Above the Law (1988 film)

Last updated
Above the Law
Abovethelaw.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Andrew Davis
Screenplay by
Story by
Produced by
  • Steven Seagal
  • Andrew Davis
Starring
CinematographyRobert Steadman
Edited byMichael Brown
Music by David Michael Frank
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • April 8, 1988 (1988-04-08)(United States)
Running time
99 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Spanish
Budget$7.5 million [2]
Box office$18.8 million

Above the Law (also known as Nico: Above the Law, [3] or simply Nico [4] ) is a 1988 American crime action thriller film cowritten, coproduced and directed by Andrew Davis. It marked the film debut of Steven Seagal, who was also a producer, and stars Pam Grier, Sharon Stone, Ron Dean and Henry Silva. Seagal plays Nico Toscani, an ex-CIA agent, Aikido specialist and a Chicago policeman who discovers a conspiracy upon investigating the mysterious shipment of military explosives seized from a narcotics dealer.

Contents

The film originated after a successful screen test, financed by Michael Ovitz, leading to Seagal being offered a contract by Warner Bros. It was set and filmed on location in Chicago. [5] The film premiered in the United States on April 8, 1988. It is currently considered as a classic 1980s action film.

Plot

Sergeant Nico Toscani, who traces his roots to Palermo, Sicily, is a detective in the Chicago Police Department's vice squad. At an early age he had become interested in martial arts, and moved to Japan to study them. In 1969, Toscani was recruited to join the CIA by Nelson Fox and was involved in covert operations on the Vietnamese-Cambodian border during the Vietnam War. There, he became disgusted with DCI Kurt Zagon, who tortured prisoners. A stand-off occurred when Toscani tried to stop a torture session, and he left the CIA. Toscani returned to Chicago, joined the police department, and got married.

Toscani and his new partner Detective Delores "Jacks" Jackson are investigating a drug ring, and after busting two of the dealers, including Salvadorian drug lord Tony Salvano, Toscani finds C-4 explosive. Shortly afterward, the men that Toscani and Jackson arrested are released at the request of federal officials, and Toscani is ordered to stand down. Later, the priest of Toscani's parish is killed in an explosion during Mass. Fox calls Toscani and tells him to move his family to a safer location, saying that he is in danger. Under pressure from the feds, Toscani is asked to turn in his badge. He eventually discovers that the dealers he busted are linked to Zagon, who is still with the CIA, and who is being accused of human rights violations by a Central American priest who was being sheltered by Toscani's priest. While Zagon is torturing the priest, Toscani bursts in and a gun battle ensues. Detectives Lukich and Jackson are wounded during the shootout, and Toscani has to flee.

Senator Ernest Harrison is investigating Zagon's group to reveal their covert operations and drug dealing. When Toscani finds out that Zagon killed the priest and is planning to kill Harrison, he goes after Zagon. Fox confronts Toscani while Toscani is doing surveillance on a rooftop, but they are later interrupted by Zagon's men. Fox is killed and Toscani is captured. He is held in the kitchen of a hotel during a Harrison campaign rally. Before Zagon can kill Harrison, Toscani breaks free and kills Zagon and all of his remaining men. Afterwards, Toscani meets Harrison, who has been informed of everything.

Harrison promises justice and Toscani says he is now willing to testify about his experiences with Zagon and covert operations in the CIA.

Cast

Production

It has been reported that Seagal was asked to make the film by his former aikido pupil, agent Michael Ovitz, who believed that he could make anyone a movie star. It was set and filmed in Chicago, Illinois, over 60 days from April 27 to June 26, 1987. [6]

Release

Home media

Warner Bros. released the Region 1 DVD in the United States on January 28, 1998. [7] The Region 2 DVD was released in the United Kingdom on April 26, 1999. [8] The Region-free Blu-ray Disc was released on April 7, 2009. [9]

Reception

Box office

The film grossed $18,869,631 in the U.S. [10]

Critical response

Above the Law received mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 50%, based on reviews from 20 critics, with an average rating of 5.2/10. [11] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. [12]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times stated "It contains 50 percent more plot than it needs, but that allows it room to grow in areas not ordinarily covered in action thrillers." [13] In a negative review, Hal Hinson of The Washington Post criticized it as "woefully short on originality." [14] [15] In another negative review, film historian Leonard Maltin described the picture as a "...slick but stupid action-fest; Seagal's thesping makes Chuck Norris seem like Laurence Olivier." [16]

Legacy

Above the Law is regarded as the first American film to feature Aikido in fight sequences. [17]

Steven Seagal tweeted plans for Above the Law 2 on August 1, 2016, but the project remains in pre-production. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Seagal</span> American actor, martial artist, and filmmaker (born 1952)

Steven Frederic Seagal is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, martial artist, and musician. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan and eventually ended up running his father-in-law's dojo. He later moved to Los Angeles where he had the same profession. In 1988, Seagal made his acting debut in Above the Law. By 1991, he had starred in four films.

<i>Marked for Death</i> 1990 action film directed by Dwight H. Little

Marked for Death is a 1990 American action film directed by Dwight H. Little. The film stars Steven Seagal as John Hatcher, a former DEA troubleshooter who returns to his Illinois hometown to find it taken over by a posse of vicious Jamaican drug dealers led by Screwface. Using a combination of fear and Obeah, a Jamaican syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin similar to Haitian vodou and Santería, Screwface rules the drug trade in Lincoln Heights.

<i>Under Siege</i> 1992 film by Andrew Davis

Under Siege is a 1992 American action thriller film directed by Andrew Davis, written by J. F. Lawton, and starring Steven Seagal as a former Navy SEAL who must intercept a group of mercenaries, led by Tommy Lee Jones, after they commandeer the U.S. Navy battleship Missouri.

<i>Out for Justice</i> 1991 film directed by John Flynn

Out for Justice is a 1991 American neo-noir vigilante action thriller film directed by John Flynn and co-produced by and starring Steven Seagal as Gino Felino, a veteran police detective who sets out to avenge his partner Bobby's murder by killing Richie, the trigger-happy, drug-addicted mafioso culprit.

<i>Executive Decision</i> 1996 US action film by Stuart Baird

Executive Decision is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Stuart Baird in his directorial debut. It stars Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, Halle Berry, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton, David Suchet and B.D. Wong. It depicts the rescue of an airliner hijacked by terrorists, by a small team placed on the plane in mid-flight. The film was released in the United States on March 15, 1996 and grossed $122 million against a $55 million budget.

<i>The Glimmer Man</i> 1996 American film

The Glimmer Man is a 1996 American buddy-cop action comedy film directed by John Gray and produced by Steven Seagal. The film stars Seagal, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Bob Gunton, and Brian Cox. The film was released in the United States on October 4, 1996.

<i>Lethal Weapon</i> 1987 American film directed by Richard Donner

Lethal Weapon is a 1987 American buddy cop action-comedy film directed and co-produced by Richard Donner, written by Shane Black, and co-produced by Joel Silver. It stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover alongside Gary Busey, Tom Atkins, Darlene Love, and Mitchell Ryan.

<i>Rapid Fire</i> (1992 film) 1992 American action film

Rapid Fire is a 1992 American action film directed by Dwight H. Little and starring Brandon Lee, Powers Boothe and Nick Mancuso. The film was released in the United States on August 21, 1992.

<i>Predator 2</i> 1990 film by Stephen Hopkins

Predator 2 is a 1990 American science fiction action film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Peter Hall. It is the second installment of the Predator franchise, and sequel to 1987's Predator, with Kevin Peter Hall reprising the title role of the Predator. Set ten years after the events of the first film, in Los Angeles, the film focuses on a disgruntled police officer and his allies battling a malevolent and technologically advanced extraterrestrial Predator.

<i>Belly of the Beast</i> 2003 American film

Belly of the Beast is a 2003 American action film directed by Hong Kong film director Ching Siu-tung in his American directorial debut, and starring Steven Seagal, who also produced. The film co-stars Byron Mann, Monica Lo and Tom Wu. Seagal plays Jake Hopper, a former CIA agent on a quest to find his kidnapped daughter. The film was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on December 30, 2003; the film recouped its budget from the US home video market alone.

"The Great Louse Detective" is the sixth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 15, 2002. In the episode, the Simpson family wins a free spa weekend, and Homer is nearly killed when a mysterious figure locks him in a sauna. Chief Wiggum decides to hire someone who can think like a murderer in order to find the mystery assailant. Bart's arch-enemy Sideshow Bob is sent to live with the Simpsons so he can help find Homer's attempted killer, who turns out to be the son of the late Frank Grimes.

<i>Into the Sun</i> (2005 film) 2005 film

Into the Sun is a 2005 action film directed by Christopher Morrison and starring Steven Seagal, Matthew Davis, Takao Osawa, Eddie George, Juliette Marquis, and William Atherton.

<i>Shadow Man</i> (2006 film) 2006 American film

Shadow Man is a 2006 American action thriller film directed by Michael Keusch, and also written and produced by Steven Seagal, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Eva Pope, Imelda Staunton and Garrick Hagon. The film was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on June 6, 2006.

<i>The Foreigner</i> (2003 film) 2003 American film

The Foreigner is a 2003 American action thriller film starring Steven Seagal. The film was shot entirely in Warsaw, Poland, and was the first of a long string of direct-to-video films released starring Seagal from 2003 to 2009. The film recouped its budget from the US home video market alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Silva</span> American actor (1926–2022)

Henry Silva was an American actor. A prolific character actor, Silva was a regular staple of international genre cinema, usually playing criminals or gangsters. His notable film appearances include ones in Ocean's 11 (1960), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Johnny Cool (1963), Sharky's Machine (1981), and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999).

<i>Righteous Kill</i> 2008 American thriller film

Righteous Kill is a 2008 American crime thriller film directed by Jon Avnet and written by Russell Gewirtz. The film stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as New York City Police Department detectives on the hunt for a serial killer. It is the third film in which both De Niro and Pacino appear in starring roles, and also stars John Leguizamo, Carla Gugino, Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Dennehy, and Curtis Jackson.

<i>Driven to Kill</i> 2009 film

Driven to Kill is a 2009 American-Canadian action film directed by Jeff F. King, starring Steven Seagal, Mike Dopud, Igor Jijikine and Robert Wisden. The film was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on May 19, 2009.

<i>Born to Raise Hell</i> (film) 2010 American action film

Born to Raise Hell is a 2010 American action film directed by Lauro Chartrand, and written and produced by Steven Seagal, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Dan Bădărău and Darren Shahlavi. The film was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on April 19, 2011.

<i>General Commander</i> 2019 American film

General Commander is a 2019 direct-to-video American action film produced by Philippe Martinez and directed by Martinez and Ross W. Clarkson. Set primarily in the Philippines, the film stars Steven Seagal and was released direct-to-DVD on May 28, 2019.

<i>Beyond the Law</i> (2019 film) 2019 American crime action film

Beyond the Law is a 2019 American crime action film directed by James Cullen Bressack. It stars Steven Seagal, Johnny Messner, DMX, and Bill Cobbs. The film follows a former detective who vows to avenge his estranged son's death and eventually takes on the local mob.

References

  1. ↑ "NICO". British Board of Film Classification .
  2. ↑ Goldstein, Patrick (1988-02-14). "Steven Seagal Gets a Shot at Stardom". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2010-11-25.
  3. ↑ "Nico - Above the Law (1988)". MovieZine.
  4. ↑ "Above the Law (Nico) (1988)". FilmAffinity .
  5. ↑ Canby, Vincent (April 8, 1988). "'Above the Law,' a Detective's Battle". The New York Times. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Perfect People". perfectpeople.net.
  7. ↑ "Above the Law DVD Release Date January 28, 1998". Blu-ray.com.
  8. ↑ "Nico: Above the Law DVD Release Date April 26, 1999". Blu-ray.com.
  9. ↑ "Above the Law Blu-ray release date April 7, 2009". Blu-ray.com.
  10. ↑ "ABOVE THE LAW". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on December 19, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Above the Law". Rotten Tomatoes/Flixster . Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  12. ↑ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.
  13. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "Above the Law". Rogerebert.com . Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Above the Law". The Washington Post. 1988-04-09. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  15. ↑ Canby, Vincent (1988-04-08). "Review/Film; 'Above the Law,' a Detective's Battle". The New York Times . Retrieved 2010-12-14.
  16. ↑ Maltin's TV, Movie, & Video Guide
  17. ↑ Bill Palmer; Karen Palmer; Ric Meyers (January 1995). The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies. Scarecrow Press, 1995. p. 2. ISBN   1461672759.
  18. ↑ Porter, Jeff (2021-08-13). "Is Steven Seagal's 'Above The Law 2' Ever Really Going To Happen?". Screen Dynamite.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.