Though it seemed as though Steven Seagal had reached the nadir of his career with his last flick, The Foreigner, Out for a Kill manages to top that movie in terms of pure awfulness. It probably doesn't help that the movie reunites Seagal with the director of The Foreigner, Michael Oblowitz, a filmmaker who hasn't got a clue how to properly establish characters or even shoot coherent action sequences. Seagal stars as a world renowned archeologist (no, really) who sparks a turf war between warring Chinese mafia factions after stumbling onto an ancient artifact. The incomprehensibly complicated storyline is the most prominent of Out for a Kill's transgressions, of which there are many. Seagal's deficiencies as an actor have never been more obvious, particularly in a sequence that requires him to mourn his murdered wife (though he's clearly going for a "I-just-lost-the-love-of-my-life" vibe, what emerges is more along the lines of "I-just-stepped-in-a-large-turd"). Even the fight sequences, supposedly the highlight of a Seagal film, fail to impress; Seagal's expanding size requires him to use a stunt man during such moments, and the switch from Seagal to stunt guy couldn't possibly be more obvious (perhaps hiring a thin double wasn't the smartest idea). The actor does, however, utilize his trademarked arm-breaking move - the sole reason the film is receiving a half a star instead of no stars.
1/2* out of ****
Source : Reel Film.
1/2* out of ****
Source : Reel Film.