Furthermore the proliferation of buddy action movies has simply grown tiresome. It’s hard to buy into a stunt that is so far from plausible. In one scene for example Seagal parachutes out of a helicopter that’s only about 200 feet above sea level. But while Paul has chosen all the “right” ingredients to build an action flick he hasn’t put enough thought into the story’s logistics. Half Past Dead‘s new Alcatraz setting is ultra slick complete with state-of-the-art execution chambers yet still retains the dark and gritty feel that a prison should. It’s obvious that Paul put more focus and energy into the film’s visuals than into the story. With this movie actor/screenwriter Don Michael Paul who appeared in a bevy of little-known films in the late ’80s and early 90’s makes his directorial debut. Tony Plana is exceptional as the bad-ass prison warden El Fuego it’s too bad his character has such a small role in the film. As Chestnut‘s fellow commando 49er Six Nia Peeples manages to create a character that despite her tiny stature is convincingly intimidating. It was a refreshing change to see Chestnut–who has played nice-guy roles in a throng of romantic comedies such as The Brothers Two Can Play That Game and The Best Man–portraying a sociopath with absolutely no redeeming qualities. Morris Chestnut ( Like Mike) plays Donny aka 49er One the leader of the mercenaries. The two actors barely have any chemistry and the “brotherly” relationship they talk about incessantly never comes through on screen. Seagal‘s partner in crime Nick is played by rapper-turned-actor Ja Rule ( The Fast and the Furious). Or maybe this is just Seagal‘s rendition of what happens to a man after he flatlines for 22 minutes. Once again Seagal ( Exit Wounds) is the archetypal defender but instead of portraying a brooding silent hero he simply comes across as bored. It is also a typical Seagal pic so if you have ever watched any–including the Under Siege movies–you’ve seen this one too. Half Past Dead is a stock actioner complete with lame story flashy stunts and lots of folks pointing guns at one another. To save the day Sascha must rally the inmates against the commando force. When their plan backfires they begin taking hostages–including Justice June McPherson ( Linda Thorson). A group of mercenaries calling themselves “the 49ers” decide it would be a good idea to break into the prison and somehow force Lester to divulge the booty’s whereabouts. The prison happens to house a criminal by the name of Lester ( Bruce Weitz) who robbed an armored vehicle of some $200 million worth of gold that has never been recovered. When Sascha and his partner in crime Nick Frazier ( Ja Rule) get busted by the Feds Sascha agrees to serve time at the newly refurbished Alcatraz in order to keep his cover. Sascha Petrosevitch ( Steven Seagal) is an undercover FBI agent posing as an international car thief.
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