How a martial arts instructor's screen test launched a 1988 action film phenomenon
In short: Before Steven Seagal became a household name, he was a celebrity bodyguard and aikido teacher. A screen test financed by agent Michael Ovitz transformed him into an action star overnight. Above the Law, his 1988 debut, blended gritty Chicago police work with international espionage, forever changing the genre's fight choreography.
Above the Law, directed by Andrew Davis, follows Nico Toscani, a Chicago police detective and former CIA operative. The plot centers on Toscani’s discovery of a conspiracy involving military explosives and his former handler, Kurt Zagon. The film is notable for being the first American production to integrate aikido into its fight sequences, a style Seagal brought to the screen after his background as a martial arts instructor. During the production, which took place in Chicago over 60 days in 1987, the intensity of the action was real; actor Henry Silva accidentally broke Seagal's nose during the final confrontation.
The film’s production history is intertwined with Seagal’s own persona. Seagal has claimed that the film’s narrative—specifically his character's CIA ties—is partially autobiographical, asserting he worked for the agency in the 1970s. However, these claims have been denied by his wife at the time, Miyako Fujitani, and there is no evidence to support his involvement with the CIA. Despite these questions, the film was a commercial success, grossing over $18.8 million against a $7.5 million budget, and it served as the film debut for John C. Reilly, who appeared as an uncredited extra.
Critical reception at the time was polarized. Roger Ebert awarded the film three out of four stars, noting that while Seagal lacked the polish of a professional actor, he possessed a compelling screen presence. Conversely, critics like Leonard Maltin dismissed the film as a derivative action-fest. Regardless of the mixed reviews, the film established a template for Seagal’s career. Although Seagal announced plans for a sequel in 2016, the project has yet to materialize, leaving the original 1988 film as the sole entry in the intended series.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Above the Law (1988 film)
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