‘You guys think you’re above the law. Well, you ain’t above mine...’
Since inexplicably deciding that 2025 was the year for me to dive headfirst into the world of Steven Seagal, Above the Law is the fifth film in his oeuvre that I have sat through. One of my favourite bits about writing any review of a Seagal film is finding out some story of him being a fucking dickhead on set. While nothing will ever beat what happened on the set of Out for Justice, Wikipedia did inform me that Seagal claimed elements of this film were autobiographical as he worked with the CIA in the 1970s, both his wife at the time and the CIA itself have both vehemently denied these claims. Outstanding…
Right. The plot of Above the Law. They really do start to blur into one after a while. Well, Seagal plays former CIA agent and current Chicago cop, Nico Toscani. Pam Grier appears as his partner Detective Dolores Jackson. Sharon Stone is knocking about in an early role too. She later looked back on her appearance in Seagal’s debut film by archly noting, ‘when I worked with him on the movie Above the Law, he told me not to stand too close, as I was standing in his ‘chi’. Magnificent.
One thing I have noticed about my odyssey into the world of Steven Seagal is how little his acting evolves over time. His performance here in his debut film is absolutely identical to his performance in Out for Justice four years later. Another consistent element of these early Seagal films is that they always make money. Despite being a nobody at the time of this film’s release, Above the Law still more than doubled its $7.5 million budget at the box office. He kicks ass (often in a bar). He has one facial expression. His films make money. It’s that simple.
Having now seen all of Seagal’s first five films, I confidently state that this film, along with Hard to Kill, Marked for Death and Out for Justice might as well just be one long film. It’s very hard to differentiate between them because Seagal steadfastly refuses to do any actual acting. It’s almost admirable. Anyway. On to On Deadly Ground next…
