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Exit Wounds 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak
R, 103 min. (strong violence, language, some sexuality/nudity) |
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Starring: Steven Seagal, DMX, Isaiah Washington, Tom Arnold, Anthony Anderson, Michael J. White, Bill Duke
Producers: Dan Cracchiolo, Joel Silver
Screenplay: John Westermann, Ed Horowitz, Richard D'Ovidio
Cinematography: Glen MacPherson
Distributor: Warner Brothers
Released: 3.16.01 (Wide) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
How many people do you know who could get up and fight a man after being shocked with a stun-gun for
10 seconds? How about taking on five gang members who have assorted weapons and knocking them all out
with hardly a bruise? Or, get this, how many dot-com millionaires would take the time to investigate
corrupt police for his newest internet venture? This is what we are supposed to accept in order to understand the almost
incomprehensible plot of Exit Wounds, the newest effort of an obviously aging Steven Seagal. In
fact, the only part of this movie that somewhat holds your attention is the soundtrack, which is quite
good.
Orin Boyd (Seagal) is a tough street-cop who has just saved the Vice-President's life from an assassination
attempt; however, he did so on his own authority and is now in the commander's doghouse again (big surprise).
He is transferred to the worst precinct in town and immediately gets into the middle of a corrupt drug
trade between police in his precinct and a potential buyer named Latrell (DMX). Latrell is a dot-com
millionaire who's new project is to bring down corrupt cops by exposing them on the internet, thereby
having leverage to get his younger brother out of jail. The rest of the plot is either predictable or
confusing, whichever fits your mood.
The only real interesting character in the movie is Tom Arnold, who plays a TV personality who is in an
anger-management class with Boyd, who is also there for some reason. His performance is a bit over-the-top,
but nonetheless is entertaining at times. Seagal is his usual stiff self, hardly making any effort to
act at all, instead relying on some obviously planned scenes where he gets to show off his fighting
skills one more time. DMX was a little disappointing by giving a lethargic performance, but he is new
to the screen and has some potential with a little work.
I guess it was too much to hope for a good picture from Seagal, who's best film is still Under Siege,
a first-rate action thriller also starring Tommy Lee Jones (a good actor) that made my top ten list
in 1992. He usually tries to make political statements in his films, but this time he was just there
for the obligatory "snap the bone in half" scenes. Exit Wounds ends up being a cookie-cutter action film that leaves
much to be desired in the areas of plot, imagination, and, of course, acting.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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