Nick - sorry I missed you in the chatroom - come back in if you're still online.
I have been a fan of Seagal for a long time - almost from the beginning of his movie career. However, there are high and low points in any actors career and it got to the stage where I was wondering if we would actually see a movie again from Seagal after Fire Down Below.
Seagal took a lengthy hiatus from making movies after that movie was made and, despite some people (and especially some critic's) dislike of it, I really really enjoyed it. His return with The Patriot was welcomed by me and although it was different to what I had seen before, with less action, I was generally pleased with the result as Seagal looked better than ever - he had slimmed down somewhat and seemed to be branching out more into dramatic acting rather than just mindless ass kicking. He also had longer hair than ever in this movie. Just an observation.
Then came Exit Wounds, which I went to see on the cinema and thought it was amazing. Ticker followed that (I think it was filmed before Exit Wounds, but was not released until after it) and as hard as Seagal tried in that movie, it was a badly directed mess. That seemed to mark the decline as his movies since than, while not being essentially BAD; they have all been generally mediocre compared to what I am used to.
No one can accuse Seagal of not trying, as his work rate has nearly doubled as he has got older - however, I think I have posted this before - it is the job of the director to give him a kick in his ass on set and make sure he gets to the set on time, looks his best and does the work for which he is being very well paid. If the director can't do this (and it appears that some of his latest directors cannot), then they shouldn't be directing.
Seagal has genuine on-screen presence and I will always buy and watch his latest movies as they come out and will never tire of watching his earlier movies. However, I feel that at this moment in time, Seagal needs to team up with a GOOD, well known director once again - someone who will not pander to his prima donna antics and will ensure they get a good performance from him (which we know he is capable of). Either that or he needs to quit making the forgettable B movies we have grown used to and find something else to do, such as concentrating on his blossoming career as a musician.
I will try to end with a positive note, as I am getting on my own fu*king nerves with all the constant negativity. I will have to reserve judgement for the time being on Submerged, as I have not yet seen it, but I must say that I am looking forward to it, as it has had mixed reviews. Ordinarily, when a new Seagal film is released, be it a B-movie or not, it is met by an onslaught of negative reviews, some of which are downright insulting not only to the man himself, but as to us as fans. However, with this movie's release and a few more in the pipeline, maybe we will see something of a comeback and once again have a credible action hero in Steven Seagal.