Attrition (2018) User Reviews

Seagal's Best Movie In 16 Long Years

[slightlymad22 · 5/10 · 30 November 2019]

Continuing my plan to watch every Steven Seagal movie in order, I just watched Attriton (2018)

WOW this one went quick!! With Seagal writing this one, I knew that this wasn't going to be a 20 minute cameo or him sitting or standing in the shadows, while younger actors did all the work, and with the exception of a few stunt doubles during hand to hand combat, he is doing all his own work!! No ADR dubbing, no stand ins, no walking doubles, its all him!!

Seagal is front and center of this one, he is mostly slapping people around, peace preaching before a machine gun shooting spree and a sword fight in which he dispatches the bad guy without so much as breaking a sweat, let alone anyone landing a successful punch on him, before it all ends with an On Deadly Ground style speach!!

We also get lots Seagal hand signals that really just show how awesome he is!! My son laughed every time he did it!! Obviously he gets his obligatory love scene with an asain chick, sort of!! He starts having wet dreams about the kidnapped girl (so she is topless in front of or on top of him in bed) there was some awful awful CGI blood too!!

Seagal's effort to recruit the bad guy's right hand man to his side that ended up with Seagal insulting the guy and then beating the crap out of him with ease is laughable!!

Speaking of laughable, Seagal sings one of his own songs (sat down) in a nightclub while the cast and extras are (probably) forced to Pretend to enjoy it as the closing credits roll is bizarre!! I couldn't actually make out whether he was in character or was just being himself, but then I realised, I can never figure that out during his movies anyway!!

Overall, it's much better than what Seagal has been doing the last decade or so. I'd rate it above the better movies of his goatee era, like A Good Man and Maximum Conviction and its more enjoyable than A Dangerous Man and The Keeper!! So I'd say it's his best since Half Past Dead back in 2002, 16 long years; and a whopping 36 movies ago!! It's not a good movie by any means, but (like with the recent Charlie's Angels) I didn't hate it!! I was entertained for one reason or another for 90 mins, and that's all I ask from a DTV Seagal flick.

On more to go, and my nightmare is over.

Crossing the line for justice

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 14 October 2018]

Seagal was a special ops killer. Becomes a healer and philosopher in a small Laos/Cambodia/Thailand village. A daughter is kidnapped by bad guys. Segal comes out of retirement and gets back the team....need I say more?

This was written by Seagal who does not know the meaning of the word "twist." He talks a lot of philosophy as the story was a Seagal ego fest. Attrition refers to the notion that Kung-Fu great masters are gone and it is a dying art all over the world.

Seagal can't get his foot above his knee in the fight scenes. They use speed up camera when he moves and a thinner body double was shot from behind. They show an overview of a village that was ridiculously a cheap model. The whole film was created so Seagal can do his various soliloquies. Boring.

Guide: topless Asian chicks. Didn't catch any swearing in English.

Steven Seagal should probably retire

[mehdi_a_khan · 4/10 · 20 October 2018]

I don't rate it as a bad movie. It has great cinematography moments but the overall bland story line and slow pace really make you want to switch it off at time. Someone said in his/her review that this movie should be watched at 2X and I fully agree with him/her. To me it carries hints on Seagal being inspired from movies like Ip Man and Equilibrium. The action shots are good but not great though some are very good. On the positive note, brief encounters are what Seagal was loved for and they are still there in his (plus his double's) fights. What i this guitar for in the end, by the way?

Damn Steve!

[fbmike · 1/10 · 17 February 2019]

Holy smokes. Could this movie be any worse? That was rhetorical, not needing an answer. I'm a long time Stephen Seagal fan from way back. I keep watching everything he does because of it. I guess so I can always say in a Stephen Seagal conversion, "yup, seen that one too". As time has gone on, I keep getting more and more amazed just how bad this dude has become. It's comical actually but he keeps turning out these atrocious flicks, keeps raking in the bucks from people who will continue to watch no matter how bad it gets. Hell, he even got a couple of 10s on this movie in here! That's just like, "woah". The more movies he makes, the more disjointed they become. He probably does one of these flicks like in a day, then walks off with a boat load of cash, flipping everyone off as he walks into the sunset. His fans will always love this dude. Hell, I still love this dude, but I sure don't know why.

what the hell did i watch

[andrew_jakobs · 1/10 · 8 April 2019]

I love bad movies, and I don't say this a lot, but this really was one of the worst movies I ever saw (and I've seen many Steven Seagal movies or Z-movies).

If he hadn't written it himself and some decent write would have written a story based on the same premise, than it might have been decent. But he wrote it himself, and he makes his character to be something like a best enlightened person in the world.. The cinematrography of the movie is pretty good, but the acting is really crap. The story really makes no sense and a lot of times the scenes don't actually really have anything to do with the story itself, just primairily to show Seagal off.

There is so much wrong with the writing of this movie, it's just ridiculous. As I said, if only they hired a real writer it might have been something. There is only one pretty good martial arts scene in the movie, and that's the one without Steven Seagal, only the two asian guys fighting each other.. The end fight isn't even remotely interesting, with a real movie there would at least be some setback for the main character, but nope, Seagal just flaps his hands a bit and the end boss is dead.. And then it ends in one boring useless monologe..

Only thing I can think of why people would give this movie anything above a 4 is because they worked on it themselves.. He talks about humility, but this movie clearly shows he doesn't have any himself, it's all ego, nothing but seagal ego.. and that get's very annoying..

Total Trash... Blubber and all

[robbieadams1969 · 1/10 · 18 October 2020]

I now watch all Segal movies for the comedy... They all make for a good laugh... To watch him hobble and wobble on screen like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man and then have his stunt doubles do most of his fight scenes is the comedy that only Monty Python can surpass.

Total Trash unless for the comedy element of watching a fat old man trying to recapture his glory days

Not Good

[mayank-813-378681 · 1/10 · 1 September 2020]

Well to summarize everything, as we all know you cannot expect stories now in Steven Seagal movies but the whole action of the movie is in just last 8 mins of the movie except a couple of scenes in between. Rest all is a waste.

Slick, formulaic rescue thriller

[shakercoola · 4/10 · 28 October 2018]

An American action thriller. Next stop Southeast Asia for Steven Seagal. This is a martial arts action film with a moral message, and a heart, about people trafficking. The main theme: one who aims to live a spiritual life will eventually be tested by a quandry, that by not facing and acting against an evil deed by another, one's spiritual integrity is undermined. "Attrition" is slickly produced with higher production values and better direction than any of Seagal's films since "Exit Wounds". I especially enjoyed the set design and the atmosphere it succeeded in creating. With a good supporting cast of impressive martial arts practitioners the film moves along smoothly though some of the dialogue is facile if not overly philosophical. All in all, it's a film that falls short because of its ending - a very short third act of predictable slaughter with very little resistance from the foes. Nevertheless, it is moderately enjoyable up to and including the finale.

A little better

[aj-79481 · 6/10 · 25 September 2018]

I'll always remember Steven seagal in his best acting days when he was slimmer and was actually doing the fighting scenes. Nowadays I just watch his movies because I really hope that he's slimmed down and doing the fighting scenes without the stunt double that is so visibly seen fighting for him. It's so bad. At this point I think he just needs to stop acting and maybe just watch himself in his movies from back in the day and maybe teach the theory of martial arts.

And this is the guy who dared J.C. Van Damme

[fernandojose-25371 · 1/10 · 2 March 2019]

His martial arts expertise is to kick when the director says "action" and then some impressive soft and calm movements like a real master. There is a scene filmed from above where you can clearly see is not him, even has a different haircut. Sorry I could not rate it lower.

Best Seagal movie in 10 years

[sonichund · 10/10 · 27 September 2018]

Yes....there. I said it. And I DONT regret it. For SO long I lost hope, i got so tired of being dissapointed time after time after time.

But this is without doubt the best movie Steven Seagal has done in at LEAST 10 years. Hes back for real.

I will divide it up for you:

1) Music. Great, asian feeling, mysterious feel, very very Kung Fu. Bonus in the credits for you all.

2) Environment. Beautiful settings of Thailand, rainforests, small asian towns, backgrounds, asian style houses and interiors.

3) Message. Yes, Seagal used to want to deliver a message in his glory days movies. Something that got lost on the way of later movies. Well....message recieved Sensei!

4) Acting. Yes, he actually DOES ACT in this movie. He is caring, sad, laughs, calm, serious. Why? Because for the first time in years he finally gets to do a movie he cares about. So will the fans.

5) Martial arts. Oh yeah.......havnt seen this great martial arts in Seagals movies since Belly of the beast and Into the sun. I love it. Kung Fu, Aikido, Wing chun, Thaiboxing. Its all there, packed into a glorious martial arts explosion of precision and grace.

6) Action. What is a Seagal movie without a few gunshots right? But this time its focus is more on the fist and not the gun.

7) Story. The story is simple, yet classic Seagal.

8) Wardrobe. SPOILERS! Seagal looks friggin amazing in that Kung Fu jacket combined with that hat. The beard on that, he looks like a true master.

To sum it up, im so happy. My spark had been reignited. Thank you Mr Seagal for showing us all you can still get the job done.

Arguably Seagal's best film in over a decade

[WeAreBrainPolice · 6/10 · 14 March 2022]

I have recently started watching Seagal direct-to-video films at random because they are infamously known for being terrible. Surprisingly, Attrition, while nothing spectacular, is actually a watchable and, at times enjoyable, film that I did not regret viewing.

Seagal must have been reinvigorated by writing the screenplay for the film. Never a good actor even at the height of his career, Seagal finally seemed to have found a role that he honed and put effort into-a kind of effort that I had not seen from him in years. His character, a former spec op turned healer and martial artist, also has far more unique qualities to it than the otherwise lifeless cutout tough guys in scores of other Seagal movies. Although his performance is nowhere near the high point of the film, it goes to show even an otherwise mediocre actor like Seagal can have good moments when he is passionate about the role.

What makes Attrition an actual worth-your-time experience, however, is the director Mathieu Weschler. I have no knowledge at all about his other works, but if he had a significant hand in the cinematography-praise to him. In one standout sequence, the viewer sees in reverse how a dismembered hand was removed from its victim. Perhaps I was not expecting anything from this film, but the execution of the scene truly impressed me. Weschler also mostly succeeds at making Seagal's fight scenes passable; still, it is obvious a stunt double takes over for most of the actual fighting.

Attrition is not without its faults: the dialogue can at times be cliche, the CGI blood is sloppy, and the dream sequences are frankly embarrassing. The tension is lacking too when none of the protagonists seem to take as much as a single hit from their opponents. But my most important take from it: I was entertained. Had Seagal taken work he cared for in the past, maybe a few of his "so bad they are good" movies could just be genuinely good movies.

This could have been great.

[lucasj007-478-446262 · 2/10 · 30 September 2018]

Steven you can't write and you can barley sing. What the heck was that pro-log for? Some of the fight scene were good. But the story just wasn't there. If you want to see this movie I suggest you watch it in 2x the speed to save you time on wasting your life. Last, WTH was the end credit at the bar, fake playing the guitar for; filler?

I have no idea what I just saw

[Plazeebo · 3/10 · 14 November 2020]

Weird movie, but this is actually one of the least crappy Steven Seagal movies for years.

The fighting is much better than usual. And no - it's not Aikido this time. It's primarily Wing Chun and some traditional kung fu. And Steven Seagal does a decent job in his fight scenes.

The story is not really easy to understand, and the dialogue is sometimes pure nonsense.

But - it's a nice movie for those of us who used to be fans of Steven Seagal just because of the choreography.

Is that goat real?

[ula-988-173192 · 4/10 · 25 March 2020]

My opinion is very much divided. but the realization is rather good, with plans more than pleasant. The photo is also very neat. But the rest, I'm not too sure it's a comedy.

I know that the kind is like that but I don't have enough alcohol at home to appreciate its true value.

Judd Nelson is great in this movie!

[graham-tillotson · 2/10 · 16 November 2019]

Seriously. Are Steven Seagal and Judd Nelson now the same person? I like the send up to Fiskars hatchets though. "These are my ancient family hatchets used to restore honor. With color-coded fiberglass handles!" Ugh. What schlock.

philosophy and tradition

[NijazBaBs · 5/10 · 20 December 2021]

This is about philosophy and tradition of something probably Chinese, so anyone interested in said topics will like this. Other topics included: fighting for greater good, empathy, humanity, justice, crime, doing good deeds, kung fu. I liked exploring bit of unusual language and traditions and location. Also graphical. But I did not like foreign language other than english, and negativity. Also too much ordinary stuff and nothing happening. So this is one worse movie of Seagal. As always, the most interesting person here is Seagal. Good skills, confidence, philosophy.

Terrible!

[Ty_Bo · 1/10 · 16 April 2020]

This movie was really bad. Terrible acting and absolutely no fluidity. A waste of 90 min.

Seagal's Best Work of the 21st Century

[tkdlifemagazine · 6/10 · 27 June 2022]

It has been a long time since Steven Seagal has done a movie this good. The story, the acting, and the filming are all very good. This story of a soldier trying to live in piece in Far East Asia when he is called to save a kidnapped music is very good. Seagal is likable in this one. His fighting style is very good but it is not his usual Aikido but a Kung Fu/Wing Chun style that he has either learned or adapted very well. The fight choreography and action scenes are a little choppy for my taste but overall I would love more of these from Seagal. Written and Produced by him and Directed by another person may be the key.

Yawn...Just another Seagal Vanity Project

[dpac1977 · 4/10 · 19 April 2021]

Nothing new or interesting here. Steven Seagal's character is basically "Mr. Perfect", he's totally untouchable. All his fights are completely one sided as he does a poor job imitating a Wing Chung master. And he's obviously the most spiritually enlightened and wisest man in the film as he preaches words of wisdom in his usual monotone voice. The only real entertainment to be found is Steven Seagal is so ridiculous, that he is unintentionally funny. I recommend the film as a action comedy, but if your looking for serious action with a well written script, then skip this movie.

Best movie since Exit Wounds!

[aryan-kazzaz · 9/10 · 25 September 2018]

Just checked this great martial arts action movie with Steven Seagal. The story is ok but more important the fight scenes are really nice and well choreographed. In my opinion the best martial arts action movie with Steven Seagal since Exit Wounds. Hope we (all of his fans) will see more great movies like this one. Big up

Better Than Usual Seagal Thriller

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 22 August 2019]

Surprisingly, the latest Steven Seagal actioneer "Attrition" qualifies as a notch above the last 36 movies he has starred in since "Half-Past Dead" (2002). Basically, a standard-issue abduction yarn, with a dash of fantasy, "Attrition" benefits from Seagal's above average but formulaic screenplay as well as "Borderland" French director Mathieu Weschler's polished helming. Weschler's touch permeates this by-the-numbers crime melodrama and makes everything palatable. He imparts a sense of spontaneity rarely seen in Seagal's quickly made, contrived, cookie cutter sagas. Jordan Dieselberg's editing, Vincent Vieillard-Baron's widescreen cinematography, and Can Aydin's dynamic stunt work--involving at least 33 Asian stunt men--are all impeccably forged into a unified whole. You don't witness this level of craftsmanship in most run-of-the-mill Seagal shoot'em ups. Predictably, the star casts himself as another durable, but conscious-stricken government Black Ops agent who renounces violence. He hangs up his guns and disbands his unit. Axe (Steven Seagal of "Under Siege") pledges to atone for the lifetime of death and destruction that he has inflicted over the years. Genuinely contrite, he channels his energies and expertise as a doctor to serve the people of a poor, remote, jungle community.

Mind you, with its human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, and martial arts faceoffs, you've seen variants of "Attrition" with other genre stalwarts, such as Jackie Chan. Seagal plays the tall, dark, bearded Axe as a truly sympathetic fellow in this gritty, homicidal thriller. The scene where he persuades a desperate dad to refrain from committing suicide so his young son will not face an orphan's future is incredibly sentimental. Furthermore, "Attrition" boasts two other scenes where different characters break down and gush tears of gratitude for the compassion shown them. In another scene, a character learns his Master is his own father! Reportedly, Seagal planned a scene about Chinese girls mud wrestling in the nude, but Weschler convinced him to remove this objectionable scene since it would have been incompatible with the film's somber tone. The genius of Weschler's direction is that he doesn't wear out either his welcome or Seagal's with this nimble, atmospheric, 85-minute, R-rated actioneer. Naturally, the despicable villains are no match for our invincible heroes, and the final assault on Qmom's lair is staged with both flair and efficiency. Nobody gives a bad performance, and the sprawling Thai scenery is breathtaking. None of this, of course, will matter to most Segalites, but they will be rewarded amply with a firefight at the outset and even greater one during the third act.

Our conscientious hero and his Black Ops team mount a rescue operation during the murky pre-credit sequence of "Attrition," with Axe providing some insightful, voice-over narration that reflects his philosophy. "The weight of war is a heavy burden to bear. Some say it's a necessity, a stage on which good can triumph over evil. But sometimes, the cost is too great to justify the means. For all the lines that have been crossed in the name of justice, taking a life for a life will only perpetuate the cycle. The war must be fought from within. It would take a lifetime to make amends for the terrible things I've done." As Axe and his heavily armed team blast their way into a dilapidated factory, they slaughter the opposition without a qualm. Their triumph over evil is short-lived. Axe discovers that the object of their mission, a beautiful young girl, has bled out from a chest wound. Three years later, our hero settles in the Far East, abides by the teachings of Buddha, and uses his medical skills to alleviate suffering among the destitute in the jungles of Thailand. Axe turns away nobody from his non-profit clinic.

Inevitably, Axe's serenity is shattered after the sinister villain, Qmom (Kang Yu of "Kung Fu Jungle"), dispatches his gimlet-eyed henchmen to kidnap a twenty-year-old girl, Tara (newcomer Ting Sue), who refuses to accept Qmom's hospitality. An open-air market scene with hundreds of sheets draped across corridors of makeshift clothesline scaffolding demonstrates Weschler's flair. Qmom's men pursue Tara through this colorful maze. Nevertheless, the best efforts of our damsel-in-distress to elude the villains proves futile. The bad guys catch her and deliver her to Qmom. This tense scene bristles with kinetic energy and dazzling flashes of color. The freshly dyed, rectangular sheets hanging up on display break up the monotony of the humdrum settings. Later, Tara's brokenhearted father appeals to Axe for help. He explains his oldest daughter was born with an amazing gift to heal. Apparently, Qmom has kidnapped Tara because he believes she can heal him. This unsavory opium dealer lives in luxury in a nightclub/fortress, because he doesn't feel safe enough to venture out of it into the sunlight. He learns about Tara from a street gambler who owes him a bundle. The only derivative scene that stands out "Attrition" is Qmom's entrance. Our villain is shown sparring vigorously with a bloody punching bag. The bag splits open after Qmom concludes his workout, and out dangles a dead man's arm. Presumably, the James Bond extravaganza "Die Another Day" (2002), where the North Korean villain beat an adversary to death who was sewn up in a punching bag, may have inspired Weschler.

Since thirty-eight minutes has elapsed in "Attrition," you know that Axe cannot refuse the grieving father. Indeed, our hero has been awakened from his sleep by a winged angel who converses with him on more than one occasion about the forthcoming confrontation. Reluctantly, Axe reassembles his elite team of troubleshooters, in a flavorful homage to Sylvester Stallone's "Expendables" franchise as the heroes gather. They set out to rescue Tara. Unlike the opening scene with its ill-fated hostage, Axe resolves to see that the same outcome doesn't occur twice. Staunch Steven Seagal fans won't be disappointed with the slickly orchestrated "Attrition." The finale at Qmom's heavily guarded stronghold has everybody either tackling or killing bad guys. Watching Seagal give the arrogant opium dealer his just comeuppance is swell stuff.

Omg!

[rash-15968 · 1/10 · 22 November 2018]

He was talking about himself the whole time no wonder he wrote the stupid movie and everyone on the movie talked about him!!!

I saw it. Axe, I need to axe you a question. . .

[clivejamesrd · 20 October 2018]

Why did you decide to become the Donald Trump of movie actors? You know, brimming over with confidense but short on actual talent. You know how Trump was all out of sorts because he was miffed that other countries were supposedly laughing at the USA, so he became Presidunce so people would laugh at him and not at the country, per se? Well, when I was watching this movie (full disclosure, I quit after 20 minutes because my brain cells threatened to stage an intervention and give me a stroke) it occurred to me you have fans around the globe, but they think of them as comedies. So, here is the question I want to axe you, Steven, are you in on the joke? Is it us who are mistaken for thinking you take this tripe you make seriously?

Steven no way

[edwinchoy · 3/10 · 8 November 2018]

This movie would be ok but ...first Steven is not chinese, second there are a soup of thai, viet and filipino people, and third seems like the producers, director, and included SS never been in China, who the heck dress like Shao Lin monk? or use clothes from the Bruce Lee time in the 60 in Hong Kong and in China? we are in 2018..who the heck live in those bamboo houses?? just in the far mountains of Philippines or Vietnam....i waste my time watching this terrible movie (terrible story). Hey Steven take out that terrible wig, stay calm, take care of u grandchildren, go to the park, talk normally .. Bad movie sorry