Here you'll find everything you'd expect from a
film called "Exit Wounds" ... lots of gunfire, car
chases, things blowing up and catching fire,
expensive sports cars, cool good guys, crafty bad
guys, hip music, tough guy one-liners, comedic
sequences, and of course, gratuitous frontal nudity.
I'm not quite sure the reason for the title, except
that it sounds cool and implies plenty of bullets in
flight. Wait, perhaps they were playing on the words
in a more emotional sense, since Seagal is forced to
"exit" a desirable position on the force. Naaaah,
this is definitely a "shut the mind off and enjoy the
action" type of film.
An opening action sequence makes that point
crystal clear, Lone Ranger Seagal single-handedly
saves the vice president from a well-armed motorcade
ambush. In the very next scene, despite his heroism,
Seagal is promptly reprimanded and demoted for his
inability to follow orders. Soon enough Seagal finds
himself station in the rough part of town where a
group of cops welcome him with an electric zapper and
a stress-management group with desks comically too
small for his huge body.
The film does an excellent job of keeping action
rolling and interjecting comic relief: Anthony
Anderson in the Lamborgini scene, Tom Arnold in
stress management, and as the credits roll the two of
them chewing the fat improv-style will send you on
your way chuckling.
Of course, the story line has more holes than
Seagal's stylishly dark garbs after a rain of
bullets. He's so cool, never a scratch. And a few of
the "dialogue only" scenes grind to a jam even a
crowbar couldn't free. Still, you can't argue with a
good car chase or helicopter bursting into flames,
strong pacing, tight direction, and good
old-fashioned action ... a lot of fun. Also worthy of
note, a nice performance by DMX.
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