Action genre star Steven Seagals' starring film debut is perfectly acceptable entertainment for fans. The real-life Aikido master plays Nico Toscani, a Chicago detective who has an interesting life. During the Vietnam war he became a CIA operative. Back home, he's a hard working cop with relatives in the local Mafia. The past comes back to haunt him when his efforts to take down a drug kingpin (Daniel Faraldo) reveal various nefarious schemes by his old CIA associates. Chief among them is Kurt Zagon (veteran film villain Henry Silva), a man with a fondness for torture.Seagal also takes a producer credit and co-authored the screen story with genre specialist filmmaker Andrew Davis ("The Fugitive"). It's a busy, convoluted tale, but it does serve to set up its well executed action set pieces. While it features some of the beautiful brutality of the early Seagal vehicles, it's never quite as sadistic as some of the ones that followed, like "Marked for Death" and "Out for Justice". It's fun to watch Seagal do his thing, and Davis even gets a better performance out of him than most directors have. "Above the Law" has a good music score by David M. Frank, and makes fine use of Windy City locations, but one of its biggest draws is its supporting cast. Sharon Stone is largely wasted in her role as Nicos' wife, but Pam Grier is terrific in what was something of a comeback vehicle for her. She plays Nicos' partner, a lady destined for bigger things. Faraldo is an entertaining weasel, and it's always a hoot to watch Silva. Some of the cast have been regulars in Davis' filmography, like Ron Dean, Joseph F. Kosala (a real life Chicago cop), Ronnie Barron, Gene Barge, Ralph Foody. Thalmus Rasulala, one of Pams' peers during the glory days of blaxploitation, here has a small role as one of Nicos' superiors. Keep a sharp eye out for Michael Rooker, who has one line in a bar.While not one of Seagals' best movies (in this viewers' humble opinion), he and Davis re- teamed for what is often considered to be one of Seagals' best, "Under Siege".Seven out of 10.

Growing up, my Uncle John loved this movie...and since he is EVERYONE's favorite uncle...or at least everyone that has ever met him, I ended up watching it a lot.This is the uncle that you begged to go visit.I mean, the man had a four-square court set up in his basement all the maturity of my little sister and I, two of the most playful black labs you'll ever meet, a fire pit...and a pair of nun-chucks that he'd let us play with when mom left provided we came up with a valid lie to tell our parents when we inevitably got hurt playing with them.Uncle John was a giant child with a black belt in something or other, a personality defined by a sense of humor and a collection of kung-fu movies.Super irresponsible and super great with kids...people...animals, anything that was living and liked to play.So when he said we're going to take a break from play time and watch a movie over lunch, we pretty much knew it was going to be violent, bloody, and fun.It teaches you a LOT about films...in an odd way.You learn a few things. This first is that kung-fu movies are usually ALWAYS bad. Low budget, low plot, low everything.It's really just a bunch of action...which is why people LOVE them.But that doesn't mean that they are ALL good either.Seagal has really no personality. In fact he lacks so much personality that it's hard to even picture him in one of those comedies that stars a tough guy action star.Even in a kung-fu movie it is hard to watch because of the lack of personality. I have a feeling my Uncle only liked it because he played a Chicago Cop.Any movie set in Chicago was over-watched in his house. And you also got the feeling it added to his martial artist personality...he couldn't exactly even sit his niece and nephew down and REAL favorite movie was "Running Scared" with Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal and when we watched that we had to suffer through him rewinding his favorite jokes over and over again.Actually that was ANY comedy.So for reasons of ego and faux persona it was "Above the Law" Even at a young age we considered it a form of child abuse. "Enter the Dragon" was sitting right there on the shelf but instead of Lee we got the flat Seagal.Sure, it's a kung-fu movie, but it's one that has the flattest of acting. We would have even taken "Rapid Fire" over "Above the Law." The worst parts were the over-long dialogue occasionally delivered by Seagal. How he got into martial arts, it was a brief but it seemed to drag on for hours.In fact, every time Seagal talks it seems to drag on for hours. Put him in a ball gag and let him do his thing, cinephiles will thank you for it.

Nico Toscani is a martial artist and ex CIA operative who served in Vietnam. Who now serving as a Chicago cop stumbles upon a drug ring run by a dangerous criminal with CIA ties that not only threatens the streets of Chicago but his very life as well.Steven Segals first film and a film with decent action a semi clichéd story with stunted pacing. The film while not the best action film or best of Segal's film has some witty dialog and some decent moments with its action. The pacing is a bit off as one may get confused with where the story is trying to take us and how certain plot points are just plainly forgotten. Segal does what he does best which is to deliver his hard hitting action style with charm and bravado, but seemingly as a whole this film is a bit of a let down compared to other action films from the era. Though worth a watch for its action and to see Segal in one of his better films compared to his later entries. A decent but not perfect action film that has its high points with its action and its intensity but lacks in other important areas such as story, characterization and pacing but what can one expect from a Segal film to begin with.

Andrew Davis directed Steven Seagal as Chicago cop Nico Toscani, a Vietnam veteran who was recruited by the CIA in Japan, who was then sent to Vietnam, where he objected to the harsh interrogation techniques of Zagon(played by Henry Silva) but could do nothing. 15 years later, Nico has busted a drug gang and discovered plastic explosives. He is later shocked to learn that those he arrested were released, and is stonewalled about the reasons why. After he is suspended, Nico discovers that his old Nemesis Zagon is behind it all, and must be stopped... Seagal certainly can perform well in the action scenes, though despite the good direction, this film is just too routine and predictable to work. Sharon Stone costars as his wife.