Exit Wounds (2001)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Andrzej Bartkowiak

Writers (WGA):

John Westermann (novel)
Ed Horowitz (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 March 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

What Can Two Men Do Against A Gang Of Crooked Cops? Whatever It Takes.

Plot:

Orin Boyd, a tough cop in an inner-city precinct discovers a web of dirty cops and corruption.

Plot Keywords:

Heroin | Corrupt Cop | Vice President | Jail | Partner

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Steven Seagal	...	Orin Boyd
DMX	...	Latrell Walker
Isaiah Washington	...	George Clark
Anthony Anderson	...	T.K. Johnson
Michael Jai White	...	Lewis Strutt
Bill Duke	...	Chief Hinges
Jill Hennessy	...	Annette Mulcahy
Tom Arnold	...	Henry Wayne
Bruce McGill	...	Frank Daniels
David Vadim	...	Matt Montini
Eva Mendes	...	Trish
Matthew G. Taylor	...	Useldinger
Paolo Mastropietro	...	Parker
Shane Daly	...	Fitz
Drag-On	...	Shaun Rollins

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #38146) | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Finland:K-15 (TV rating) (uncut) | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:18A | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | South Korea:18 | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Singapore:M18 (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Village Roadshow Pictures

Trivia:

Andrzej Bartkowiak, Isaiah Washington, DMX and Anthony Anderson all worked together in Romeo Must Die.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Boyd is trapped in the black van, a door gets ripped off by a parked car. Moments later the door is back.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Vice President: Ladies and gentleman, it's a pleasure for me to be here on such a beautiful day, in the great city of Detroit. And I'd love to tell you all to sit back, relax, and enjoy yourselves. I'd love to, but unfortunately, I can't do that. There's a very serious issue that's spiraling out of control in this country...

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: Making 'Exit Wounds'" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Hey Ladies

Seagal proved he still had it, then flunked out again

A lot of you may consider Steven Seagal's non-presence for the past 4 years a blessing (he last appeared in 1997's Fire Down Below, which was a No. 1 hit but still weak movie) but I think that audiences are just too dismissive of him and that he needs to be given another chance. They waited for him to slip up and as soon as he delivered a flop We called him names and forgot about him.

But now veteran action producer Joel Silver has thrust Steve back in the limelight, put him on the Slimfast diet (it really, really works) and given him better material to work with. After all an actor can only do as good as the script.

From a novel of the same name by John Westerman (but bearing about %40 resemblance to it) the plot centres on Orin Boyd. A cop busted down to Patrolman after a rough encounter with the Vice-President (Gore? Cheney?). Once on the streets Boyd's suspicious nose can't keep him out of trouble with undercover cops who are trying to bust local Drug Boss Latrell Walker (DMX)…or so it seems.

Boyd smells foul play and intrudes upon a stakeout, handcuffing TK, one of Walkers men (Anthony Anderson) to the front of his car before doing so. When he returns to find the front of his car missing and the thug long gone Boyd takes it upon as his responsibility to get it back and inadvertently expose a ring of corrupt cops in the process. After all his car comes first.

There are many attempts at irony throughout the movie and surprisingly enough most of them work. Boyd is forced to attend rage control classes in which he meets eccentric TV host Henry Wayne (Tom Arnold) who becomes his wannabe partner. But sadly enough the classes don't work as Boyd continues to uses violence first, ask questions later. And there is a public service announcement too. Seagal survives a car wreck by airbag. A later car crash victim…doesn't have one and dies…I think.

There are only a couple of 'cop movie' clichés but not much else. The bad guys aren't too hissable either although they do stink. And it's a pity we know who they are as soon as we see them but this was never intended to be used for suspense in the first place. But they really do stink the place out. You WANT them to die.

Bartkowiak's direction is better than in his debut Romeo Must Die and adds a heavy dose of frenetic rush to such a fast-paced film. Action scenes are handled with experience and care. There is no MTV-style editing and no confusion to be had. He should have spent just a tiny little bit more time with the characters. It's not often that action movies have such strong characters and Exit Wounds does give us enough of them.

Seagal has learned a little, just a little, more in the acting area but still doesn't know how to express himself much. There's too much frowning and not enough other emotions from Boyd. We do want to feel more from him but he won't allow us. I guess this is just how Seagal is. He just can't get away from himself too much no matter what role he plays. I wish Seagal would try harder. He'll win more fans this way. But it's good to see that he is in better condition than of late and has proved to Hollywood that he is still here and still frowning. Sadly he has chosen to star in loads of rather poor Asian movies since (the real-life. Mob forced him into this) and as we all await Under Siege 3 we don't hold our breath.