Hard to Kill (1990)

Director:

Bruce Malmuth

Writer (WGA):

Steven McKay (written by)

Release Date:

9 February 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

The star of Above the Law is back. Now...Steven Seagal is hard to kill.

Plot:

Mason Storm, a 'go it alone' cop, is gunned down at home. The intruders kill his wife, and think they've killed both Mason and his son too...

Plot Keywords:

Jeep | Loss Of Wife | Comatose | Coma | Fugitive

Cast

Steven Seagal	...	Mason Storm
Kelly LeBrock	...	Andy Stewart (as Kelly Le Brock)
William Sadler	...	Senator Vernon Trent (as Bill Sadler)
Frederick Coffin	...	Lt. Kevin O'Malley
Bonnie Burroughs	...	Felicia Storm
Andrew Bloch	...	Capt. Dan Hulland
Branscombe Richmond	...	Max Quentero
Charles Boswell	...	Jack Axel
Zachary Rosencrantz	...	Sonny Storm
Lou Beatty Jr.	...	Carl Becker
Nick DeMauro	...	Calabrese
Nick Corello	...	James Valero
Justin De Rosa	...	Mikey
Stanley Brock	...	Counterman
Evan James	...	Danny

Also Known As:

Seven Year Storm

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

South Korea:18 | Australia:M (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) | Iceland:16 | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1990) | Norway:(Banned) (1990-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The 17 February 1989 draft of the screenplay credits Steven Pressfield & Ronald Shusett & Steven Seagal as writers. Pressfield & Shusett are not credited in the final film and Seagal only received an acting credit.

Goofs:

Continuity: Mason's trousers change from black to white when he leaves his house and gets into his jeep.

Quotes:

[Posing as a doctor, Axel searches for Storm in the hospital]
Russ: Excuse me, doctor?
Jack Axel: Yes?
Russ: I have to check every one of these upper floors.
Jack Axel: Of course.
Russ: Can I just get your ID please?
Jack Axel: You know, you can't have too much security.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "NewsRadio: The Song Remains the Same (#2.14)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Feels So Good

Steven Seagal truly is "hard to kill"

Steven Seagal, whether you love him or loathe him, he's the martial arts action hero that just won't go away. That's partially the premise of "Hard to Kill," the 1990 vehicle obviously meant to throw the pony-tailed, then-sixth-degree Aikido black belt into the action foray with Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Norris, but missed a few steps along the way and it would be another two years after when Seagal would find success in 1992's "Under Siege."

It's true that Seagal has yet to make a perfect film in his thoroughly uneven and distinguished career, but "Hard to Kill" certainly ranks as one of his best and one of my personal favorite pictures of the actor. Two years after breaking and busting the heads of corrupt CIA agents as Nico Toscani in his electrifying 1988 debut "Above the Law," Seagal returns not as the pony-tailed Toscani but as Mason Storm, the most unstoppable cop SOB that ever lived.

After getting home movie footage of an aspiring political candidate (Bill Sadler) conspiring with shadowy underworld types on tape, Storm is tracked down by corrupt cops and nameless and faceless goons and they shotgun the unstoppable SOB into a seven-year coma while also wiping out his wife and young son. O'Malley (Frederick Coffin), Storm's dedicated Internal Affairs friend, whisks him away into a coma-care unit under the assumed name of "John Doe."

Seven years later, Storm awakens and with the help of gorgeous nurse Andy Stewart (Seagal's then real-life, lovestruck wife Kelly Le Brock, who manages to catch peaks at our hero's anatomy), he trains intensely to regain his strength using the Oriental healing arts, renews his Aikido skills, and sharpens his eyes with that good ol' police-issue. All this culminating in some very nasty, neck-breaking, arm-twisting action.

As somewhat mis-directed by Bruce Malmuth and written by Steven McKay, "Hard to Kill" is undoubtedly one of the actor's most competently skilled performances because he's able to rise above the average material and make it his own. The problem may be with Seagal though. He snaps a few wrists and what's this? - he throws out one-liners - most of which are quite corny and fall flat on their face and simply put aren't Seagal's strong points. His strengths are in the arm-snapping and finger-breaking.

But still, Seagal's fists of fury are at their best (because that's what he does best) because this time around, he's mad and it's wise to not get characters played by Steven Seagal mad. Pretty soon after Storm has regained his skills and strength, the corrupt cops and goons that put him into his coma come back to finish the job. And this time, he's ready.

The action begins to pick up about half-way through and from there on in it's non-stop, which is true Seagal fashion, if you get my drift. But with "Hard to Kill," it's the seven-year Storm, and there's no letting up.

6/10