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That was an excellent one.

Best movie ever!

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Certainly the prison-set action movie is one of the most popular genres out there, and also one of the most overcrowded. 2003 saw the release of two such movies from former high-profile stars Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme's flick, IN HELL, was a stylistic if disturbing minor masterpiece which played with the audience's expectations, whilst the former's effort is HALF PAST DEAD, a film at the opposite end of the spectrum: cheap, boringly directed, with cheesy special effects and pretty appalling acting. Thankfully the film is made bearable by the presence of so many so-bad-they're-good elements, the biggest (in both senses of the word) being the considerable presence of Mr. Seagal himself. More good-natured than usual (he smiles a lot here), Seagal delights the viewer with his acting capabilities, even if, it has to be said, his martial arts isn't what it used to be – in fact for almost all the fights or stunts, he's doubled, and obviously at that.The film takes place in a futuristic-looking prison nicknamed the New Alcatraz, and the inmates are a disparate group of old TV actors and unknown black guys. Certainly there are two rappers in the cast, one of whom, Ja Rule, shares a leading role with Seagal. Sadly, it is well known that rappers can't act, so Mr. Rule's performance is somewhat disappointing. The sleazy bad guy is played by Morris Chestnut, whom some (but probably not many) may remember as Seagal's buddy in UNDER SIEGE II: DARK TERRITORY. He's grown up a lot since then, and is now a hulking, ruthless nemesis, but nothing Seagal can't handle of course. The female lead belongs to a lacklustre Claudia Christian, who has an annoying habit of squeezing her eyes tight shut every time she fires a gun, so her authenticity as a chief FBI agent is somewhat comprised.Real kudos should go to 40-something but surprisingly hot Nia Peeples as a female assassin, a martial arts mistress who kicks butt throughout the film; she's the only one who inserts any drive or enthusiasm into this piece, and it's a shame she isn't on the screen for longer. As for the action, well it is cheesy and uses wire work when necessary, and the trappings rip-off the likes of DIE HARD all the while. There are some CGI effects, the bane of low budget films, which are of course ludicrous, although the interplay between the main characters (principally the death row inmate, the prison warden, and the bad guys) isn't half bad. This is definitely a film which moves fast and doesn't give you time to reach for the remote; it may be bad and it may be clichéd, but damn if it isn't cheesy and entertaining in equal measure. Far from Seagal's best, but also far from his worst (that'd be THE PATRIOT).

Half Past Dead (2002): Dir: Don Michael Paul / Cast: Steven Seagal, Ja Rule, Morris Chestnut, Nia Peeples, Claudia Christian: Another pathetic excuse for an action film and it is about as stupid as they get. Title seems to suggest a near death experience that the victim overcomes. The victim is Steven Seagal who took a bullet for hoodlum buddy Ja Rule. He recovers and goes undercover inside a prison where he encounters Ja Rule again. Apparently Rule's boss killed Seagal's wife although he sees him as a friend despite his poor life choices. Central plot regards the planning at an Alcatrez type prison for an execution of an elderly man guilty of killing innocent people during a robbery attempt. He stole and hid gold bars and only gives the whereabouts to Seagal. The plot is reduced to numerous violent encounters where bullets parade the air. Director Don Michael Paul does well with the action with Seagal still playing an overblown ass-kicking moron that he has played in every other witless film that he saw as a great acting opportunity. Ja Rule tags along in a role played by numerous other actors in Seagal films. He is that moron sidekick who helps ass kick. Also wasted are Morris Chestnut and Nia Peeples who hopefully won't have to suffer career damage forever because of this. Pointless garbage to the very end this film should be re-titled Half Past Dense. Score: 2 / 10

I rate this 7 out of 10 because it's a decent film. The plot is fine. Not overly complicated but if you never seen the film or know the actors you'll see it for what it really is: a movie that's not trying to be something it's not. It's a simple action movie with a few twists, but nothing major, just the type of twist that makes you shake your head and say "Son of a.... Go figure." If you're expecting an award winner, watch something else. If you just want something to enjoy for fun with a good action, a plot split in two with some arcs along the way, plain & simple humor, and a wide range of characters, you're in the right place. Otherwise, move along.

What a dog. Saw this on a cable station the other evening. They actually changed the title to something less memorable. Must be the network was afraid too many people would recognize the original title of this train wreck.This movie sucked on so many levels that I'm at a loss where to begin. The acting? Well, Steven Seagal will never get an Academy Award, but his efforts here left me dumbstruck. He's a gangster of some sort. You can tell because he speaks in a stilted "street" language that makes him sound impaired. To be fair, that's not his fault. It's obviously the result of a script written by a white guy who wanted to inject ethnic credibility into a prison movie...and failed miserably. Ja Rule comes along for the ride. The best thing I can say about his performance is that he wears a tank top to show us he's tattooed and prison buff.Speaking of which, is Steven so out of shape that he has to cover his physique with heavy coats? Throughout the entire film he's sporting some kind of jacket. It doesn't matter where he is: in prison (where they apparently have no dress code for a star of Seagal's stature), on the run from the law, or in bed with his girlfriend.And I hate to be harsh, but Don Michael Paul's direction does nothing to help the situation. An action movie requires action sequences, not badly choreographed fights that are shot from random angles. Even the explosions - and there are plenty of explosions - are boring. Apparently, they're also invisible explosions, because no matter how many buildings and cars Steven blows up, the law can't follow his trail of carnage.This is really bad, bad stuff. I actually felt bad for Seagal. He never made masterpieces, but this is like a stick in the eye compared to UNDER SIEGE.