Half Past Dead

No, the title isn't meant to describe the state of one-note, whisper-tough action star Steven Seagal's movie career--but it wouldn't be far off. While the guy has never had the best taste in scripts (let's face it, any good movies he's made have been flukes), this gangsta-styled, ammo-fueled, prison break-in Z-movie could well be the dumbest flick he's ever anchored. Taking place on a hi-tech "New Alcatraz" prison island, where a guard's handprint and voice identification are required to get into cell blocks but the armory doesn't even have a screen door, the plot revolves around prisoner (and deep-cover FBI agent) Seagal leading the inmates in a battle against leather-clad bad-ass invaders from Central Casting who've come to snatch a death row resident--at the time of his scheduled execution--so he can lead them to a secret stash of gold. Nothing more than feeble, imitation-John Woo-style slow-mo shoot-outs and kung fu clashes set to a rap and hard-rock soundtrack, Half Past Dead has no higher aim than achieving the loudest possible visual volume. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include both full screen and widescreen editions, audio commentary from writer-director Don Michael Paul, a 13-minute making-of featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a half-past-brain-dead film.] (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—Aug. 19, 2008—Sony, 98 min., PG-13, $28.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2002’s Half Past Dead sports a nice transfer with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound. The bonus features on this release are identical to those on the standard DVD version, including audio commentary from writer-director Don Michael Paul, a 13-minute “making-of” featurette, three deleted scenes, and trailers. Bottom line: Better looking? Yes. Better? No.]