The Marvelous Master Steven Seagal
Between the years of 1988 and 1992, the world was blessed with some outstanding action flicks. One could easily argue that any year within this time frame is the absolute peak of the cinematic action experience. In fact, several of the greatest action stars were propelled to superstardom over this time frame and I’m about to make a claim that you may find somewhat controversial, so stay with me while I attempt to make my case. What am I trying to say? Well, I think that Steven Seagal has the greatest five years of any action star alive!
“If I find out you’re lying I’ll come back and kill you in your own kitchen”
Nico Toscani will disrespect you to the point of murdering you in your own scullery. I’m not Italian but that seems pretty bad. Above the Law is our introduction to Steven Seagal as an action star and who better to put him up against than veteran bad guy Henry Silva? Seagal plays a Chicago cop who plays by his own rules. And by rules, I mean he basically just does what he wants.
“I hope they weren’t triplets”
The most dead I’ve ever seen a bad guy in a movie is when Seagal’s John Hatcher finally gets his hands on the Rastafarian baddie who had been messing with his family. I love for people who have only seen present-day Seagal movies to watch him lay down countless beatdowns in this excellent flick from 1990. Special shoutout for Hatcher’s sidekick played by Keith David.
“Now you’re a good cop”
It’s hard for me to choose my favorite Steven Seagal movies because he has so many excellent revenger-filled movies where he gets to say things like, “this is for my wife. Fuck you and die.” Hard to Kill is also one of my most favorite titles in action history. No matter how times they try to kill Mason Storm, he just keeps on living. Badass!
“Anybody seen Richie?“
1991’s Out for Justice doesn’t get talked about as some of Seagal’s other movies but it has some of the most profanity-laced lines of dialogue I’ve ever seen. He also beats the living shit out of so many street hoodlums that even Charlie Bronson would have been impressed.
“Just a lowly, lowly cook“
Under Siege is Steven Seagal’s Die Hard. Or, at least, it should have been. It only got one sequel (a travesty!) but this film alone shows you the kind of amazing presence that a younger Seagal had opposite villains like Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey. I can easily picture the heroic Casey Ryback getting caught up in all sorts of situations where his skills might come in handy.
So you see, Steven Seagal’s first five films are far and away the greatest introduction to an action star in movie history. Guys like Arnold and Sly have better movies, no doubt, but no one has made a better impression in their first starring roles than The Master of Aikido, himself, Steven Seagal.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
