Review : Shadow Man

Wrist-Snapper

Seagalatron
What I liked best about this film is that Steven is front and centre. Yes, there are doubles in long shots and stunt scenes, but we also get Steven doing what he does best -- with a fight scene!! Hurrah!

I also liked the scene when he fashioned the weapons from the bits and pieces left in the house.

I'd like to Steven to bring back the funny and loose Seagal we saw in OUT FOR JUSTICE (still his best performance) or THE GLIMMER MAN. Nobody does the stone-faced hardman act better, but I'm hoping he'll find a project that really fires his enthusiasm again (I think there were glimpses of this in INTO THE SUN).

That said, I agree that the script meanders somewhat (could have been tighter) and one loses interest after a while in the whole virus sub-story. I also agree about the action, in particular the car chase, the green screen is awful and the staging poor.

Next up: MERCENARY FOR JUSTICE
 

Martin01

Well-Known Member
Staff member
The problem with this film are all these doubles, every time when you Steven can't see in front it's a double. I don't know what the director thought he did with that.
Also in Attack Force and Flight of Fury (the last a little better) the same problem with the doubles.

I'm happy when Seagal don't shoot again with Michael Keusch and specially Michael Oblowitz and Albert Pyun.
 

_Steven Seagal_

New Member
A better of the worst Seagal movies. Not really bad but very far from good. Seagal ist very lame, boring fight scenes, average action. Acting ist very poor. The story is also pretty bad. He definitely needs a good one.

"Shadow Man" gets
4,5/10
 

ad_adrian

Twitter: adadrian
my review

shadow man,
(which i dont know why its called shadow man)
i actually didnt find this movie bad
but i didnt find it that good
i have to admit for one of the first times in a movie i was emotional at the end and it made me smile, the little girl was cute and it was good seeing steven as a nice father and being happy at the fact of his daughter being happy with a horse.
the fight scenes were ok but there was not one time where seagal was in trouble. i actually didnt mind the story line and i think he did all of his voice unless im mistaken there might be a few but none i noticed. and i did notice a couple of scenes with his stunt double
on the negatives there were some bad actors and the movie lacked that...special touch it was an ok movie
5.5/10

it was ok nothing special
worth a watch
 

DiDa

Super Moderator
Staff member
SO, I also re-watched this one, and I must say I pretty hated it this time.

The problem is the story. It doesn't make sense at all. And I know the story is not VERY important when you watch a Seagal movie, but you've got to ask yourself how could they fuck up this story. They just should have kept it simple. They kidnapped his daughter, because they want 'the item'. Then let Seagal kick some ass....the end. Seriously, I really had no idea what the motivation for each character was. Not a single one! Everyone is betraying eachother and it all makes no sense. I started to get bored after 50 minutes and didn't give a shit anymore.

Also the greenscreen effects are very bad (car chase, helicopter). I know it's a B movie but come on, this takes me out of the movie.
There are 2 scenes that I like. First the one where Steven is building these own made weapons in the house and takes the bad guys out. It reminded me of some Casey Ryback style kills. The second scene is the fight scene in the middle where Jack Foster is looking for some drugs and girls (why he was is never explained, but it leads to an old school Seagal fight scene).

No I didn't like it this time.
 

Forrest Taft

Active Member
Never been a fan of Shadow Man.

Obvious doubles throughout.

Voice dubbing.

Hilarious helicopter explosion.

Yucky orangey filters.

Horrid wobble cam.

Car chase which is so slowww.

Uninvolving story.

Some truly z-grade acting.

Crew member visible when Seagal tears pipes from wall.

The whole film is just blah, a shame as it sounded interesting at an early stage when it apparently involved Seagal as a WW2 doctor.

Am sure the watermelon guy was supposed to be coming across as an ass in the opening scene and that’s why Steven propels him through the wall. But he doesn’t come across that way, so it just makes Seagal’s character look out of order for attacking him.
 
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