Product Details

• Actors: Steven Seagal
• Directors: Jeff King
• Format: Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: First Look Pictures
• DVD Release Date: June 29, 2010
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B003G0E31I
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,921 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Detective Jacob King (Steven Seagal) is one of the most celebrated homicide detectives in the country. His brutal delivery of street justice is legendary among the men and women of law enforcement. But on this latest case, he may have finally met his match – Lazerus, a cunning and perversely violent killer who is on the loose and terrorizing the inner city. King’s desperate pursuit of Lazerus takes him into the dark, depraved Memphis underworld of street sex and senseless violence.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars SEMI SEAGAL, October 14, 2008

By 

Mark Turner - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kill Switch (DVD)

The career of action film star Steven Seagal has had enough ups and downs to appear like a rollercoaster ride in one of any hundred theme parks across the country. Beginning in 1988 with ABOVE THE LAW, Seagal burst upon the scene as a martial arts master in a film that featured plot, good acting and enough action that involved non-hand to hand combat to keep audiences screaming for more.

With each new film, Seagal developed more mystery about his personal life, played roles that were a little deeper and eventually was able to parlay his clout to make films that followed items dear to his heart. Unfortunately the more he did so, the smaller the crowds to his films.

In recent years Seagal's films have taken on that dreaded identity of direct to DVD features, movies that play in either no theater or limited run. This doesn't mean that the quality is lacking all the time, just that the studio behind it has less faith in the films than Seagal does. So he has kept making them knowing fans would show.

Fans support him enough that a book has recently been released, SEAGALOGY: A STUDY OF THE A** KICKING FILMS OF STEVEN SEAGAL by Vern, a contributing writer for the ain't it cool news web site. The book covers Seagal's films from beginning to end. But I'm not sure that it included the newest release, KILL SWITCH.

Seagal plays Jacob King, a detective working in Memphis, TN, and hot on the trail of a serial killer. The film opens on a case where a psycho has implanted C4 explosives in a young woman's chest with a timer set to go off in minutes. Confronting the killer, King beats a confession out of him in time to save the girl while inflicting enough damage to require medical support for said killer.

The scene moves to another serial killer on the lose, this one having wracked up 4 bodies to date with one on the way. Using astrological signs and leaving clues to what he is up to, including a coded cipher, King attempts to figure out his prey and take him off the street.

Due to his handling of the last killer though, King now has an FBI agent hot on his tail, Agent Frankie Miller (Holly Dignard). Suspicious of King, raw to the ways of the street, she finds herself at odds with him non-stop. While commanded to co-operate, King does his best to find the killer at the cost of relations with the FBI.

The clues mount up as does the body count. And when the first killer is released due to the coercive tactics of King, he ends up dealing with both killers before the films end.

The movie offers a decent plotline, written by Seagal himself. The action sequences fluctuate between dynamic and lame. Seagal is best when he does all of the work himself, including stunts. Fight sequences where an obvious stand in takes his place seem weak while the scenes with Seagal facing the camera and doing the moves he's made famous bring a reality to it. One has to wonder why this is. With the abilities there, why resort to unfit replicas?

One of the bad things involving the fight sequences is the use of what seems to be hiccup cutting of scenes. The same shots pushed back to immediate back, fast cuts of repeated blows and a close up shooting of intimate fight scenes that were my biggest complaint in the mega hit BOURNE films. Back off and let us see the action!

Seagal's acting has been worse and better. He coasts along easily as King, using a Cajun style twang to make him seem different than usual. And King's secret past leads one to suspect that perhaps he isn't who he seems.

The other actors range from an even keel to some of the worst one line roles seen. Unconvincing would be the nicest way to put it. But all in all this movie is not the terrible film that some seem to think. And if you're a Seagal fan, you should be pleased.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a hot time in Memphis with Stevie . . ., November 11, 2009

By 

trebe - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Kill Switch (DVD)

Kill Switch (2008) is a gritty and edgy thriller set in Memphis, featuring Steven Seagal as Jacob King, a police detective on the trail of a pair of psychotic killers. Bille Joe Hill (Mark Collie) is a sadistic nutcase who enjoys using a knife. Lazereus (Michael Filipowich), is deeply into astrology, the occult, and heavy metal. Hidden in the shadows, driven to kill by inner demons, he is the serial killer known as 'the Grifter'. With FBI agent Frankie Miller (Holly Dignard) poking around, King has his hands full. In one of his last film appearances, the late Isaac Hayes adds some class and humor, as an overtaxed coroner.

Seagal's films are often the subject of harsh criticism, and while Jeff King directs, Seagal can be held to account more than usual, as he did write the screenplay. The film moves along pretty well, but there are some problems with the fight scenes. Some of the action sequences may produce dizziness or eye strain, due to the frequent use of a technique where the same event is shown several times. This repeat view technique, combined with the usual quick cutting, use of doubles, insertion of Seagal's face, and changing of speeds, leads to some disjointed looking scenes. One fight in a bar seems to go on forever. This is followed by an extended, poorly executed gunfight in the street. Things like this, detracts from the general enjoyment of the film.

Besides agent Miller, Seagal has written in a number of females for his character to interact with. Karyn Michelle Baltzer is Celine, a police officer whose role in King's life is not spelled out, though she is often in King's home wearing a robe. Daniella Evangelista is a lovely barmaid, who somehow winds up pinned to a door. Exotic Anna Mae Routledge, plays a librarian who crosses paths with Hill, and meets an unknown fate. And Andrea Stefancikova makes a brief but revealing appearance as King's better half.

Kill Switch has a dark and heavy atmosphere. Seagal's screenplay has a hard edge, with lots of brutality, including the hammering and breaking of bones, surging arterial flow, psychotic killers, and a number of women getting slashed. With King actually doing some half decent detective work, and a pretty good cast, this is probably one of Seagal's better direct to video projects.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Seagal is at it again, June 5, 2009

By 

Anthony Carpenter - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kill Switch (DVD)

Kill Switch is another DTV starring Steven Seagal (who also wrote) as a Detective investigating a series of grisly murders.It's got a good plot kinda Seven-like but with alot more action.I only have a few complaints being the Seagal fan i am.His double is too noticeable and the quick cuts.These and the ending are the only downfall.All in all this is a good movie it has it's high points but i liked Driven to Kill much better.