Product Description

A former covert agent discovers that a foster agency is a cover for a human trafficking network.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 6-JUN-2006
Media Type: DVD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29867 in DVD
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2004-07-20
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Formats: AC-3, Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 86 minutes

Customer Reviews

Better than previous offerings...
While it has some minor flaws it's a quality movie. The action sequences aren't wire-fu or sped up. The story is more believable than some of his other movies and the bond he shares with a pen-pal girl is a nice touch, as well as him teaching her secret code. As in most of his other movies, he plays an ex-military/government agent that has more skill and wherewithall than any of the villians. While this concept is the same in virtually *every* Seagal movie, it's still enjoyable to watch. I do think he needs to branch out and play a different character than the same one he's played all this time. All this aside, it's decent entertainment and it's better than his last two movies.

Steven Saves The World again!
Hot on the heels of "On Dangerous Lard", and "Hard to Floss", the secret agents man's man is back to thwart evil doers, beat up nefarious villians and stop on the way to do some eco preaching. Billy Ray Lancing is a former covert agent (I was so surprised to find that out!) turned "Survivalist" who spends his time rescuing animals and getting in touch with nature. He is called to action however, when he suddenly discovers that the foster agency he is using to help a young girl is actually a front for a human trafficking industry. In time honored fashion the girl disappears, and Steven must put down his pruning shears and hemp weed knitting and rescue her. Plenty of rough & tumble, hard stares and stern "If you harm her I'll......." warnings follow as he cuts a swathe through the immoral band of naughty men, and the movie follows the standard formula. Our hero can of course make a high powered weapon from a stick of gum, and an empty beer can, and you immediately know that the army he is fighting have no chance. I know I am quite damning about these recent Seagal straight to video productions, which might make you ask why I keep watching them? Well, to be honest I've always been a fan of the aimless action flick, and Seagal has done some really fine work. Sadly as I hold my breath and wait for a return to movies of the Under Siege calibre, I find myself turning blue watching stuff like this instead. This is probably not as bad as the previous two offerings he has made, and credit to him for still managing to churn this stuff out, (he's hardly a young man anymore), but it is still pretty bad. Another complaint is the eco stuff - I have no problem with his obvious desire to make people more ecologically aware and responsible, but there is a platform to do it on properly, and this isn't it. Like Dangerous Ground, Fire Down Below, and The Patriot before this, the moralising wears a bit thin, and makes you ask him to jump one way or another. Either make a gratuitously violent action flick, OR a Greenpeace documentary, but STOP putting the two together please. All that said, put your brain in neutral, grab the popcorn, and enjoy the fight scenes.

Theme and Plot Good, But?
If you are a Steven Seagal fan, as I am, you will enjoy this movie for the plot and theme. He generally has a cause that he trys to express in many of his movies, and this is no different. I don't know much about the man outside of his movies, but from what I read in those I think he is a man with some deep convictions on certain topics. It shows in his movies. In this movie it is the human slave trade of young women which does go on, even today. People have different ways of making social statements and I think this is his way of doing it, through some of his films.

This movie though lacked the action scenes normally found in his films, and the voiceovers completely ruined the movie for me. How disconcerting to here the thoughts of the main character, Seagal, as an aside but with a completely different voice from his??? That happens throughout the entire movie. What in the world was the director thinking of? This was absolutely the dumbest thing I think I have seen in a movie. In addition, some of the action scenes were so obviously staged, and that showed too: specifically the sword fight and also in a couple other places. These made the action scenes seem unreal unlike most of his movies.

In any case it is worth a rental to watch. The theme and plot were well done I think, and the script was pretty good too. The young girl did a fine job of acting, also. I think most Seagal fans will like this movie, but be upset with the voiceovers, as I am. It is not one of his better movies in my opinion, so I only rated it 3 stars.