Customer Reviews

Half Past Dead [VHS]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

Half Past Dead, is a reasonably entertaining, comic book level, action flick. While no masterpiece, it does have its moments, and some pleasant surprises. Action veteran Steven Seagal heads a diverse cast, and though we don't see too much of his trademark fighting style, he delivers a solid performance, with perhaps a bit more depth of character than usual.

Seagal is Sasha Petrosevitch, an undercover FBI agent, working to gain the confidence of Nick, a big time car thief, played by rapper Ja Rule. After a confrontation with the FBI, both men are incarcerated on Alcatraz. Bruce Weitz (Hill Street Blues) is Lester McKenna, a prisoner who has stolen and hidden 20 million in gold bullion. On death row, he is about to be executed, when the prison is invaded by the "49ers", a group of criminals who want McKenna to reveal the gold's location. Morris Chestnut is Donnie Johnson (49er One), the group's charismatic and ruthless leader. His second in command is 49er Six, played with style and panache, by the explosive and sexy Nia Peeples. Johnson's plans need to be adjusted, when the inmates get involved.

Actor/Writer/Director Don Michael Paul provides an informative commentary that stresses and details, the trials and tribulations of bringing this low budget production to the screen. Paul's screenplay was originally written years before, but was shelved because of similarity to Jerry Bruckheimer's film, "The Rock". Rewritten to incorporate modern elements of hip-hop culture, Paul explains that his goal was to produce a fast paced film, with a stylized music video vibe. His big screen directorial debut was filmed primarily in Berlin, shortly after the 9/11 incident. Despite the monetary difficulties, the film delivers some decent action scenes, with enough of a plot to hold things together. Rated PG-13, it contains massive amounts of gunfire and violence, punctuated by a rap and metal soundtrack.

Ja Rule's performance is quirky, and he does a passable job in his action scenes. Morris Chestnut makes an eloquent and intelligent villain. Linda Thorson, as a Supreme Court Judge, and Bruce Weitz, are not bad. Supporting characters played by Claudia Christian, Tony Plana, and the rapper Kurupt, are less developed and more one-dimensional.

Nia Peeples is a suprisingly impressive bad girl. Costumed in a tight black outfit, her look combines elements from The Crow, and The Matrix. Peeples looks great carrying a gun, and performs most of her own fight scenes. Her background as a dancer is put to good use, as her flashy fighting style primarily features kicking and jumping, bringing an edge to the proceedings.

As for Steven Seagal, this film, like Exit Wounds, seeks to build some ties with hip-hop culture. His character is troubled, reflective, and a bit restrained, taking the back seat at times to others. He doesn't engage in much hand to hand, and editing makes his fight scenes flow. Those looking for old school Steven, may be disappointed, but the reality is that time catches up with all of us. Nonetheless, Seagal carries the film, making it an enjoyable and entertaining escape for action film aficionados.

I would really like to know why almost every film that I like lately, is put down badly by the movie reviewers, like Ebert! I'm finding it's getting more and more repetitive, anyways, this movie I thought was really good! Just by looking at the trailer I knew it would be good, and it hints you that Ja Rule plays the bad guy, well, that's what I thought anyway, but, I was WRONG! Ja Rule is a prisoner of alcatraz joined by FBI Agent faking being prisoner/criminal(Seagel), just wanting to be Ja Rule's friend to find out information on what happened to Seagel's wife. Morris Chestnut plays the bad guy in the movie, him and his team breakin into alcatraz and start killing guards in demand of ransom. Sounds like The Rock(Cage, Connery, Harris) Well, turns out for much different reasons and the way it's connected is much different! Plus, this is the new alcatraz, if you didn't catch that in the trailer, with an excecution chair! It's a cool movie, really well done by the actors, Ja Rule finally learned to not swear every line, he doesn't swear half as much in this movie as in Turn It Up, but it was meant like that for Turn It Up, anyways, both movies are good and I suggest to anyone to look at this great movie!

Fully Armed.
Totally Outnumbered.
Completely Unexpected.

Welcome to Alcatraz "The Rock" has just re-opened for business,but the first criminal slated for the electric chair is also sitting on a secret worth $200 million. And an invading group of commandoes isen't going to let his fortune go up in smoke. Already undercover in Alcatraz,FBI Agent Petrosevitch has to neutralize the situation and rescue a Supreme Court Justice held hostage. Worse,he has to convince his convict "partner" and the other inmates to fight on the right side of the law.

SPECIAL FEATURES IN THIS SPECIAL EDITION DVD ARE:

.Widescreen and Fullscreen Presentations

.Digitally Mastered Audio and Anamorphic Video

.Audio: English 5.1(Dolby Digital), French

.Subtitles: English,French

.Audio Commentary with Director Don Michael Paul

.Deleted Scenes

.Cinemax Special: On the set of Half Past Dead

.Theatrical Trailers

.Interactive Menus

.Scene Selections

Half Past Dead is far from Steven Seagal's best work (see: Above the Law and Under Siege). It is also nowhere near some of his more recent dreadful flicks (see: The Patriot (on my top 10 list of all time worst films ever)). Half Past Dead's predictable plot provides enough action and interesting characters to keep the viewer's attention. I could do without the slow-mo/speed up fight seen special effects. Overall this is a decent film worthy of renting by action film fans and of buying for Seagal fans.

The times they are a-changin'. With the exception of Arnie and Bruce, the top action heroes of the 80s and 90s seem to be going direct to DVD these days. Van Damme. Sly. Chuck. Even some of Jackie's movies. And of course Steven Seagal- graduate of the Chuck Norris School of Non-Acting. A man who talks softly and hits hard.
Seagal's latest offering HALF PAST DEAD was released on DVD in NZ simultaneously with THE FOREIGNER. I decided against renting both at once in case I came down with a severe case of "Seagal Stupidity Syndrome" due to overexposure to his movies, thus rendering me a lifeless vegetable (In which case my friends would probably have me embalmed in French dressing, just to be cheeky.)
Actually HALF PAST DEAD ain't half bad. The plot is a mix of DIE HARD, THE ROCK and CON AIR. A not terribly original combo from Writer/ Director Don Michael Paul, but this isn't CITIZEN KANE we're talking about here. Paul has loaded the movie with so many explosive stunts that viewers are unlikely to care.
Seagal also co-produced with Andrew Stevens, the man responsible for the humdrum NIGHT EYES franchise.
Steve plays FBI Agent Sascha Petrosevitch; who coincidentally also used to work for the CIA, KGB, and U.S Marshalls. Busy boy.
The opening is pretty silly: Petrosevich is wounded in the line of fire and flatlines, but comes back cuz he's Steven Seagal baby!; hence the movie's title HALF PAST DEAD. (Shouldn't this be HARD TO KILL 2?).
Immediately, the movie flashes forward 8 months later to Sasha's latest assignment: To go undercover in the newly re-opened Alcatraz prison (Cleverly renamed "New Alcatraz") to infiltrate gangs operating within the compound's impenetrable walls. Well, almost impenetrable. The warden makes the silly mistake of announcing to the inmates: "There's only one way off The Rock, and that key is under my pillow". How helpful.
Convieniently there also just happens to be $200 million worth of gold hidden in the facilities by a prisoner who is condemned to die in the electric chair within the next few hours.
And as if this isn't bad enough the prison is taken hostage by a band of commandos turned terrorists led by "49er One" (Morris Chestnut) & "49er Six" (played by the incredibly sultry Nia Peeples) who want the gold- and they mean business when they strap the visiting Supreme Court Justice into the electric chair in which she's sent so many men to their deaths. Naturally only Steve, with help of convict Nick (Played by rapper Ja Rule) can save the Judge and the prisoners.
Fortunately, HALF PAST DEAD is an action movie which seems to realize its own limitations, so it delivers what viewers want: Loads of explosive, high-octane stunts and mindless destruction. The personal highlight for me is the fight scene between Peeples and Ja Rule where Peeples says "Let's put the guns down and settle this like... men" before giving him a Matrix-style martial arts butt-kicking. My only compaint is the stupid prison phone coversation which plays during the end credits. What's the point? That aside, HALF PAST DEAD is pure popcorn cinema that delivers the goods. This is a good no-brainer to watch with a group of friends. Check it out.

I wasn't expecting much out of this movie, but it was suprisingly tolerable. The fight scenes are good, although I don't like those lame camera effects where something's in slow motion, then suddenly it's in fast motion for 2 seconds, then back to slow motion. Nia Peeples was awesome. I've never seen her like this before. This makes me forget about her lame charactor in The Blues Brothers 2000. The bad guys are led by Morris Chestnut, who was Segeal's sidekick in Under Siege 2 as the porter on the train. He does a decent job as the villian. Then, of course, there's a couple of rap singers trying to get into acting. Ja Rule and Kurupt (?) They're acting is okay, but I don't see them winning any academy awards for Best Supporing Actor in this movie. This dvd is worth checking out if you like Steven Segeal movies. It's already in the "cheap" section at certain stores. I guess that's just because only 4 people saw the movie in the theater.

Just went on to find a review for a Seagal film - since the last 2 films I saw were abominable - I won't rent a Seagal movie now without a recommendation. But what a bunch of ill minded reviewers picking apart one of the few great REAL martial artists on the screen. I did see this movie and it genuinely fun! It has genuinely good action. Seagal doesn't look too fat. The story is engaging and their is emotional content. Try getting a fraction of this with all these whimpy superheros who would wet their pants if someone yelled at them. They just can't convey tough guyness - never will. (Russell Crowe can for instance. The new Bond CAN.) Gee Whiz - most of the films I rent hoping to enjoy - lack what this movie has. So why are you guys panning it so? I will watch it again (unlike the last 2). I studied martial arts most of my life and aikido the most. Seagal comes across like a real fighter = BECAUSE he IS a real fighter. I worked in all types of security all over the world including the former CIS - including bounty hunting - there is no one in hollowwood who would make me nervous - except Steven Seagal! Now where are you going to find that? Seagal was truly one of the great action heroes of our time - of all time. If he can't keep the quality up - he should bloody well quit so we can remember him for the great martial artist and screen hero he is! Meantime - rent this - its still damn good!

I'll say it right away: I like "Half Past Dead" mainly because it has Steven Seagal in it. Indeed, this tends to make more casual viewers like a film even less, but as someone raised on the man's DTV debacles, I found HPD a surprisingly exhilarating departure from the repetitive wrist-snapping, stale shootouts, and predictable storylines of the majority of the aikido master's films. Less passionate or non-fans of Seagal will almost certainly catch onto the film's faults, but devotees shouldn't be disillusioned: our hero's last theatrical outing is worth watching.

The plot: Sasha Petrosevich (Seagal) is a car thief digging deep into the underworld with the help of his friend and partner Nick (Ja Rule, The Fast and the Furious) when the two of them are busted by the FBI and sent to the newly-opened Alcatraz. Before long, the in-prison execution of an infamous gold thief (Bruce Weitz, Hill Street Blues) is interrupted by terrorists eager to find his hidden treasure (headed by Morris Chestnut and Nia Peebles). Sasha must now rally the prisoners to the side of justice and use his uncanny abilities to foil the plot.

Style- and story-wise, "Half Past Dead" is a combination of Seagal's Exit Wounds and Sean Connery's The Rock, but there's really no comparison when it comes to which is the better piece of drama: Seagal is probably the first man to play a Russian without an accent, and nobody in the film acts with any kind of memorable finesse - Ja Rule's weasily performance in particular is best left forgotten. In addition, whoever was in charge of the editing and camerawork deserves a swat on the nose: endless slow-motion is topped by hit-and-miss cinematography that develops a trend of showing guns being pointed and fired but not who was shot. Add a few silly scenes - like Seagal "accidentally" hurling Ja Rule out of his car as a joke without reprimand - and it's easy to see why this film didn't make back its budget.

However, once we consider that this is a Steven Seagal film, we begin to appreciate it for its good points, all of which come back the fact that it's a return to action for our hero. The gunfights are numerous and diverse (the final shootout in the cell block is pure action fantasy), and the hand-to-hand fights are similarly nice, with nifty choreography by Xin Xin Xiong (Seven Swords) proving that Seagal still had the moves at the time of his downfall. Though the latter have a knack for ending disappointingly (e.g. a roundhouse kick kills an otherwise able soldier), the encounters are fast-paced and range from an unexpected Nia Peebles/Ja Rule confrontation to an acrobatic Seagal/Chestnut tussle on 15-foot hanging chains. If that's not enough, then judge on the fact that "Half Past Dead" is built entirely upon fun: whereas flicks like The Foreigner would focus excruciatingly on stories that no one understood, "Half Past Dead" is a straightforward action vehicle that makes no secret of being silly but boasts some definite adrenaline-pumpers. Essentially, it's the kind of movie that makes hotdogs and popcorn taste even better.

Serious Seagal fans will not want to be without this one. Others viewers will be a bit harder to sell on this premise, but even in their case, you could definitely find worse if you're looking for a way to spend the evening in front of the television.

This movie is a 3 star review, but I am rating it 4 stars for Seagal fans. Seagal is sent to prison to build up his credibility so he can later join a criminal group after he serves his time. The prison Seagal is sent to is maximum security on an island. While locked up, a group of armed paramilitary people take control of the prison. Seagal teams up with inmates to fight the paramilitary group. This movie did not have enough action. There are some fight scenes and some gun fights, but not nearly enough. It was not realistic that a maximum security prison could be easily broken into with almost no fight from the security guards. I expected better gun fights between the prison security guards and the paramilitary group. This movie could have been much better than what it turned out to be.

I ususally sit there and yawn at fight scenes [Shades of TV Batman] in movies but the pace and the direction in this one hooked me. Worth it to kills some time and some popcorn when you want to shut your mind off. If you are out to be totally impressed... Why are you watching movies like this anyways?