“Beyond The Law,” which hit U.S. theaters in late 2019, reunited Steven Seagal (“Alert Level: Red”) and gangsta rapper DMX (“Romeo Must Die”) in the same film. Almost twenty years earlier, the duo had created a real highlight in their respective filmographies with the cult actor ‘Exit Wounds’. However, the newer film is nowhere near in its class. Plus, strangely enough, the two stars don’t have a single scene together here.
Fans of “Exit Wounds” should be aware of this “Beyond The Law” celebrates its German free TV premiere on Tele 5 today, March 14, 2024 at 10:10 PM. The station will show a repeat on the night of March 15 to 16 at 12:50 p.m. If these dates don’t suit you, the FSK 16 title is available on Blu-ray, DVD or paid video-on-demand:
If you’re an Amazon Prime customer, you can watch the film there too Stream at no extra cost*. All you have to do is register for the seven-day free trial of the Superfresh channel. If you do not want to cancel again, you will pay 6.99 euros per month after the trial period.
“Beyond The Law” on Tele 5: that’s the story
Ex-cop Frank Wilson (Johnny Messner) is already in a lot of trouble when he learns that his estranged son Chance (Chester Rushing) has been murdered. Angry with grief and rage, but also shaken by guilt, the infamous rough guy sets out to find the killer in the local underworld to get revenge.
Wilson soon has a lead that leads him to the psychopathic Desmond Packard (Zack Ward), the son of brutal gang boss Finn Adair (Seagal). A tough confrontation between the men seems inevitable. To prevent a massacre, Detective Ray Munce (DMX) tries to arrest the perpetrator beforehand.
Role reversal between Seagal and DMX
To anticipate it: ‘Beyond The Law’ is not an excellent film. However, director James Cullen Bressack (“Killing Field”) tells his not too original revenge thriller in a pleasantly simple and understandable way. Moreover, he manages to create something like an authentic-looking, emotional level in the form of underlying melancholy – which is certainly not common in this genre. The leads – the suitably intense Johnny Messner (“Anacondas”) and his crazy psycho counterpart Zack Ward (“Postal: The Movie”) – are believable and do an adequate job within the context of the rather thin story.
Which brings us to the two biggest names in the cast: Steven Seagal and DMX. Both only have supporting roles here and should have shot their roles within a few days. In fact, Seagal is seen sitting the entire time and has only two brief moments that could be described as “action”: in the first he fires his weapon and in the second he twists someone’s arm. Otherwise, the martial arts veteran spends his screen time making menacing looks, making snarky comments, sipping from a whiskey glass and puffing on big cigars.
The fact that the “Exit Wounds” co-stars don’t have a single scene together here could easily be labeled as a disappointment or a missed opportunity in the context of “Beyond The Law.” This is especially true because there is an interesting role reversal here compared to their previous collaboration. Because last time Seagal was the cop and DMX was the gangster. Sadly, there will be no further collaborative work between the two mimes. On April 9, 2021, a week after suffering a serious heart attack apparently caused by a drug overdose, DMX, aka Earl Simmons, died at a hospital in White Plains, New York.
*
Author:
Source : Film Starts
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
