Customer Reviews

The Patriot

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

The Patriot is a different type of Seagal film. Sure there is plenty of action (although I would have liked to have seen more) but Steven relies more on his acting skills rather than his martial arts skills. Good thing. He proves not to be just a great action star (like he's already done) but he proves himself to be a damn fine actor as well. This is what drew me in. He has always been good enough to get the job done, but he must have taken lessons since his last one. This is a good film but people may not like it because of the heavy emphasis on drama. I don't know if this made it to theatres or not, but if it didn't, it should've. Steven appears to have lost some weight since Fire Down Below but he looks bigger because he's bundled up in a coat for the first half. It is true what they say, If you don't like this movie, you are probably shallow. It is very enjoyable for enviornmentalists and survivalists. The scenery and photography are wonderful and the villain was okay. Give this one a try but keep an open mind.

Here's a film where Seagal doesn't just go through those regular paces we all love him for, which is probably why most of the viewers reviewing this film here are disappointed. I wasn't disappointed at all, and next to Under Siege, this is my favorite Seagal movie. Not just because of the beautiful scenery, not just because Seagal plays a doctor who cares more about helping his patients get well than he does getting paid, not just because he gives both the government officials and the militia-extremists a real piece of his mind. Not even because of the role that Native American traditions and healing methods play in this film.

Maybe for all those things. Or maybe because this take-no-prisoners 'tough guy' is a fine role model of a terrific father to his daughter in this film. It's a real treat to see this side of Seagal and it adds a dimension to his character that makes this more than just an action movie.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of enemies to defeat here, and Seagal defeats them all -- including the 'invisible enemy' of biochemical disease. Not bad, not bad at all. Better than good in fact.

Five stars.

Alright, so the story may not be all that great. But the acting is really good for all those involved and the philosophies behind a lot of the story can be rewarding if learned and applied to your life. Not in Seagal's top 5 movies but surely worth at least one viewing. I treat myself to multiple viewings because Steven Seagal can be seen differently than before. Definately give it a chance!

I was the "Old Rancher". My dog, Waylon, my old green truck and I did the road block scene. The little actress Camilla Belle who played Holly, his daughter, was so neat. This was her debut. She, the cast and crew loved my dog and during breaks they would come and bring him doggie gifts. We (Waylon and I) actually did 27 scenes, however, the editors left about an hour on the cutting floor. Too bad, we couldn't see the entire full length of the movie. Steven Seagal is big, handsome and an excellent professional. The co-stars were well-picked. Molly Mc Clure is special to us. The location is beautiful and environmentally outstanding. The people of Ennis, Montana are greatful for him shooting the movie there. Gene E. Carlstrom

Seagal is a fantastic Aikido master. He makes wonderful movies and even though he only plays the same one character over and over he seems to do it well. This movie however has next to no action 27.28 seconds of fighting not including when he grabs somebody and puts a knife to their throats. Not only was the movie void of fighting, but it was flat out stupid. The acting is poor the plot is poor and the end is insulting. (the cure is flower pedal tea that knocks the plague out of you in minutes). Yeah, I almost believe that. Get another Seagal movie, most of them are okay. this one defies the norm.

A great Segal movie. He takes care of a rpoblem no one else wants to try to.

I liked this movie overall - Steven Seagal proved that he doesn't have to just use his martial arts skills to hold your attention. He did a really good job and the environmental message was timely too. Add that together with the beautiful scenery, good plot, and you end up with a very good movie. The ONLY down side I found was the casting of Gailard Sartain as the militia leader. I just can't see how this could be believable to anyone who ever saw him standing in the Hee Haw "cornfield" telling dumb jokes. Everytime he was on the screen all I could think about was Hee Haw (and I wasn't even a regular viewer of that program - he's just very recognizable). Other than that, I enjoyed the movie a lot.

Steven Seagal excels in this movie,the Villains are real villains and mother Nature helps him overcome the poisons of the Brain and the poisons created by people not living according to the laws of Nature.Aikido is less important in this movie and Science is conforming to the laws of nature for once.This is less a Kick-butt movie than some other Steven Seagal movies though it is relaxing to watch the wide open spaces of Montana. Therefore,Buy this movie,like other Steven Seagal movies but especially this one and you will feel like you are a better human being after watching it.

Even with two environmentally-charged vehicles behind him, Steven Seagal wasn't quite done with his eco-trip, and his following project was the self-financed adaptation of William Heine's post-apocalyptic novel The Last Canadian. The film marked Seagal's first entry into the direct-to-video market and is generally not held in high regard by fans, but for someone who doesn't mind a green message in film or toning down the action every once in a while, this is one of my personal favourites of what Seagal has to offer.

The story: Wesley McClaren (Seagal) is an ex-government immunologist and physician working in a small Montana town with his daughter Holly (Camilla Belle, 10,000 B.C.) and loyal farmhand Frank (L.Q. Jones, A Prairie Home Companion). When Floyd Chisolm (Gailard Sartain, Ernest Goes to Jail) - a self-described patriot and leader of a paramilitary militia - unleashes a devastating virus upon the population of the town and topples an intervening response team, Wesley must flee to a secluded military testing facility to engineer an antidote to the virus before it's too late for his fellow townspeople.

For all non-canon purposes, "The Patriot" could be the third instalment in Seagal's line of 'green' movies that include On Deadly Ground and Fire Down Below. It's not as overly environmentally-themed as those other two, but the power of the earth is definitely represented. Those familiar with Seagal's filmography will realize that this type of approach calls for a reduction in the action department: flower-power is played over arm-breaking and neck-snapping (although Steven does score a nifty kill with a wine glass to the head), so for those of you who know that you won't be able to live without the violence of Out for Justice, don't even give this one a try.

Those of you who stick around, however, are treated to a direct-to-video film that's miles ahead of anything Seagal would make later in his career under the same label. First-time director Dean Semler (award-winning cinematographer for films like Dances with Wolves) manages the picture with dutiful attention to detail, and the script calls for plenty of meaningful character interaction - the kind where even bit players like "Molly" McClure are given an endearing personality. The cast is one of the most underrated of any Seagalian picture: Sartain, Jones, Belle, and Whitney Yellow Robe as Wesley's assistant and sister-in-law all share an enthusiasm for their roles that defies any less-than-theatrical disposition, and even Steven manages to squeeze out a little something extra for his character, especially when interacting with his daughter.

Where the film's faults are concerned, the lack of Seagal's bread-and-butter moves (i.e. bone breaking) comes to weigh on even my mind, though the story is generally successful in avoiding situations where it would be overtly necessary, so the movie doesn't feel neutered. In addition, Sartain's militia-leading character is delivered sort of strangely: I can't help but think that the voice-over tidbit referring to him as neo Nazi was inserted solely because the filmmakers feared his pro-American, anti-government ideology might end up appealing to some viewers; even Seagal's character claims at one point to agree with some of his ideas, which really makes for a confusing character picture of this guy. Still, I like the movie a lot, and I'm still unsure of why so many folks really don't. I mean, who can't appreciate Seagal rocking a cowboy hat? If you ask me, any real fan of the aikido master would be daft to put any of his lesser DTV titles on their shelf before this one.

I thought it was wonderful to see seagal in a different type of movie. It got his message across, It had a little bit of everything in it ,not JUST action. It had a story line that was different for him and showed him as a father and a doctor -not the old CIA or EX CIA operative. He wasn't an assassin or a cop. He was a doctor. soo his character didn't need to kill everyone he needed to find a cure and keep his daughter safe. I liked the movie a lot BECAUSE it showed him in a different role and not the same type of character he usually plays.Give the guy a break! How many action movies can one make!before they all seem the same.