Above the Law 4K 1988 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

Chicago police officer Nico Taskani stumbled upon a major case. It’s so big that he’s been suspended from duty, and the suspects have been released. Nico has uncovered a trail leading to former CIA agents who are trafficking drugs and even plotting a political assassination. They believe they’re above the law.

Review 4K Movie

Nico Toscani is a Chicago cop—a sort of Dirty Harry, only much tougher. A master of aikido and a former CIA agent, he is fearless and utterly ruthless toward his enemies. As he launches a new investigation, he comes face-to-face with his former CIA colleagues, who are running illegal drug operations. But Toscani is determined, despite his superiors’ orders, to put an end to their criminal enterprise once and for all...

The movie that introduced me to Steven Seagal. On an old VHS tape, with a simple translation of “Nico” (by the way, this wasn’t a liberty taken by a Russian translator—in some countries, the film was actually released under the title “Nico”) and slightly out-of-sync audio, this film nonetheless made a stunning impression, first and foremost, the masterfully choreographed fight scenes (aikido was a novelty for our audience back then) and the incredible “coolness” of Seagal himself, who seemed like nothing—not even a bazooka—could stop him. The daring joint locks, holds, and strikes seemed so realistic that I actually felt sorry for the stuntmen.

Based on a story by Seagal himself, “Above the Law” captivated audiences not only with its thrilling fights but also with the mysterious persona of Steven Seagal, who actively fueled the legend of his past in the CIA and further confused the hapless journalists.

Strange as it may seem, the first film received a rather lukewarm reception in the U.S. This was attributed to the incredible brutality of Seagal’s character toward his enemies—even though Sly, Arnie, Dolph, and Van Damme had all crushed their foes before, the two-meter-tall aikido master struck audiences as almost a more terrifying villain than the film’s actual gangsters. Despite this, the film did quite well at the box office worldwide, and it was decided to make a new movie with Seagal—but that’s another story...

Before wrapping up, I should add this: if for some unbelievable reason you missed this “masterpiece of bone-crushing action”—head to the theater immediately to fill that gap, because you (God forbid) missed a film that, no less, set a new standard in the world of action movies, gave millions of fans a new star, and became a landmark in cinema all in its own right.