Kill Switch

KILL SWITCH (2008)

Directed by: Jeff King
Screenplay: Steven Seagal
Starring: Steven Seagal & Isaac Hayes

Whoa, Seagal’s movies are just getting crazier and crazier. Kill Switch, his latest direct-to-DVD opus, is all over the place as the big man plays a Cajun cop (complete with comedy accent)on the trail of a serial killer. Well actually, it may be up to three serial killers as I’m pretty sure there was a whole bunch of bad guys Seagal was on the trail of, all of them completely unconnected and seemingly dropped in from different screenplays. Then there is Isaac Hayes as a coroner who just keeps popping up and then disappearing at random. There is also Seagal’s Cajun cop buddy whose sole purpose seems to be to walk in and out at random intervals making sexist remarks to the women police officers. Said women police officers also seem to be from a different film and also randomly pop up here, there and everywhere. On top of all this there is a ridiculous amount of corny street slang dialogue, random and incoherent flashbacks to Seagal’s character’s past, a bomb in a lady’s boob (yep, that’s right) and I’m sure there was even a bit of cannibalism. Which all adds to a whole lot of ‘what the…??!!’ and a film that seems to be cobbled together from many different scripts. Oh yeah, did I mention the ending? What the hell is that all about? Please, if anyone knows let me in on the explanation.



So is the action any good? Well there is certainly a boat load of it and it’s refreshingly sustained and old school in style with many a stuntman being thrown into and out of things. Dudes get thrown out of windows (a necessity in a Seagal flick), into tables, through doors and even cigarette machines, shelving units and several stylish glass tables. This gives the action a crisp and brutal feel with the stunt team being put through their paces. It’s also some of the better action to be in a Seagal flick of late but, and it’s a big but, two things render it almost worthless. Jerky editing (damn you) and the fact Seagal is doubled most of the time in the hand-to-hand stuff. This means we cut back and forth between a close up of him and a reverse shot of his double constantly and it is wholly and entirely unconvincing. Which is a shame because, as mentioned, the action is pretty solid.

The film certainly looks slick and Seagal actually seems enthused to be appearing in flick for a change and mercifully not shot in the shadows like so many of his other direct-to-DVD fodder. Still, Kill Switch isn’t very good, doesn’t make a lick sense and it beggars belief how they keep letting Seagal make films like this. Oh yeah, because people like me keep watching them. This also beggars belief!