By Robert Scucci | Updated
Steven Seagal’s days of portraying the “damn good” action hero may be long behind him, but the man who brought us Under Siege, On deadly groundAnd Hard to kill deserves credit for actually taking on roles that fall into morally gray territory. Direct-to-video from 2013 Executive power is such a film in the sense that Seagal plays not a decorated right-wing war hero with an ax to grind, but a cold and calculating crime boss named John Alexander who does dirty business behind closed doors with the end goal of leaving his life of crime behind him allow.
While the usual Steven Seagal trappings can be found executive power, Like his unbreakable moral code (albeit an evil one), the film ultimately fails because his ethics are caught up in his ruthlessness, even though he so clearly wants to be the good guy.
Violence of poor execution
Executive power introduces us to Roman Hurst (Bren Foster), a freelance mercenary who carries a gun for protection, although we are led to believe that his hands are deadly weapons in their own right. After a botched prison assassination attempt in which Roman takes out the wrong target under the leadership of an imprisoned gang leader named Ice Man (Ving Rhames), John Alexander (Steven Seagal) is left with no choice but to force Roman into early retirement with his hands broken . In John’s eyes, Roman has been a loyal employee for 15 years, but is still paying the price for his serious misjudgment that damaged the reputation of everyone involved.
When Ice Man is released from prison, he immediately clashes with John, and a gang war for control of Albuquerque, New Mexico’s crime underground, kicks into high gear. John makes Roman a peace offering in the form of enough money to disappear and start a new life, while also subtly hinting that he could use his help in easing the developing and ongoing tension between him and Ice Man. Roman finds himself conflicted because he wants to work with John again, but his hands are damaged beyond repair.
Danny Trejo elevates the premise
Roman has a few brief encounters with a deli owner named Oso, played by Danny Trejo, and one wonders how many minutes of gameplay will pass Executive power before Danny Trejo does what he does best: die on screen. I’ll spare you any spoilers, but Oso has a very quotable scene where he attacks Roman with poisonous scorpions and a hammer in a misguided attempt to repair his hands.
No clear good guy or bad guy
Despite Steven Seagal’s best efforts to portray some kind of villain Executive powerhe still can’t help himself, delivering his signature monologues about pride, his super-secret past that vaguely explains how he accumulated his skills and fortune, and his personal code of ethics to justify his actions, no matter how reckless and morally dubious may be be her.
Stream Force Of Execution
This direct-to-video action film is a far cry from Steven Seagal’s blockbuster ’90s heyday, but it’s not without its charms. At least it’s refreshing to see Executive power Because at this late point in his career, Seagal is trying to break away from the role by taking on a character that isn’t the main action hero with a heart of gold that we all know. Executive power is a seedy affair at best, but it effectively captures Seagal’s willingness to try new things, even as he unconsciously tries to relive his glory days in every single scene.
At this time you can stream Executive power free on Tubi.