The Glimmer Man (1996)

I probably mentioned it in a review of another Stephen Seagal film, but just in case I didn't I'll state it here - his movies are a guilty pleasure that I don't mind admitting. There's just something about the soft spoken persona that explodes into fists and fury when up against the bad guys that appeals to me. That's really about the only reason I need to tune into one of his pictures, seeing Seagal's no-nonsense martial arts style lay them out without prolonging the agony.I guess you could say this is one of those films. Teamed with Keenan Ivory Wayans as a pair of Los Angeles detectives, it didn't strike me that there was a lot of chemistry between the two as partners but they made it work anyway. I liked the way Jack Cole (Seagal) brought Campbell (Wayans) around to his way of thinking - "Young warriors used to like to fight head on. Old warriors like to wait..." That plus the Tibetan prayer beads and powdered deer penis, a keen way to clear the mind and purify one's thoughts.I read a few of the comments of confused viewers here and I didn't think the story was all that complicated if one pays attention. The surprising element in the story for me was when Smith (Bryan Cox) told Deverell (Bob Gunton) that his son would have to be one of three victims to get done away with, and Deverell didn't object. The crucifixion ending for henchman Donald (John M. Jackson) was pretty much telegraphed by the story line, but after all was said and done, did anyone else notice? The Family Man serial killer, who's murders opened the story, was still on the loose.

The Glimmer Man is a little gem, and it's unlike, any other film our bad lead has done. And that's a cool quality about this must see action action vehicle, with a much interesting plot set around the more than one killer scenario, though it's Steve, again doing more physical damage to other humans. Seagal, a cop of course, is assigned to a a great sidekick and co star, Keenon Ivory Wayans (really, you couldn't got a better duo and they work off each other) where they investigate these ritualistic murders, where there's more to it, but I'm not gonna spoil it. Seagal's past just comes back to haunt him, and when his ex wife are killed. Of course, here it becomes personal, but Seagal's character shows much more restraint, somehow, until the revenge finale at the end, where Seagal squaring off, with that tall lanky, bad dude, provides one of the best revenge moments ever encountered, where I'd probably say it's my favorite. If you're a Seagal action fan, and you haven't seen this, you need a good walloping. It has thrilling action and humor. In the acting stakes, Seagal is really surpassed this time by real thespians, (Brian Cox and Bob Gunton) where Wayons is pretty good too. Don't miss this one on any account. I wish they'd really make credit/bank cards like that. Robberies would really go down.

Imagine Lethal Weapon and all your other favorite buddy cop movies, but without the humor, charisma, heart, originality, big-budget, huge action scenes and actors that have chemistry together… Oh, wait, you've seen The Glimmer Man, too?There is a plot here, a straight line, something that was originally pitched, but I failed to see any of that. I guess this was an excuse to get a man (Seagal) who was mere inches away from blowing up (and not in a good way) before he involuntarily retired from "acting" to pair with the least famous Wayans brother as his zany sidekick.Only, he really wasn't that zany, and Seagal wasn't that action packed. Or so he would tell us. Repeatedly.Let's dive into what they called a plot: There's this serial killer on the loose and another group who, I guess pretend to be him, or something like that and there's corrupt cops and some testicle-dust that helps one of our heroes…I'll be honest: it's been about a month and a half since I've seen this for the one and only time. I only watched it as it's my mission to conquer all the movies I haven't seen that the How Did This Get Made? podcast "reviewed." I'll be further honest: I didn't hate on this movie. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but maybe there was a good movie somewhere in this mess and the action by just-on-the-edge Seagal was somewhat fun. Wayans not so much, but I've enjoyed his other (behind-the-camera) films a ton more. So, he's forgiven.This movie was truly a mess and not recommended. Only if you wanna partake in the same challenge I gave myself: watching all the How Did This Get Made? podcast films so you can enjoy their take.* * * Final thoughts: Casablanca deserves better homage.

The latest Steven Seagal crime movie "The Glimmer Man" takes its title from the hero's dexterity and cunning at eliminating his foes before they can retaliate. Devoted fans of the real-life Aikido master will cheer their pony-tail hero as he demolishes his usual quota of thuggish villains who richly deserve every slap, smack, punch, and crackle they receive from Seagal as a way of atonement. What might upset them are the many variations that embellish this saga. No, "The Glimmer Man" isn't a message-laden, ecological nightmare that Seagal's earlier epic "On Deadly Ground" was. This Seagal vehicle grafts a creepy, whodunit, serial killer plot reminiscent of the 1995 Brad Pitt chiller "Se7en" onto a standard-issue police procedural. This time out we're allowed to laugh a little at the antics of Seagal and his newest sidekick, LAPD Detective Jim Campbell (Keenen Ivory Wayans of "A Lone Down Dirty Shame"), who gets to be the butt of our protagonist's pranks. The script allows Wayans to behave in a fashion that would appear inappropriate for the screen persona of Seagal's indestructible character. For instance, we get to see Wayans cry like a baby as he watches "Casablanca" in a downtown movie palace. Seagal's recent pictures have been overshadowed by his 1992 box office smash "Under Siege." "The Glimmer Man" represents an appeal to a more broadly defined audience, but nevertheless, it is more a watchable than most of his far-fetched fare.Steven Seagal's "Glimmer Man" character Jack Cole replicates the cop that he played in his cinematic debut "Hard to Kill" 9(1988) who had a hazy background as a CIA agent. Here, Seagal plays an ex-CIA assassin who plied his trade during the Vietnam War. As usual, Cole suffered from the lone wolf, "Dirty Harry," syndrome. Mystery cloaks Cole so thoroughly that Campbell (Wayans) cannot decide whether to trust him or arrest him. Gradually, our detective heroes discover that their suspicions about the serial murders are correct. They uncover an elaborate CIA/Russian Mafia plot to smuggle chemical weapons into the U.S. in a most interesting and original manner. Complicating matters is the actual serial slayer, Christopher Maynard (Stephen Tobolowsky of "Momento"), who lives up to his weirdness. Frank Deverell (Bob Gunton of "The Shawshank Redemption") is Seagal's chief adversary who masterminds the chemical weapons smuggling operation. As a CIA honcho, Mr. Smith (Brian Cox of "The Long Kiss Goodnight") brings urbanity and a touch of Dixie to his duplicitous dastard. Cox makes such a impassive but slimy villain that he deserves the abuse that Seagal delivers with glee.The real fun in any Seagal epic is the incredible way that he crushes his adversaries without suffering any payback. Nothing in "The Glimmer Man" matches the far-fetched scene where he escapes the hoodlums right after he emerged from a coma and pushes his own gurney out of the hospital. Another change here is the joke-swapping rapport between Seabal and the impeccably tailored Wayans. Seagal characters aren't known for either their levity or their pranks. They are typically a humorless, moribund breed of hero. Keenen Ivory Wayans' presence helps to lighten things up in this bizarre thriller. He gets shot at, his apartment blown up, and he falls out of a high-rise motel window. Wayans looks and dresses ultra-cool but he gets no more respects and twice the number of bruises than Seagal.Underlying the complicated plot is the budding relationship between Cole and Campbell as they pursue their investigation in its bl00dsplattered, pyrotechnical explosive finale. The humor and antics that develop between these two make "The Glimmer Man" more interesting than the usual Seagal opus. "The Glimmer Man" is a vast improvement over "On Deadly Ground" and "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory," but it is just another potboiler, albeit a polished one. The powdered deer penis scene is hilarious.