Mercenary for Justice (2006) (V)

User Rating:

4.0/10   

Director:

Don E. FauntLeRoy

Writer:

Steve Collins (written by)

Release Date:

25 April 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

This time, he's not for hire.

Plot:

A mercenary gets involved in a mission that threatens the lives of his kin. In order to succeed, he must break into one of the most wellguarded prisons in Eastern Europe and free the son of the most notorious drug lord in the world today.

Plot Keywords:

Mercenary | Drug Lord | Kidnapping | Tank Runs Over Car | Explosion

Cast

Steven Seagal	...	John Seeger
Jacqueline Lord	...	Maxine Barnol
Roger Guenveur Smith	...	Anthony Chapel
Luke Goss	...	John Dresham
Michael K. Williams	...	Samuel Kay (as Michael Kenneth Williams)
Adrian Galley	...	Bulldog
Langley Kirkwood	...	Kruger (as Langley Jack Kirkwood)
Vivian Bieldt	...	Dekerk
Verity Price	...	Female Assistant
Bruce Young	...	Chief of Police Malik
Peter Butler	...	Ahmet Dasan
Farouk Valley-Omar	...	Elder Butler (as Fahruq Valley-Omar)
Tumi Mogoje	...	Eddie Jones
Faye Peters	...	Shondra Jones
Zaa Nkweta	...	Radio Jones (as Zaa Nikweta)

Also Known As:

Mercenary (International: English title)
Repentance (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

91 min | Argentina:96 min

Country:

Aruba | USA | South Africa

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | Germany:18 | Canada:18A | Finland:K-15 | UK:18 | Argentina:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Italy:T | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Bulgaria

Company:

Millennium Films

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After the rest room fight when Bulldog walks in and the camera pans around at all the destruction, you can hear a bolt being pulled from behind the wall, and see the wall move, as a urinal comes loose and falls to the floor.

Quotes:

John Seeger: [Bulldog is un-cuffing Seeger and Maxine] You know what? Don't un-cuff her.
Bulldog: You sure?
[Bulldog and Seeger laughs]
Maxine Barnol: You guys.
John Seeger: Us guys, we're bad.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Making 'Mercenary for Justice' (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Dream Maker, Heart Breaker

As good as Seagal's DVD films are ever going to get, I'd imagine

STAR RATING: ***** Jodie Marsh **** Michelle Marsh *** Kym Marsh ** Rodney Marsh * Hackney Marsh

John Seeger (Steven Seagal) and his team are involved in a shoot-out in a war ravaged area of a foreign land, and have been left out to dry by the CIA. During the shoot-out, Seeger's best friend rather stupidly stands and shouts while war is raging all around him and is unsurprisingly blasted to death. Suddenly a helicopter lands to take them all to safety, but space on the chopper is filling up. Seeger, however, will not leave his best friend's body behind and packs it on board with them so he can take it home and give him a decent burial (surprisingly, they don't buckle under his weight alone and crash.) Shortly after, he returns home to comfort his friend's family, only to learn soon after that the same corrupt faction of the CIA that left him out to dry before has now kidnapped his friend's family and that their safe return is dependent upon Seeger leading another group of mercenaries into one of the most well-guarded prisons in Eastern Europe and freeing the son of one of the most notorious arms dealers in the world today. But Seeger is no amateur and has a few tricks up his own sleeve in what becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse.

So it seems we're back to the lazy titles with new Seagal movies game. We've had Out for a Kill which was a blatantly obvious chop and change of Out for Justice and Hard to Kill. Now we have Mercenary for Justice, which I believe was originally just going to be called Mercenary but then had for Justice added on the end of it. Bad idea, as the tacky look doesn't go unnoticed. Another thing I've finally realized from watching the DVD extras on this film is that Seagal obviously doesn't like doing interviews that much, adding as little of his own input as possible and sounding rather brash and irritated whilst doing it. I've heard stories in the past about his attitude to this aspect of being a famous person but the penny really clicked here...

As for the quality of the film itself, you'll see worse Seagal films. There's a fairly intricate and engaging story, some nice aerial photography of Cape Town, Africa (amongst other places) and some enjoyable (if forgettable) action. And, maybe I'm just seeing things, but when Seagal's buddy is killed at the beginning of the film, was he not on the verge of tears? Did he appear a little choked up? Was that the closest thing to emotive, uninhibited acting I've ever seen from him? Could this be the start of a new, more emotive Seagal? If it is, I don't know what I'll think.

But I didn't see anything that would make me want to watch it again. I dunno. How much more of my money am I going to waste on these low rent made for video Seagal films before Under Siege 3 comes out and he gets back in the cinema again? He made...no wait, I've just thought about it and I can honestly say there wasn't a single film Seagal made that went to theatres that I didn't enjoy. It was when he became a video star that the quality of his films went downhill. Seagal belongs in the cinema. Until then, though, I'll stick with him. Wherever that may take me. **