Lotussan
I Belong To Steven
Here is a review from kung-fu cinema, regarding BOTB...
I apologize if it has been posted or if I am posting it in the wrong place...
Note that the reviewer gives it four stars at the bottom of the page...
http://www.kungfucinema.com/reviews/bellyofthebeast.htm
Belly of the Beast (2003)
Premise: Ex-CIA agent Jake Hopper (Seagal) heads to Thailand where he enlists the aid of old allies in searching for his daughter who has been kidnapped by guerilla forces.
Review: Having been on the gradual decline since his biggest hit Under Siege (1992), it comes as a relative shock to see that 11 years later Steven Seagal has managed to pull off an action film nearly as gratifying. Hong Kong film veteran Tony Ching Siu-tung, the man responsible for some of China's finest wire-enhanced martial arts action in films like Duel to the Death, Dragon Inn, and Hero, gives Seagal the best action makeover he's ever had in Belly of the Beast. The film also benefits from its unique Thai locales.
The story of Seagal as an ex-CIA agent out to rescue his kidnapped daughter from guerillas is a yawner and the movie itself would be too if not for Ching's tight direction and excellent action choreography. Sure, Seagal is doubled while doing things such as sliding across the floor or performing leaping kicks, but it all looks good. Use of traditional Hong Kong choreography along with Seagal's usual Aikido-style combat works really well when shot with clarity and tension as it is here.
There are a number of exciting battles, but Seagal's tango with several Thai swordsmen stands out. It is also interesting to see Seagal applying different martial arts styles to his opponents. He toyed with Chinese kung fu in Out For a Kill, but here he very clearly displays concentrated bursts of Tai Chi kung fu, a northern internal style that seems a natural fit for Seagal. He's no Tai Chi Master, but for "real world" application, Seagal is convincing enough. Byron Mann, who co-starred in Jet Li and Mel Gibson's ill-fated TV movie Invincible (2001), backs up Seagal as his partner in the film and delivers some decent action moves of his own.
There is quite a bit of gunplay that seems to have borrowed from the ludicrous amounts of shrapnel and shell casing dispersal seen in The Matrix. These derivative, yet satisfying scenes of carnage, as well as more subdued and picturesque scenes are expertly shot by television veteran Danny Nowak. This combination of great visuals and great action easily makes up for Seagal's two previous 2003 releases. It also helps greatly that Seagal himself seems to have woken up from whatever stupor made him look so tired in previous film roles going back at least as far as Half Past Dead. He still speaks in a murmur and exhibits a dispassionate persona, but these Seagal-isms are finally being packaged the way they were years ago to good effect, in a way that projects menace.
Speaking of menace, the film dips into the occult when the villains hire a Thai sorcerer to put a little black magic voodoo on Seagal. This is countered in the film by Seagal's affiliation with a Buddhist monk and his brethren. In real life, Seagal practices Buddhism and this likely helped his performance. It also added an interesting spiritual dynamic to the final confrontation between Seagal and the lead kidnapper, although this may put off some purists.
It's hard to say if Belly of the Beast marks a comeback for Seagal given his age, the acceleration of action film trends, and the film's flaws but it certainly shows that he's still bankable as far as this fan is concerned. The script and acting is passable at best and Seagal's love affair with Monica Lo as sympathetic nightclub worker Lulu is painful to watch. Some of the action is too stylized in a Hollywood way, but if you're interested in seeing an energetic Steven Seagal kick butt and look good doing it courtesy of one of Hong Kong's finest action directors, then you cannot go wrong with this film.
I apologize if it has been posted or if I am posting it in the wrong place...
Note that the reviewer gives it four stars at the bottom of the page...
http://www.kungfucinema.com/reviews/bellyofthebeast.htm
Belly of the Beast (2003)
Premise: Ex-CIA agent Jake Hopper (Seagal) heads to Thailand where he enlists the aid of old allies in searching for his daughter who has been kidnapped by guerilla forces.
Review: Having been on the gradual decline since his biggest hit Under Siege (1992), it comes as a relative shock to see that 11 years later Steven Seagal has managed to pull off an action film nearly as gratifying. Hong Kong film veteran Tony Ching Siu-tung, the man responsible for some of China's finest wire-enhanced martial arts action in films like Duel to the Death, Dragon Inn, and Hero, gives Seagal the best action makeover he's ever had in Belly of the Beast. The film also benefits from its unique Thai locales.
The story of Seagal as an ex-CIA agent out to rescue his kidnapped daughter from guerillas is a yawner and the movie itself would be too if not for Ching's tight direction and excellent action choreography. Sure, Seagal is doubled while doing things such as sliding across the floor or performing leaping kicks, but it all looks good. Use of traditional Hong Kong choreography along with Seagal's usual Aikido-style combat works really well when shot with clarity and tension as it is here.
There are a number of exciting battles, but Seagal's tango with several Thai swordsmen stands out. It is also interesting to see Seagal applying different martial arts styles to his opponents. He toyed with Chinese kung fu in Out For a Kill, but here he very clearly displays concentrated bursts of Tai Chi kung fu, a northern internal style that seems a natural fit for Seagal. He's no Tai Chi Master, but for "real world" application, Seagal is convincing enough. Byron Mann, who co-starred in Jet Li and Mel Gibson's ill-fated TV movie Invincible (2001), backs up Seagal as his partner in the film and delivers some decent action moves of his own.
There is quite a bit of gunplay that seems to have borrowed from the ludicrous amounts of shrapnel and shell casing dispersal seen in The Matrix. These derivative, yet satisfying scenes of carnage, as well as more subdued and picturesque scenes are expertly shot by television veteran Danny Nowak. This combination of great visuals and great action easily makes up for Seagal's two previous 2003 releases. It also helps greatly that Seagal himself seems to have woken up from whatever stupor made him look so tired in previous film roles going back at least as far as Half Past Dead. He still speaks in a murmur and exhibits a dispassionate persona, but these Seagal-isms are finally being packaged the way they were years ago to good effect, in a way that projects menace.
Speaking of menace, the film dips into the occult when the villains hire a Thai sorcerer to put a little black magic voodoo on Seagal. This is countered in the film by Seagal's affiliation with a Buddhist monk and his brethren. In real life, Seagal practices Buddhism and this likely helped his performance. It also added an interesting spiritual dynamic to the final confrontation between Seagal and the lead kidnapper, although this may put off some purists.
It's hard to say if Belly of the Beast marks a comeback for Seagal given his age, the acceleration of action film trends, and the film's flaws but it certainly shows that he's still bankable as far as this fan is concerned. The script and acting is passable at best and Seagal's love affair with Monica Lo as sympathetic nightclub worker Lulu is painful to watch. Some of the action is too stylized in a Hollywood way, but if you're interested in seeing an energetic Steven Seagal kick butt and look good doing it courtesy of one of Hong Kong's finest action directors, then you cannot go wrong with this film.
