Product Description

A hard-hitting, action-packed film starring Steven Seagal at his best. CIA Agent, Jonathan Cold (Steven Seagal) is working as an undercover agent to undermine arms dealers, who want to sell a nuclear bomb to an eastern European terrorist group. His cover gets detected when the weapons dealers' catch his former student, leaving Cold no choice but to save his student and stop the sale of the nuclear bomb in time.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21404 in DVD
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2005-12-26
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 100 minutes

Customer Reviews

Seagal's "Black Dawn" a decent effort.
Black Dawn is typical Seagal action in the fact that he's probably the best actor in the bunch. Not since "Under Siege" when he was beside the likes of Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones have we really seen a Seagal action flick worth getting excited about. Chase Scenes, shootout's with glocks and other assorted assault weapons arise as we see Seagal's character "Jonathan Cold" appear to be a terrorist...or a double agent trying to spoil the victors with the Plutonium.

What the film lacks from recent Seagal shows is the lack of martial arts. Rarely do we see Seagal, or anyone else in the movie, partake in some major Aikido. With the absence of martial arts we actually find ourselves focused more on the storyline and the other spats of action, including a great chase scene involving a dump truck.

The plot we've seen before, but overall with the script and limited cast of talented actors, it is not a bad one to rent if you're looking for an action film that is low in martial arts and high in terrorist terror, machine gun fire, and whodunit.

A good Seagal film actually Dawns
Credit should be given when credit is due, and although there are naysayers that will be critical of Seagal no matter What he does, in all fairness, this film is good enough to merit the word "comeback", at least as far as his DTV releases. It is easily his best DTV release, which is saying alot, since he has released five films just this year. His last film was probably his worst, and this, I am happy to say, is one of his best. The casting, the acting, the editing, the music, even the fashion, is well done. It is well directed, and the story logic is well paced and put together. Seagal even looks better in this film than he has in recent memory. Not to mention, there are actually special features, which include the making of and an interview with Seagal, which are enjoyable. I would go as far as to say this film could have been easily suited for a theatrical release. Finally, he has found a director that has the aptitude that he needs. Also, his co-star, Tamara Davies, is an excellent actress, and has good chemistry with Seagal. My only complaint, and it is an ironic one, is that "Black Dawn" is probably Seagal's best DTV film, but there are virtually no martial arts sequences. Despite what his detractors say, Seagal is one of the martial arts greatest practitioners, so I wish they would have incorporated more, or even some of this, into the film. Thankfully, there is NO voice overdubbing which is a sincere relief. Those who love to hate Seagal will still be critical of this film, but in all fairness, this is a good film, and I am happy to see him back in good form.

BLACK YAWN
Remember when Steven Seagal was a hot property and his action films were decent? Well don't expect that in this wearisome retread. Seagal plays Jonathan Cold (thank God they didn't call him Jonathan Hott!), an agent for some deep dark secret covert organization with "four columns"? Tamara Davies is the requisite hottie agent who wonders what Seagal's up to and carries on like most female agents in these Romanian movies--makes one dumb move after another. The storyline (ho hum) centers on terrorists out to set off a nuclear bomb in downtown Los Angeles. Seagal is hardly seen during any of his few hand to hand combats, pretty much confirming that the beefy actor's stuntman did all the work, of which there is very little. A preposterous chase scene in a garbage truck is reminiscent of Roadrunner cartoons in its lunacy. Two stars for the hammy but effective performance from John Pyper Ferguson as the villain. At least he looks like he's having fun.