Half
Past Dead Movie Review:
Steven
Seagal returns with another rapper named Ja Rule for his
follow-up non-sequel to last years "Exit Wounds".
The most interesting thing about this film is who is half
past dead, Seagal or the movie?
Deep
undercover operative Sascha Petrosevitch (Steven Seagal)
has infiltrated a ruthless mob-style street gang. Saschas
mission to watch and get close to Nick Frazier (Ja Rule)
in hopes of taking down his mob-boss, who happens to have
killed Saschas wife. Sascha follows Nick into prison
in hopes of acquiring his trust.
In their
prison, a death-row inmate, Lester (Bruce Weitz), holds
the key to a shipment of stolen gold bars. Bent on cracking
Lester, a sociopath named Donny (Morris Chestnut) leads
a group elite soldiers into the prison. Sascha and Nick
are caught in the crossfire and Sascha is forced to give
up everything he has worked for to bring down Donny and
Co.
"Half
Past Dead" could have been a good movie if the scriptwriters
would have dropped the whole "Sascha" story and
stuck with the prison heist storyline. The scenes involving
Morris Chestnut, Nia Peeples (Chestnuts #2 in the
film) and Bruce Weitz were a lot more interesting than watching
portly Seagal waddle around with a gun.
I really
saw a range of talent in Chestnut as I found he played quite
a convincing villain. He was great to watch in the threatening
scenes with the Judge.
I also
really liked the Japanese anime/dominatrix thing that was
Nia Peeples character. There was something about that blue
eyeliner.
If you forget that Seagals career is "half past
dead" and focus on other elements of this film then
you see a sliver of a good movie. Mind you, I did say sliver!
(1.5
of 5)
So Says
the Soothsayer.
Dean
Kish
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