On Deadly Ground (1994)

The film where Steven Seagal proves that he's much more than just a lousy actorÂ… he's also a lousy director.

Where to begin? There's a nice mix of action star self-indulgence and political commentary on the evils of oil. Seagal is Forrest Taft (?), a no non-sense renegade who plays by his own set of rules for some sort of oil rigging company owned by some guy named Michael Jennings (Michael Caine playing a character who is so evil, that he has jet black hair!). That is, until Forrest's friends start accusing him of turning his back on the environment. Forrest doesn't like that much. Nobody calls him a 'whore' and gets away with it.

After twenty minutes, and a random bar fight, Forrest reads a fourth grade-level computer screen that pretty much spells out how economically dangerous oil rigs can really beÂ… and how his boss is making sure that silly things like the environment don't get in the way of a profit. Rather than develop complex protagonists and antagonists, we get a clear black and white split: Big corporations and oil companies are evil and Eskimos are good-as they help Forrest become spiritually reborn as a 'man-bear' and regain his sights on kicking ass.

Chances are, you weren't watching for plot anyway. But the guilty pleasure parade just keeps on going: dialogue that'll make you smile (best line: 'You didn't find Flint, but you managed to kill an unarmed Eskimo!'), lots of explosions, horrible supporting actors, and a chance for Steven Seagal to play 'the slap game' with one of his judgmental oil workers. "On Deadly Ground" gives Seagal plenty of opportunity to kick ass and arch his eyebrows in a suspicious manner, but the same can't be said about poor Michael Caine. As the film's antagonist, Caine turns in a two dimensional performance that may have been modeled after a villain from "Captain Planet." There's something sad about watching a two time Oscar winner grit his teeth for two hours of screen time. Just laugh at him. He sleeps on a nice pile of money.

All and allÂ… horrible film that will keep you laughing with it's misguided attempts to make an action film about more than just explosions.

Â…I, for one, would suggest that Seagal update this film to reflect the events of the Iraq war. He could start off as an Iraqi, hiding the weapons of mass destruction. Then realize Weapons of Mass Destruction cause harm to society. And along the way, get really p***ed off when he finds out it was all about exploiting the Iraqis out of oil.

Summary: Come for the heavy handed ecological commentary and laughable acting; Stay for a wonderfully over-the-top Michael Caine.

Fmovies: Steven Seagal sets out to protect the environment by blowing most of it up. Oh, and killing a few people too. This is a message movie with a VERY confused message. Still, most Seagal fans won't care for the movie's moral subtext (subtext? hah!), they'll just want to see their hero bust some chops. In an ecologically sound way, of course.

This movie is so inept there's precious little of even THAT. Large chunks of the movie are instead spent with po-faced Seagal staring solemnly into the camera waxing lyrical about how he loves the earth. Well so do I, but living on this planet does have its drawbacks; after all, this is a world where brainless studio execs throw money at Seagal to go BEHIND the camera as well! Isn't letting him stand in front of it enough? Come to think of it, isn't letting him even 20 feet near the studio... Ah well. "Under Siege" only worked because of the villains.

Let's just try and forget Michael Caine was ever in this; we can grant him that small mercy at least. Oh to have been a fly on the wall when Seagal was directing the Cockernee one. STEVE: "Well you just stand there... " MIKE: "What do I emote?" STEVE: (blankly) Emote... ?

It's pitifully obvious no-one tried to restrain Caine's excesses on set. How else do you explain the blatant caricature of his performance? He may as well have had E.V.I.L. stamped across his forehead...

If you were still even THINKING that you might enjoy this for some other reason than 'camp' value after reading the plot summary, there is no hope for you. Those who watch EXPECTING to find a bad movie will be heartily rewarded for their nous. "Steve saves the environment and kills bad guys" is even less interesting with the added plot element. Scary, huh?

I tend to actively avoid Steven Seagal films like the plague, and realize intermittently that I do in fact enjoy certain ones from back in the day. He's made a ton of trash, no doubt, but the clouds part every now and again, for select occasions like Under Siege, The Glimmer Man, Above The Law, Fire Down Below and the snowbound On Deadly Ground. The main marvel in this one is an incredibly hammy Michael Caine as the mustache twirling villain, a Big Oil maniac who has his amoral sights set on sacred land belonging to Inuit tribesman. Seagal plays yet another martial arts trained badass who takes it upon himself to bring down Caine, his nefarious capitalist plans and the violent mercenaries he has hired to wipe the land of indigenous natives. It's as silly as silly can be, right down to him falling in love with a beautiful Inuit girl (Joan Chen, actually Chinese), but enjoyable on its own terms when you look at the solid choreography, stunts and impressive location work. Also, the roster of villains is too good to pass up, starting with Caine's outright, wanton psychopath. We're also treated to the Sergeant himself, R. Lee Ermey as a merc with a particularly salty attitude, John C. McGinley over-playing one of his patented schoolyard bullies, and even Billy Bob Thornton shows up, adding to the sleaze factor. Watch for cameos from Mike Starr, Michael Jai White and an unbilled Louise Fletcher as well. Seagal directed this himself, so it's essentially one big vanity piece where he gets to play Dances With Wolves for a couple hours, but the trick is to see the unintentional comedy in that and enjoy it. Seagal is one of those goofs who I am not a ashamed to say I am laughing at, not with. Caine is the real prize here, and his merry band of assholes. An action flick is only as good as it's antagonist, and this guy is bad to the bone in hilariously over the top ways. A big dumb flick, nothing more, nothing le- well maybe a little less in places, but fun in other spots nonetheless.

On Deadly Ground fmovies. Forrest Taft is a trouble shooter for Michael Jennings' oil company. When the rig foreman comes to Taft with tales of faulty equipment Taft looks into it and finds Jennings is rushing the rig, compromising safety in order to drill within a 13 day deadline before the oil rights revert to the Eskimos. Jennings kills the foreman and frames Taft for industrial terrorism, bringing in mercenaries and the FBI to stop him. With Taft saved by the Inuits and taught the way of the bear he arms himself to stop the rig drilling.

In Seagal's debut as director he is given clear reign to base a story on a muddle of mysticism and environmental concern. The story is pure cod but it allows him to not only battle evil oil corporations but actually do physical battle with them. For half the film Seagal `dances with wolves' before he dumps all thoughts of spirituality, arms himself with a cabin full of weapons and does battle with the mercenaries as he tries to blow up the oil rig - he conveniently ignores the environmental damage done by this!

The action is the usual unimaginative stuff where Seagal does moves on baddies who come at him one at a time. He's starting to look a little old and out of shape here, but if you like his fighting generally then this is OK. It's a little hard to swallow when he takes on a elite group of soldiers but I suppose that if you're watching this type of film then you're happy with whatever you get! Once the film ends we are treated to a straight lecture on the environment and big business - it is full of open statements and sweeping requirements with no real practical solutions. Unlike his fights he doesn't hit the target once.

Seagal is as usual a terrible actor - only one facial expression, terrible one-liner delivery and generally no talent. Here, he shrouds himself in smugness and native American mysticism making it even harder to accept him. Caine has a laugh, hamming it up as the oil baron, but it's not a performance one could describe as good in any sense of the word - his American accent keeps changing to Cockney and back again! The rest of the cast are neither good or bad - they don't really have the material to do anything with - but it has a load of `name' actors. John C McGinley is alright, Ermey does what he always does (but has done better) and Billy Bob Thornton is in there if you keep your eyes open!

Overall it's slightly worse than most Seagal's films because of the environmental message being unsubtly rammed down the audiences throats. However if you like his fighting then there's maybe 15 minutes of enjoyment to be had here.

After I had completed my reading of the book, "Steven Seagal, the man, the myth, the legend", I had become interested in his work outside of the laboratory, back when he was paying his way through M.I.T. by appearing in the occasional action film. And what an introduction it was. On Deadly Ground is pulse-pounding, senses-shattering, tear-jerking masterpiece of the action genre, with ample amounts of social commentary and slapstick comedy added to make this a celluloid gumbo of extreme potency. Although this was originally an off-broadway show, Steven Seagal's deft hand carefully eliminted what didn't work, and added several original musical numbers to give this film his distinct signature. It works on several levels, as a showcase for Seagal's undeniable breakdancing skills, a message film, bringing the plight of our eskimo brethren into our own living rooms, and as an edge of your seat thriller, with a penguin stampede that will have you quaking in your seat. A top-notch entry in the Seagal canon, and a truly amazing directorial debut from the man who bent the atom to his will.

In this Alaskan film, Joan Chen plays what is quite probably the last word in Sino-Eskimo snow bunnies.

Eskimo Joan represents the same sort of Hollywood confusion about racial boundary lines which saw Larry Fishburne play the Moor of Venice, and Jackie Chan cast to play the King of Pop in an upcoming TV movie. (I'm kidding about one of these.) Not to mention generations of Italian and Jewish Indians, and more white actors in blackface than there are seeds in a watermelon.

Joan is teamed here with Steven Seagal, quite probably the last word in inarticulate and extremely violent tree-hugging Buddhists. Sort of the Billy Jack of the Barents Sea. His jacket has more fringe on it than you'd see at a reunion concert by the Buffalo Springfield.

Together, they try to build a world where an interracial couple can be happy in an oomiak built for two.

A number of years ago, I spent nearly 8 seconds at a book-signing in the presence of Michael Caine. For each of those seconds, he was extremely personable. So it's a bit of a revelation for me seeing him playing his two-faced vicious Hun of a smooth oil company CEO. Old favourite John C. McGinley also appears against type as one of Caine's nastier henchthugs.

Finally, there's Seagal's direction which takes his film on this ecological walk through the woods which makes it all seem a little like Oliver Stone after too many days trapped in a sweatlodge.

It's so ridiculous I actually found myself enjoying the whole thing quite a bit.