Patriot (1999)

The Patriot

I have been trying to find this for a log time because I think it is very good November 22, 2008

The Patriot

This order was never shipped to me. Although I had written 4 emails to the seller, I never received my order nor a reply to my emails. I had to file a claim with Amazon.com to receive a refund of the purchase price. However, I plan to get this movie somewhere else in the near future, as this is an excellent movie, I have rented it many times, and enjoy watching it each time. Thank you for your time. August 6, 2008

Segal's First Direct To Video Release...Im Not Surprized

Seagal was tempted once more to recreate "On Deadly Ground" It seems he really has a thing for being the environmental hero; and sure the intentions may be good, but the movies themselves aren't. This flick has the same feel of both "On Deadly Ground", and "Fire Down Below" only weaker. I mean Fire Down Below was a good excuse for the dreadful On Deadly Ground...why keep re visiting similar plots.

Seagal this time around plays Dr. Wesley McClaren, A local Doctor that is well respected in his town. Shortly in the film we are introduced to a Militia- Extremist; he and his men want to teach the government a lesson. The leader of the militia decides to use his body as a vessel for a biochemical disease. He ingests the disease, whoever gets in contact with him they will obviously get infected, and whoever gets in contact with the other infected...the will also get the disease, and etc. McClaren, who was once C.I.A operative, is called in to help investigate and find a cure to create a vaccine before more get infected. McClaren will do the impossible to find the cure and take down the enemy.

The idea of an "invisible" threat is good, but this movie doesn't feel like a movie for Seagal; it should have been given to someone else like Charles Bronson (who was alive at the time) also there really isn't any action in this movie; many complain about that, personally I think it was a good choice because the story doesn't really match with martial arts. one thing that for sure kills the movie is the resolution; after they find the cure (which are flowers) they spread the cure from helicopters all over the town...that's really frooty. I guess its ok to watch, but now own

MY PERSONAL RATING: 3 OUT OF 5

July 31, 2008

Doctor Seagal: Taking The Fight To The Virus

Even with "Fire Down Below" behind him, Steven Seagal wasn't quite done with his eco-trip, and his following project was the self-financed adaptation of William Heine's post-apocalyptic novel "The Last Canadian". Retitled as "The Patriot", Seagal stars as doctor Wesley McClaren, the last hope of a small Montana town subjected to a deadly biological weapon by a revolutionist redneck militia.
The film marked Seagal's first entry into the direct-to-video market, and is generally not held in high regard by fans...but for someone who doesn't mind a green message in film or toning down the action every once in a while, this is one of my personal favourites of what Seagal has to offer.

In detail... Wesley is an ex-government immunologist currently practicing his trade in the small town of Ennis, Montana, where he lives with his daughter Holly (Camilla Belle, "10,000 BC") and loyal farmhand Frank (L.Q. Jones, "A Prairie Home Companion"). When Floyd Chisolm (Gailard Sartain, "Ernest Goes to Jail") - a self-described patriot and leader of a paramilitary militia - unleashes a devastating virus upon the population of the town and topples an intervening response team, Wesley must flee to a secluded military testing facility to engineer an antidote to the virus before it's too late for his fellow townspeople.

For all non-canon purposes, "The Patriot" could be the third instalment in Seagal's line of environmentally-conscious movies that include "On Deadly Ground" and "Fire Down Below". Those of you who know Seagal's filmography will realize that this calls for a reduction in the action department and an authoritative finger wagged in the direction of those who underestimate the power of Mother Earth. Yes, flower-power is played over arm-breaking and neck-snapping in this movie (although Steven scores a nifty kill with a wine glass to the neck), so for those of you who know that you won't be able to live without the violence of "Out for Justice", don't even give it a try.

Those of you who stick around, however, are treated to a direct-to-video film that is miles ahead of anything that Seagal would make under the same label, later in his career. First-time director Dean Semler (who's won awards for his cinematography in films like "Dances with Wolves" and "Mad Max 2") manages the picture with dutiful attention to detail, and the script calls for plenty of meaningful character interaction - the kind where even bit players like "Molly" McClure is given an endearing personality. The cast is one of the most underrated of any Seagalian picture: Sartain, Jones, Belle, and Yellow Robe all share an enthusiasm for their roles that defies any less-than-theatrical labels given to it, and even Steven manages to squeeze out a little something extra for his character, especially where interactions with his daughter are concerned.

Where the film's faults are concerned, the lack of Seagal's bread-and-butter moves (also known as bone breaking) comes to weigh on even my mind...though the story is generally successful in avoiding too many of these situations, so it doesn't seem too neutered. In addition, Sartain's militia-leading character gets a little too much pity throughout the film: there are times when even a ruthless character can appear sympathetic when it's revealed that they were doing their deeds out of hope for the best, but in "The Patriot", Floyd Chisolm is deemed a neo-Nazi and a would-be child killer; wrapping him in the American flag to explain his actions is uncalled for and really doesn't fit.

Still, I like the movie a lot, and I'm still unsure of why so many really don't like it. I mean, who can't appreciate Seagal rocking a cowboy hat? In all seriousness, any real fan of the aikido master would be daft to put any of his lesser DTV titles on their shelf before this one. May 19, 2008

thought it was a great movie

I thought it was wonderful to see seagal in a different type of movie. It got his message across, It had a little bit of everything in it ,not JUST action. It had a story line that was different for him and showed him as a father and a doctor -not the old CIA or EX CIA operative. He wasn't an assassin or a cop. He was a doctor. soo his character didn't need to kill everyone he needed to find a cure and keep his daughter safe. I liked the movie a lot BECAUSE it showed him in a different role and not the same type of character he usually plays.Give the guy a break! How many action movies can one make!before they all seem the same. February 8, 2008

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