Whilst far from subtle the technique does get
results, and as the bodies pile up the grizzled Ruslan comes ever
closer to revealing the motives behind his daughter’s attack.
Seagal,
as is his custom, conveys such emotion as he is able primarily by
squinting like a sunburnt lizard. He only really comes alive during the
film’s numerous fight scenes, which like his manner of address are, for
the most part, cursory in the extreme.
Whereas early films such as On Deadly Ground
featured protracted action sequences in which Seagal sermonised as he
slapped, kicked and chopped his opponents into submission, these days
he favours the more direct approach of a metal pipe or boot applied
vigorously to an enemy’s face.
Needless to say this
engenders such scenes with a certain savagery, but you know what you’re
signing up for when you take a Seagal movie off the shelf – broken
bones and lots of them.
In this regard and several others Ruslan
does not disappoint. While not exactly breaking new ground (every
second movie of Seagal’s these days seems to involve seeking revenge
for a kidnapped or abused family member) the truncated fight scenes
mean he can at least perform them himself, unlike previous efforts in
which footage of stunt doubles was clumsily cut in for roundhouse kicks
and the like.
As ever the supporting cast deliver performances that vary widely in terms of quality, but Igor Jijikine (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
is suitably menacing as the head of a rival mobster clan, and Robert
Wisden is likewise convincing as a sleazy lawyer with a chequered
past.
Kudos is also due the portly star for somewhat
ambitiously attempting a Russian accent. His rudimentary talents as a
thespian mean he doesn’t come close to pulling it off, but hey; at
least the old dog’s trying a few new tricks.
There are
the usual idiosyncrasies of casting and production (the actress who
plays Ruslan’s ex-wife, Inna Korobkina, is actually a year younger than
the actress who portrays his daughter, and shots of Ruslan supposedly
working on his novel show him clumsily mashing keys together as though
encountering a keyboard for the first time) but even these prove less
distracting and incompetent than on previous outings.
Furthermore
the hand-held camera work lends a certain urgency to action sequences,
the violence is gritty and special effects realistic.
Moviegoers
in search of an emotionally complex character-based study of the
Russian underworld would be better served by renting Eastern Promises. Those who prefer their action stars with a shred of acting range will probably want to re-watch The Bourne Identity...
But the many diehard fans of Seagal’s Straight-To-DVD fare will likely find Ruslan his most cohesive and accomplished effort of recent years. DVD Special Features
As usual special features are rather light on the ground.
For someone whose bread and butter are DVD-Only releases, Seagal’s films sure are light on incentives. Even the inferior Black Dawn had a self-aggrandizing interview and "Making Of" featurette.
Here all that’s on offer is a trailer for the film.
Conclusion:
Movie 65% Extras: 1%
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