No matter what you might think of him there is no denying that Steven Seagal was a bonified action star after his string of excellent martial arts action films that kicked off with Above the Law. Sadly, the hits have been fewer and far between with the last film that he had come out was 2019s Beyond the Law also Johnny Messener and late rap icon DMX who also starred with Seagal in Exit Wounds. Is there any chance that this will be able to capture some of the action fans love or will it fail to live up to expectations?

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Beyond the Law follows a mobster trying to go straight and a dogged police detective must contend with a dirty ex-cop looking to bring the killer of his son to justice. The film co-stars Zack Ward, Patrick Kilpatrick, and Bill Cobbs from Fortress and Darkness of Man director James Cullen Bressack.

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I am sure it comes as no surprise that this film isn’t a starring vehicle for Seagal despite him being front and center in all the promotions. In reality, Messener is leading the charge here and carrying the weight of the story which is straightforward and nothing we haven’t seen a billion times before. Messener does fine with the material he is working with which isn’t all that much. The idea is there, but the construction of the film around it not so much.

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All the cast except for Seagal are trying to make the best of it with him feeling like he is phoning it in. The way it is cut together half the time doesn’t even seem like he is even in the same room as them and his lack of energy or substance falls flat.

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Those hoping to at least get some decent action from him will be disappointed