So I've been on an action film kick lately partly due to Dan and Drew mentioning a bunch of action films I either haven't seen in a long time or haven't seen at all. So far over the past 3 weeks I've watched Demolition Man, The Rundown, Speed, Cliffhanger, The Rock, Rumble in the Bronx, Twin Dragons and Tango & Cash. All great action films that I was glad to have watched. Now one action movie star I'm completely running a blank on is the aikido master Steven Seagal. I think at most the only film I've seen partially he starred in was Exit Wounds with DMX, and by that time he was kinda towards the slow and fat phase of his career. I want to know out of all the Steven Seagal filmography what are the essential movies to watch during the height of his movie career?
What Steven Seagal films would you recommend?
Under Siege. A couple of his earlier ones are ok. Also the one with Michael Caine as the bad guy, not because it's good but because it has two disposable bad guys having a chat about how they should be holding their guns to look menacing.
I'd say Executive Decision and Under Siege are really the only two worth watching, and Under Siege is the only one I'd call a Steven Seagal movie.
Also I feel like he was always sort of slow and fat, so it might be hard to avoid that of phase of his.
I would say you'd be alright without watching any Seagal movie. As a lover of actions movies of all types, Seagal has never done anything for me and even his best films aren't that special. Under Siege is okay from what I remember, but I don't think I've even watched it all the way through.
Under Siege is a pretty good action movie. Hard to Kill is a pretty HILARIOUSLY bad action movie that is probably my top "so bad it's good" movie. The training montage, his fake coma beard, his crazy action hero name (Mason Storm), the villain and his catch phrase, the hilarious "wow look at Seagal he's a badass" opening, etc etc. It goes on. If you can appreciate something as silly as Demolition Man then I think you should watch Hard to Kill.
I'd say Executive Decision and Under Siege are really the only two worth watching, and Under Siege is the only one I'd call a Steven Seagal movie.
Also I feel like he was always sort of slow and fat, so it might be hard to avoid that of phase of his.
He was not at all always fat. He was always awkward moving but to his credit dude is a great martial artist despite how he looks fucking hilarious running.
I'd say Executive Decision and Under Siege are really the only two worth watching, and Under Siege is the only one I'd call a Steven Seagal movie.
Also I feel like he was always sort of slow and fat, so it might be hard to avoid that of phase of his.
He was not at all always fat. He was always awkward moving but to his credit dude is a great martial artist despite how he looks fucking hilarious running.
Yeah I think it's hard to look elegant when you're nearly 2m tall and fairly well built.
I'd say Executive Decision and Under Siege are really the only two worth watching, and Under Siege is the only one I'd call a Steven Seagal movie.
Also I feel like he was always sort of slow and fat, so it might be hard to avoid that of phase of his.
He was not at all always fat. He was always awkward moving but to his credit dude is a great martial artist despite how he looks fucking hilarious running.
Yeah I think it's hard to look elegant when you're nearly 2m tall and fairly well built.
Eh, a lot of basketball players disagree. But there are awkward ones too that are skilled and again he's a great martial artist and results are always what matters to me. Can't hate on that.
From what I understand, Under Siege is an actually decent movie. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother with any recent stuff, I can tell you it's shit. He churns those out at an alarming rate.
But even then, his older stuff is not great. To me, Seagal has always been a "dad actor", meaning dads like his movies, along with other terrible straight to video action movies.
Sounds like Under Siege is the definitive movie to go see starring Steven Segal. I'll go try and watch it sometime this week.
Fun Steven Seagal fact: the only reason he is famous in the first place is because he was the martial arts instructor to a Hollywood agent who made a Trading-Places-esque bet with a colleague that he could take a complete nobody and make him into a movie star. True story.
The Glimmer Man is a pretty good, bad movie of his. It's around the time he started getting fat and has several, crazy, nonsense scenes.
The first Under Siege is great, the second one is worth watching once.
its entirely possible that I was just a stupid kid and didn't know any better but I remember liking Fire Down Below.
I am seconding what people say about Hard to Kill. It's hilariously bad. It has a sex scene that literally occurs in the middle of a training montage.
I would also recommend Exit Wounds, for a glimpse at how his career trajectory changed in the late 90s.
Under Siege is, without a doubt, his best movie (or his only good one). And Executive Decision, only because he is barely in it.
I want to second other people that say you should avoid him. Seriously, he is not a good action actor, he is not even a good stunts performer, the movies are shit (not in the so-bad-is-good kind of way), and he remains in the bad side of camping for most of his career.
I would say the two Under Siege movies. The second one isn't as good, but I found to still be a decent action movie.
@reverendk: This looks absolutely awesome...
It depends on personal preferences, if you like sticking needles into your eyes then all his movies are fantastic!
Marked for Death or Out for Justice if you want to get idea why he became popular. His earlier movies have that 80-90s gritty violent feel to them. Under Siege is his most popular movie, but it is also after his peak time (for example Mad magazine made fun of him being too out of shape in that movie).
Edit:
@i_stay_puft Most important non-Seagal movie: Roadhouse.
Under Siege or Marked for Death.
Really everything he did before Under Siege is what got him the Under Siege gig and so is pretty good. It goes downhill from there.
Also see Double Impact. Because everyone should see Double Impact. A lot.
Here is the rule with his movies:
If the title can be used to form a sentence stating: "Steve Seagal is <insert title here>" you are golden and should watch for cheesy action goodness. If not, stay far away.
For example:
- Steven Seagal is Hard to Kill
- Steven Seagal is Under Siege
- Steven Seagal is Out for Justice
- Steven Seagal is Marked for Death
- Steven Seagal is Above the Law
- Steven Seagal is On Deadly Ground (great villainous turn for Michael Caine and his dye job in this one)
- Steven Seagal is The Glimmer Man
And, when a sentence just doesn't work, neither does the movie
- Steven Seagal is Executive Decision (nope)
- Steven Seagal is Today You Die (double-nope)
- Steven Seagal is Flight of Fury (nopers)
- Steven Seagal is Under Siege 2 (doesn't work)
- Steven Seagal is Pistol Whipped (hmmm....)
Edit: the one exception to the rule is Machete. Because it's Machete.
Under Siege is a legit pretty damn decent action flick. Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey co-star, so have at it.
I can't remember liking any of his other movies, but I suppose they're good for a laugh if you want to see a squinty, pony-tailed man throat punch people for 90 minutes.
How timely. While looking for Van Damme movies, I ended up also buying a Blu Ray box set containing Under Siege 1 and 2, Hard To Kill, Above the Law and Executive Decision for £7 the other day.
That's probably all the Seagal one could ever need or want, right?
Also, I was shocked to discover this bullshit:
Amazing.
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