Above the Law (1988)

 

The 1980s were full of silly action movies that provided great fun and provided lots of entertainment that made audiences did not care what they were seeing as long as they were being entertained. It's mindless fun and entertainment. Some examples include “Rambo: First Blood Part II”, “Commando”, and “Die Hard” which were all great action flicks that defined the 1980s with energy. But there are some action movies from this time period that stick out like a sore thumb. And “Above the Law” from 1988 is no exception. This film basically shows you how to NOT make a good action film, but at same time you have to admire it for being stupid. And of course, launching the career of Steven Seagal.

The movie stars Steven Seagal as Nico Toscani, a cop who used to work for the CIA and now works for the Chicago Police Department. He's rough and tough, but Nico has a dark side that does not want to get let out. One day, Nico stumbles upon a plot that involves terrorists from assassinating a state senator. These terrorists just so happened to be former members that Nico worked for. Now, Nico must stop them at all costs before anything horrific goes down.

“Above the Law” is a bad film in that it makes a cliché of everything we've seen already in an action movie.

The story is stupid and barley makes sense as there are moments that go nowhere, and the main plot is predictable and boring. You can tell where everything is going from the when the main plot gets moving, and what the ultimate conclusion is going to be. Plus, there are plot holes and scenes that do not go anywhere, and it gets rather confusing in the process.

The acting is very miscast, meaning that some actors and actresses, like Sharon Stone and Henry Silva, feel like they are in the wrong production. And it seems that the actors are there just to read their lines and get their paychecks. The only ones that is really giving it their all are Seagal and Pam Grier playing Nico's partner.

The direction feels sloppy as it felt like this was someone's first time sitting in the director's chair. Which is ironic as the film's director, Andrew Davis, had made a couple of other features prior to this, and would later work on 1993's “The Fugitive”. But here, it just feels like he doesn't know what he is doing, and if the entire production had been given better direction, then it would have worked.

The camera feels like it just wants to do whatever the operator says. We have scenes that either drag on too long, or just do not need to be there; this mostly happens with the scenes at the church. And most notably, there are scenes that use slow motion in which they clearly do not need it at all which drags the pacing of the film even further.

The music in the film is terrible as it is cheesy and doesn't fit with the rest of the movie. Maybe a better orchestration would have worked, I don't know.

The only good things that were enjoyable about the movie were the setting, and the action sequences.

“Above the Law” takes place in Chicago during the late 1980s, and we get a rough and gritty atmosphere for the film. It fits perfectly with what the film is trying to accomplish, if it is trying to accomplish something in the first place.

Finally, the fighting and action sequences are fast, quick, and do what they need to do: keep us entertained. Even thought they are pretty mediocre at best. “Above the Law” is a humble film in its execution, but the negatives overcome the positives.

Overall, “Above the Law” showcases how not to make a good action but not boring us to death. The acting and directing are bad, and the whole film doesn't stand justice with other memorable films that feature action at around the same time. With only a few positive aspects for this movie, “Above the Law” is something that if you're curious, just watch only once.