back” West Coast. Kind of.
They both seek out the ritual killing but stumble on
something else. Copy cat murders made to look like the actual serial killer. SO
now we have TWO plots going on. Which ties into a random school shooting scene,
where upon chance these two end up at a school being terrorized by a mentally
unstable kid…who happens to be the son of…ah…well, it’s all so complicated and
random.
Let’s be honest here, back in those days I was more
interested in how Seagal was going to kick someone’s ass that sass mouthed him.
And there aren’t many disappointments here. Though a majority of the time, the
assault charges alone would’ve sidelined him permanently. But that’s our
pussified 2016 eyes looking back at a world that seemed so much better if you
can smack hired goons around. I think these types of movies will always have a
place in Americans’ hearts as long as due process is still part of our justice
system. To me, justice meant Seagal busted chops so hard, people would be
afraid to file any charges.
I really like Keenan Ivory Wayans. He always seemed like
such a pleasant person. I think they were trying to look for the next “Lethal
Weapon” Black/White combo. And it’s not a bad attempt. Only that…if you think
about the presence of Seagal and his overbearing personality in most of his
movies (not needing a sidekick), I would say it’s a miraculous accomplishment.
Look for that underrated character actor Bob Gunton (warden
from “Shawshank Redemption”) as another sleazy rich guy slimeball and a young
Nikki Cox as a Catholic school girl. Both a lot of fun to watch.
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