Above the Law (film)
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| Above the Law | |
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| Directed by | Andrew Davis |
| Produced by | Andrew Davis, Steven Seagal |
| Written by | Andrew Davis, Steven Pressfield, Steven Seagal |
| Starring | Steven Seagal, Pam Grier, Sharon Stone Daniel Faraldo and Henry Silva |
| Music by | David M. Frank |
| Distributed by | Warner Brothers Pictures |
| Release date(s) | April 8, 1988 |
| Running time | 99 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $N/A |
| IMDb profile | |
Above the Law (otherwise known as Nico in the majority of Europe) is a 1988 action film directed by Andrew Davis, probably best-known for being the film debut of Steven Seagal. It was rated R by the MPAA.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
Nico Toscani (Seagal) is a cop in Chicago's vice squad. Born in Palermo, he and his family emigrated to Chicago when he was seven. It was also early on that he developed an interest in martial arts, and soon he moved to Japan. From there, in 1969, he was recruited into the CIA, and after a brief tour in Vietnam, he came back to Chicago to assume his current role.
Nico and his partner Jax (Pam Grier) are now investigating a drug ring, and after busting two of the dealers, he discovers plastic explosives. Shortly afterward, in a twist of events, everyone Nico arrested is suddenly let go, and Nico is asked to stand down, not to mention the fact that the priest of Nico's parish is killed in an explosion as a mass is ending. Then, soon enough, Nico has police searching his house and is asked to turn in his badge. Nico eventually finds out the dealers he busted are linked to a corrupt CIA agent named Zagon (Henry Silva), who tried to fund an invasion of Nicaragua, and was under heat from Congress to reveal his undercover operations. When we find out the priest's death was of Zagon's making, and with one particular senator who is trying to bring him down as his next target, Nico now seeks to bring down Zagon and all involved with him at any cost.
[edit] Principal cast and crew
- Steven Seagal.... Nico Toscani
- Sharon Stone.... Sara Toscani
- Pam Grier.... Delores 'Jax' Jackson
- Henry Silva.... Kurt Zagon
- Ron Dean.... Det. Lukich
- Daniel Faraldo.... Tony Salvano
- Miguel Nino.... Chi Chi Ramon
- Nicholas Kusenko.... FBI Agent Neely
- Joe Greco.... Father Joseph Gennaro
- Chelcie Ross.... Nelson Fox
- Director: Andrew Davis
[edit] Reception
It has generally been given mixed reviews, with some dismissing it as "Woefully short on originality..." (Hal Hinson from the Washington Post), while others praised, "It contains 50 percent more plot than it needs, but that allows it room to grow in areas not ordinarily covered in action thrillers..." (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). Rotten Tomatoes rates it at 58 percent, just short of a "fresh" movie (60 percent or greater).
[edit] Trivia
- Steven Seagal's first film. This came about after a successful screen test, financed by Michael Ovitz, led to Seagal being offered a contract by Warner Brothers.
- Michael Rooker has a bit part as a bar patron.
