Pistol Whipped (2008)

Pistol Whipped (2008)
Aka: The Marker; Deathly Weapon

 

Starring: Steven Seagal, Paul Calderon, Lance Henriksen, Bernie McInerey, Antoni Corone, Matt Salinger, Renée Elise Goldberry, Lydia Jordan
Director: Roel Reiné
Action Director: Dickey Beer, Mike Smith

 

After the enjoyable Urban Justice, Steven Seagal came out with Pistol Whipped. Surprisingly, this one was just as good, if not better. Part of its success stems from Roel René's stylish direction, good photography and solid editing. While the Dutch-born René has become something of a go-to guy for sequels—having directed follow-ups to The Condemned; The Man with the Iron Fists; and Death Race—his sense of visuals are very reminiscent of John Woo. That is probably why he was hired to direct Hard Target 2 in 2016.

But what's really surprising is that for once Seagal allows himself to play a deeply flawed character, something extremely rare in the man’s filmography. I mean, he's still a complete bad-ass once he gets going, but he's initially an alcoholic gambling addict who's also a bit of deadbeat dad. He’s not the best at everything he does—and as a result, his character’s personal life is in complete shambles as the film opens. That sort of characterization is almost unheard of for He Who Twists Wrists.

Seagal plays Matt Conner, a disgraced former policeman who's down on his luck. His home is up for sale. He rarely remembers to spend any time with his daughter, of whom he has limited custody. He drinks himself to sleep every night. Worst of all, he owes a lot of money to a number of establishments because of his "problem gaming" tendencies. His debts are picked up by mysterious figure known as "The Old Man" (Lance Henriksen) and Matt has to pay them off by performing hits against bad people in high places.

While staking out his first hit, an Italian mobster, Matt picks up a bar floozie named Drea (Hamilton’s Renée Elise Goldsberry) and the two become lovers. He liquidates his target and soon has to kill a Chinese gangster. When he fails to off the informant as ordered, this puts him at odds with his “handler,” a mysterious man named Blue (Paul Calderón, of Sea of Love and King of New York, playing a sort of prototype for Lance Riddick’s Continental Manager in the John Wick movies). Things really get complicated when Matt finds out who his third target is.

There is a fair amount of aikido in this one and once more, it looks like Seagal is doing his own work for most of it. It is nothing too flashy, usually just twists and breaks, punctuated by the occasional front kick. But with these direct-to-video films, you take what you can get. The climax is a protracted shootout set at a graveyard that is expertly filmed and honestly, would make John Woo feel proud. Director Roël René expertly uses slow motion to accentuate the force of bullets as they tear tombstones to pieces and it really helps the film on a dramatic level. An earlier gunfight in the street is just as captivating, thanks to some nice car stunts and the initial set-up of Seagal completely boxed on both sides by his assailants. Seagal even takes a bullet at one point, which makes his character less unbeatable than he usually is. This sort of solid action, along with a good story and unconventional role for Seagal, contributes handily to this becoming one his better films, period.