Saturday 20 August 2011

The Glimmer Man (1996)

This time around the gruff and slap-happy Steven Seagal is a cop paired up with Keenen Ivory Wayans as they race to apprehend a serial killer known as “The Family Man”. Seagal has inner peace and outer hardness while Wayans is the standard cynical cop with a good heart (illustrated by the way he cries at Casablanca, obviously). Seagal also has a murky past, connected to a ruthless character (Brian Cox) who may know something about the serial killer. In fact, some people begin to suspect that Seagal may actually BE the serial killer.

While it’s not really a buddy-cop movie and not really an all-out martial arts flick, The Glimmer Man is an entertaining blend of the two. The exchanges between Seagal and Wayans are amusing enough and the fight scenes, when they pop up, are energetic and well done.

Director John Gray has the benefit of working from a decent enough script (by Kevin Brodbin) and getting a few key players in some supporting roles. Seagal and Wayans may headline this movie but Brian Cox steals every scene that he’s in and Bob Gunton is very enjoyable as a rich, rich man used to getting his own way.
It’s definitely not an essential viewing but Seagal fans will be happy to know that this is one of the better movies from what was, surely, the peak period of his career. 
6/10

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