I love martial arts action so I gave this a shot. It served its purpose, but wouldn't watch again. You get to see Steven Seagal do his thing, although not that many times, and there are plenty of OK gun fights. Don't expect much from the plot, but it's enough to provide content. There was one scene of exceeding violence that deviated from the martial arts spirit, I didn't enjoy it and don't recommend it for sensitive viewers. Overall, this is probably one of the best from the recent flops from Seagal, still far from say, Exit Wounds, though.I don't mind that Seagal has gotten older, but it's a bit disappointing he didn't seem to have made the effort to spend a few hours in the gym to look fit for an action role. In the end it didn't matter much, although the camera seems to wander off a bit in some of the few fights, suggesting that the fight choreography wasn't that great either. I'd say one would have to be a bit of fan of Seagal's fighting style to enjoy this movie. If you're up for some low grade action flick, it's watchable.

I remember seeing the first two Steven Seagal films and being impressed with them-a fresh face with a fresh spin on martial arts movies-and it was being done by someone who was not an Asian person. Probably nobody since Bruce Lee has anyone contributed more to the genre of martial arts movies. I had mixed feelings about Bruce Lee's decision to teach previously secret fighting techniques to 'anyone who came along.' It has long been recognized that martial arts is a great way to stay physically fit and mentally sharp. That being said I've never met any not Asian types involved with martial arts who didn't have large ego's. Usually the better the person is at something the less ego is involved. Steven Seagal appears to be a smart guy and his movies show the right choices in bad situations-so I respect his films. They can often be a lot of fun-and if what they say about Mr. Seagal is correct-that he is a 7th dan Aikido master: that would make him among a very small group of people indeed. Most martial arts instructors who hold black belts are 1st dan or maybe 2nd dan-because to rise above the level of a black belt is the mental and physical equivalent of building a house with just a spoon and a pile of dirt. It's that hard. This film has good action sequences-the language is maybe a bit harsh at times but thats 'de-rigueur' for action films these days. Not a movie for wimps. I also thought it could have been more. Maybe a bit too basic. Being right isn't necessarily always about being able to punch a hole through a cement wall. I think Thailand's Tony Jaa of Muay Thai fame would be a good foe or match up for Steven Seagal in an action flick. I think the later Steven Seagal films are not as good as his earlier films; with a few exceptions.

You never know what you're getting with one of Seagal's straight-to-DVD movies. Some, like Into the Sun, are just horrible, while others, like Urban Justice, are excellent. This one was pretty good. Oh, you had the negatives - an overweight, old-looking Seagal with labored breathing and a weird toupee' like Little Eddie from The Munsters. Also, Seagal insists on having that phony southern accent in all of his latest films. Then, there's his hot wife at the beginning of he film, who's at least 35 years younger than Seagal and she gives him a nude lap dance while he grabs her boob. The things actresses will do to get a part! Then, we have Tia, an attractive 20 year old woman and Sergey, a good-looking young man of around the same age. They have good chemistry together as they face danger throughout the film. But guess who gets Tia at he end? Here's a clue: not Sergey. Yuck! The villains were well-portrayed and the acting was very good. The cinematography was great - very well-directed and included some breathtaking Canadian scenery (Okay, the huge parking lot in front of a majestic lake with snow-capped mountains - then again, everything in Canada is snow- capped). The dialogue was pretty funny. Seagal actually told Tia to shut the **** up. Then, the head Russian dude told a dirty cop what they do to cops in Russia..I can't repeat it here, but it's classic. Seagal went over the edge in this one early on in the film when he tells a guy he's going to **** him up ugly. Then he proceeds to do with the barrel of a handgun what Joe Peschi did with a Bic pen to that guy in Casino. Then here was the unintentionally funny scene where the Chinese commandos, under the cover of darkness and faces painted black, lay siege to the headquarters. One small error - they have high-beam flashlights that would make them visible mile away. The climactic gun battle was a bit too long - it actually lulled me to sleep and I had to go back.

Let me just start off by saying I love this movie. It's brutal, ridiculous and funny all at once. Some hilariously nasty insults, great characters to look at, some T&A, great fight scenes by Seagal, lots of gunplay, excellent soundtrack and directing. Seagal is an Indian talking like a black man? Ha ha ha! What a comedian. Any fan of over-the-top action movies should enjoy this. The gun face-beating ( "I'm gonna eff you up ugly") scene is perfect in its bloody violence. Other scenes should've continued this gory mayhem, but did not. Specifically, the giant log saw scene. There should've been decapitation, amputation, and guts flying all over, but instead we get some small unidentified piece of something is tossed. Hence, my only complaint about this movie: Amp it up more, not tone it down. Plot? We don't need no stinkin' plot. This movie should've been called "Everybody Kills Everybody."