The stories about Steven Seagal’s background are legion. Rumoured to be a covert CIA operative, or a bodyguard to the highest in Japanese society, or Tokyo’s leading door to door double glazing salesman. OK, we made up that last one but was known is that he was a top ranking practitioner of Aikido in Japan where he had relocated to as a young man in order to hone his skills to the highest of levels. His skills had come to the attention of legendary Hollywood agent Michael Ovitz who facilitated his starring in his debut action film, ‘Above the Law’ which he co-wrote with on the rise director Andrew Davis who would later direct Segal in ‘Under Siege’.
Seagal’s role….
Above the Law cast Seagal as a former special Ops Vietnam vet now working as a cop in Chicago where he uncovers something big while investigating an international drug ring. However, when the suspects are allowed to walk free, Nico is ordered to turn in his badge and gun. With his back against the wall and his friends and family in harm’s way, Nico decides he’s not out of the action, and no one is……. above the law (see what they did there?)
With a title sequence that included photos of Seagal from baby to a young man, he was 37 years of age when the film was released. At 6’04’ he was a lean mean fighting machine and was shadow of his current self seemingly having devoted himself to becoming the size of a human space hopper but still with a scowl. His female co-stars in the film included Pam Grier (pre re-discovery by Tarantino in ‘Jackie Brown’) and Sharon Stone and the latest in a seemingly interminable 1980’s dreck that she had been appearing in that included Police Academy 4 and must have had her wondering if she was ever going to get a decent script. The film alternated gunplay with Seagal’s undoubted and enviable skills in hand to hand combat and he was certainly a martial arts movie star in the making with the film now released on 4K UHD & BLU-RAY
Above the Law release has a handful of bonus features that include:
- NEW 4K restoration from the original camera negative, approved by director Andrew Davis
• NEW Audio Commentary with director Andrew Davis and actress Pam Grier
• NEW Sounds of Seagal, interview with composer David Michael Frank
• Archival interview with Steven Seagal during the promotion of Above the Law
• Theatrical Trailer (New 2K scan from the interpositive)
It’s a slightly bizarre mix of features with a decent commentary by Davis and Grier, an unwanted interview with the films composer David Michael Frank who whilst clearly adept with a score it’s not why you watch a Steven Seagal film and here the score is very much of the cheesy 80’s synth style that has all the impact of a road traffic accident between two soft toys. But perhaps best of all is an unintentionally hilarious archive interview with Seagal at the time of the film’s release where, with the scowling star with noticeably less hair than he has in the film and he has now appears to miraculously grown back 99% of it back. In the interview he talks about him not having to act (who would have guessed?) meaning that any chance of seeing his King Lear at the National Theatre is unlikely.
Above the Law has been classified as an 18 certificate (as it was on its release) and its pretty tame stuff with what is now given such a rating but perhaps it’s the very occasional martial arts snapping of limbs and such like that does it but there are fight scenes which have clearly been trimmed which might have justified the rating if they had not been cut.
What could have been….
If nothing else Above the Law is a reminder that Seagal could have been a major action star and was certainly the case after the huge success of ‘Under Siege’ a few years later. But as has been seen today his ego quickly got the better of him surrounding himself with an ego fuelling entourage and rumoured to have injured the stuntmen who were there to make him look good. Turning down a potential career reviving appearance in one of The Expendables films he believing himself to be bigger than anyone else in the films which in fairness would be true if his current waist measurement was taken. It’d little wonder that the cast of Saturday Night Live hated him with a passion after he guest hosted in 1991. Above the Law is a decent enough action film and was certainly a respectable big screen debut.
related feature : We take a look at the release of ‘Under Siege’ – BLU-RAY | 4K UHD LIMITED EDITION
related feature : Street Fighter movie interview 2026: Andrew Koji, Noah Centineo & Callina Liang
William Sadler talks about working with Steven Seagal in, ‘Hard to Kill’…..
Here’s the trailer….
Above the Law is released on 4K UHF & BLU-RAY on 9th November 2026
The post Above the Law – 4K UHD | BLU-RAY appeared first on Any Good Films.
from Any Good Films https://ift.tt/bPj9idy
