Forrest Taft is putting his considerable talents as a fighter and marksman to use as a hired gun for the sleazy oil tycoon Michael Jennings. But when Jennings tries to kill his friend, Taft tries to interfere, and becomes Jenning's target too...
Although you could certainly wish that Seagal and his writers... could have found less preachy ways to express themselves, On Deadly Ground is otherwise lively entertainment for action fans.
Unfortunately Seagal, who also makes his directing debut with this script, is no match for Caine. His on-screen personality is petulant and humorless, his voice so grating you want to reach for a mute button.
Seagal the director shows that he has picked up the odd trick or two from the action specialists who made his name, but his impassioned green speeches will have viewers reaching for the remote control.
In contrast to his short, sharp fighting style, Seagal's presentation of the human conflicts and underlying issues consists of vague, sweeping gestures.
On Deadly Ground is a pip. Beautifully photographed by Ric Waite and handsomely produced, it surely is the most ambitious and the best Seagal movie to date.
The fuzzy thinking allows for gorgeous outdoor photography and a few too many dead spots, but Seagal the director shows real muscle by staging one of the screen's best-ever exploding helicopters.
