Steven Seagal needed a new approach to his standard head-busting heroics, so he teamed up with Keenen Ivory Wayans for this routine 1996 action flick. This time stone-faced Steve plays Los Angeles homicide detective Jack Cole, newly transplanted from New York and teamed up with Jim Campbell (Wayans). They're assigned to track down "The Family Man," a serial killer who earned his nickname by crucifying entire families and leaving religious graffiti as his calling card. The case heats up when the latest victim turns out to be Cole's ex-wife, and Cole is considered a primary suspect. That makes Seagal get really mad--you don't wanna get Seagal too upset, y'know--but he still has time to quote Buddhist wisdom and crack wise with Wayans, who plays it relatively straight as the practical half of this partnership. It's typical Seagal stuff all the way, with obligatory fight scenes every 10 minutes or so, but Seagal fans will enjoy it, and Brian Cox makes a suitably hissable villain. --Jeff Shannon
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: A Glimmer Of Hope? Maybe Not. Comment: With "Under Siege 2" behind him, Seagal's descent was under way by the time "The Glimmer Man" came to be. Without exaggeration, this is probably our hero's most narcicistic film before his repetitious DTV outings, and one of his lazier productions overall: storyline? - reworked from "Se7en"; action? - same ol', same ol'; supporting cast? - decent, but who cares since Seagal's the star?
Okay, maybe I'm being a bit harsh, since this movie is far removed from Seagal's worst offerings, but when it comes to his theatrical releases, this shouldn't be your choice to introduce yourself or a friend to the aikido master.
Seagal plays Jack Cole, a new age detective transfered to the west coast to aid the investigation of a brutal serial killer called "the Family Man". Finding a reluctant partner in Lt. Jim Campbell (Keenan Ivory Wayans), the pair must work their way through the killer's web of religious and political motives...before discovering that there may be more than killer, and more than one cause to the slayings.
If Steven Seagal knows anything, it's how to toot his own horn: aside from being an unbeatable fighting machine (" ...like Bruce Lee, even better") and a philosophy-spouting guru, he regularly outdoes his partner in the humor department. Apparently Wayans - who penned totally un-funny material like "In Living Color" and directed laughless films like "Scary Movie" - is comedically challenged in this movie, becoming Seagal's whipping boy by being tricked into eating powdered deer penis and routinely being shown up by "Mister Laughs" Seagal.
Forgive me for being upset with my hero, but this is probably him at his self-serving best: his will to dominate Wayans and make a fool of him erases the entire premise of a buddy-cop picture.
Then again, Seagal can't take the blame for the entire bad show: the acting of co-star Wayans and bad-guys Bob Gunton ("Patch Adams"), Brian Cox ("Troy"), and John M. Jackson ("J.A.G.") falls into the "ho-hum" and "blah" categories. The baddies are less threatening than they are fat, old, and slightly gaydar-alerting (sharing pools, drinks, and bathrobes? Hmm...). And the fight choreographer apparently only had Seagal's previous movies to use as reference, since there's absolutely nothing new to be found here (believe it, Wayans actually has the best fight of the film).
In the film's defense, the showdown in the church is probably the most tense scene Seagal as ever acted in (not saying much). His wardrobe is good for a laugh. Though dull, the five fights are sound and feature the level of violence we've come to expect from Seagal - iron spike through the head, anyone? And overall, the film has the production values to keep it from looking sloppy.
Simply, if you managed to put up with the likes of "On Deadly Ground" and "Fire Down Below", watching "Glimmer Man" shouldn't be too tough...but watch it with a hotdog in-hand, so you've got something to divert your attention to when Steven gets preachy. Customer Rating: Summary: Segal's first foray into the buddy genre Comment: The Glimmer Man is Steven Segal's first forary into a buddy movie. Kennan Ivory Wayana gives some good one liners in the film and he even gets beat up a few times. The film has some nice action sequences and some chemsitry between Segal and Wayans. I give *** out of ****. Customer Rating: Summary: The Beginining Of The Fall Of Lord Steven Seagal Comment: I guess Seagal wanted to be a little like Eastwood here; giving a more forensic approach to his movies, a little twist here and there...and why not a little of Seagal's special recipe of bone crushing formula, it wont due any harm...right?..Wrong, this movie is the perfect example of Segal's downfall from stardom. Since Seagal isn't as thin or as fast as he used to be, he needs a co-star to have a little more screen time so Seagal can catch his breath and eat little more doughnuts. Seriously Seagal hit top bottom after this, with the exception of Fire Down Below and Exit Wounds, all of Segal's future movies following that sucked.
In Glimmer Man Seagal plays Jack Cole, an Ex government intelligence operative known as "The Glimmer Man," because he could move so quickly and quietly that his victims would only see a glimmer before they died. in fact that is so BS, Segal moves slower than his previous movies here, his gut is beginning to grow and his acting is stale and wooden. anyhow back to the movie, Cole is assigned to work with An L.A. police detective named Jim Campbell (Keenen Ivory Wayans) they are both on the look for a serial killer known as the "Family Man" he is given that name because...well he kills families; and aside from killing them he tortures and crucifies them after their deaths. After a string of murders the killer gets personal, he kills Coles wife..and you know what that means...that's right...its payback time, but it seems that this killings are beginning to get weird, there is a copycat making the murders look like "the Family Man"....now the question is Who is the killer, the "family man or the copycat?
Along with these psychos we have a local crime boss doing dealings with the Russians, somehow its all connected and don't expect a clever twist because there really isn't. I give them credit for adding some suspense here and there, but Segal doesn't belong in this movie, he feels out of place. The only good actors in this movie are Keenen Ivory Wayans and Brian Cox. So yeah, rent it or wait for it to be shown on cable, but don't buy it, not worth it.
MY PERSONAL RATING: 2 ½ OUT OF 5
Customer Rating: Summary: Glimmer Man Comment: Wayans is funny in this movie. Steven Seagal is a little bit slower, but still I find it entertaining and I still love him. Customer Rating: Summary: Despite the corny name still a decent watch Comment: Seagal movies is something I keep around when I want to see people beat half to death. When I want to see some real martial arts I toss on Bruce or Jet. Seagal is alright at best. This movie has The Pony Tailed One mixing it up with The Russian Mafia. Teamed up with Keenan Wayans. The movie delivers with some funny dialogue and good fight scenes. The movie does have a good story and plot with some nice twist. So it's not just all brawn.
This is a nice action flick with a bit of gunplay. The stunt men earn their money in this. I don't find this better than his earlier movies but it's still fun.
