RA: Out for Justice

Last Updated on July 26, 2021

OUT FOR JUSTICE (1991)

Rating: 3.5 on 4 /

Buy the DVD here

Tag Line: He’s a cop. It’s a dirty job… but somebody’s got to take out the garbage.


Directed by John Flynn
Starring Steven Seagal, William Forsythe, Gina Gershon, and Julianna Margulies

THE
PLAN: When a cop with connections to the mob is murdered by a crackhead mobster, another cop with the same connections in the mob makes it his mission to hunt said murdering crackhead mobster down and make him pay. Or in other words, Steven Seagal is… OUT FOR JUSTICE.

THE KILL: If you’ve ever had the thought that Steven Seagal wasn’t a real action hero, that Seagal was a just a big fat pussy, or that the guy has no skills, then I recommend you pick up a copy of OUT FOR JUSTICE and relish in the man’s overall awesomeness. The guy is 100% badass, and it shows in glorious color here. You want hardcore action with a ton of violence and bad language? Then OUT FOR JUSTICE is for you.

This film follows what other films like THE HITMAN and RAW DEAL have done, throwing in a totally un-Itallian action hero in the mob, and expect us to believe it. Seagal plays Gino, a kid who grew up with the mob in Brooklyn, but went the way of the cop instead of organized crime. Beyond the slicked back hair (and even that’s a stretch), there’s not a single ounce of mobster believability in Seagal, looking part Native American, or maybe even part Japanese. But a mobster from Brooklyn? You gotta be flippin’ jokin’ me.

Classic opening credits sequence. Seagal vs. Pimp. Guess who wins?

Small technicality aside, Seagal does play a badass cop who loves to stretch the power of the law in his favor time and time again. Since he’s investigating a murder of a cop (and his dear childhood friend), his boss gives him full permission to find the cop’s killer and put him away… in a body bag. Thus begins the hunt, which means going to places where hookers hang out, bars, night clubs, and just about everywhere else looking for this a-hole while roughing up anyone who comes in his way or claims they don’t know. Unfortunately for them, Seagal doesn’t take ‘I don’t know’ for an answer… except when answering it with a fist.

Seagal stretches his action limits wtih OUT FOR JUSTICE, kicking all sorts of bad guy ass, with a fair share of shot gun kills under his belt, as well as other fun things like throwing fools off of balcony’s, slicing a hand in half with a meat cleaver, kicking ass with a cue ball, or whacking thugs in the head with (his) Salami. There’s also an exceptionally exciting car chase with Seagal flying over every curb and ramp under an underpass, making me believe whatever crappy car he was driving has got to be the most indestructible vehicle on the planet to survive punishment like that. Think THE FRENCH CONNECTION with a ton of speed bumps! Talk about an impressive pair of shocks!

A good action movie has to have a badass super villain, and they don’t get much badder than William Forsythe, the copkiller of Seagal’s affection. He’s ugly, he’s coked out all the time, and best of all, he’s totally unpredictable. He’s the kind of a-hole who doesn’t flinch at the idea of killing just about anyone (and I mean ANYONE) he feels like killing, whether that be a random pedestrian, or a dude in a wheelchair. I think the only person he doesn’t put in a body bag is his brother, and even then I’m pretty sure he was planning on killing him later. Forsythe may portray one of the greatest mob villians of all time in OUT FOR JUSTICE, as you’re just hoping and praying that Seagal finds this guy and kicks the shit out of him before he starts killing babies or some sick and bizarre shit like that. And that nasty little pencil thin mustache isn’t helping things either.

The Battle of the Century.

The only department OUT FOR JUSTICE lacks in is the T&A department. While it literally features hundreds of hookers, and a few visits to dance clubs and strip joints, there is absolutely ZERO skin shed here. It’s a sad loss that the film didn’t featuring a ton of nudity, as there were plenty of opportunities to showcase it here, but alas.. there’s nothing. Not even a buttcheeck or some side-boob action. Bummer.

T&A aside, OUT FOR JUSTICE is a top-notch action flick and one that belongs in every true action fan’s movie collection. Seagal doesn’t give a f*ck and kicks plenty of ass, Forsythe is one badass motherf*cker who really doesn’t give a f*ck, and there’s plenty of badguys lining up to supply some awesome bar fights, car chases, and good ol’ fashion cops/robbers shootouts. Seagal followed up ABOVE THE LAW and HARD TO KILL exceptionally well with OUT FOR JUSTICE, a film that paved the way to his superstardom (however brief it was) before larger commerical successes in UNDER SIEGE and EXECUTIVE DECISION. You want unapoligicetic action and violence? Then OUT FOR JUSTICE is your own stop shop–and it’s one not to be missed.

Trailer for OUT FOR JUSTICE!

TOP DEATH: I’m gonna have to go with William Forsythe’s reaction when some random chick calls him an asshole for blocking traffic. It’s shocking and downright brutal.

TOP ACTION SCENE: There’s a few memorable scenes of hardcore action here, including a bar fight and a somewhat comical car chase (Seagal’s got shocks of steal), but I’m gonna have to go with the fight at the butcher shop, mostly cause Seagal shows no mercy, and uses things like meat cleavers and Salami sticks to his advantage.

TOP HOMOEROTIC MOMENT: Seagal is once again, sporting a pony tail and (what appears to be) some sort of Rangers/Navy Seal beret–both of which are pretty gay.

Seriously?

FEMALE EXPLOITATION: My only problem is the film’s lack of nudity. Plenty of hookers (hookers hookers everywhere) but not a drop of nudity. Gina Gershon and Julianna Margulies make an appearance (the later being an ex-hooker), and there’s even a visit to the strip club. But no nudity. What gives?

TOP LINE/DIALOGUE:
Seagal: Who’s that?
Gershon: Who?
Seagal: The one with nipples you can dial a phone with. (referring to a waitress across the room)

DRINKING GAME: Every time Seagal asks somebody if they’ve seen Ritchie, you have to drink!

TRIVIA:
Look for Jason Voorhees alumni Kane Hodder in the final action sequence–you’ll see him for a bout 4 seconds before Seagal blows him away with a shotgun!

BUY THE DVD HERE

Butcher Shop scene from OUT FOR JUSTICE.