The Patriot (1998)

the audience applauded

Highly Overrated But Still Good

The acting in this movie is really good.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

A ho-hum drama thriller which uses OUTBREAK as the basis for its plot and wastes the martial arts talents of star Steven Seagal. Any fan looking for Seagal's usual brand of bone-breaking action will be sorely disappointed by the total lack of fighting in this movie. Action is limited to one or two brief sequences and the rest of this long, long film is taken up with moralising, Native American mythology, and plenty of uninteresting dialogue. Imagine the less-than-satisfying ON DEADLY GROUND: a movie full of action, let down by some boring environmental stuff. Now swap that ratio around: a movie full of boring mundaneness, with only a few moments of action. Now you'll realise how disappointing a film THE PATRIOT is for big man Seagal and why it's his weakest movie to date.The list of flaws is an endless one. The plot is silly and contrived, the in-your-face moralising is annoying and preachy. The production values make the film look cheap and poor editing in what few action scenes there are means that it all happens too fast to see what's going on. No arms or legs are broken and the only real bit of violence (aside from some shooting) is a satisfying death involving the jagged stem of a wine glass and a man's ear. The characters are one-dimensional and the acting poor, especially from the rather dull villains who don't even do the good thing by chewing the scenery. The only familiar performer is old-timer L. Q. Jones who is wasted in a nothing part as one of those old men Seagal likes to hang around with. As for Seagal, despite looking ridiculous (glasses + shoulder length bushy hair + bright red sweat don't go) in his most overweight performance, puts in his typically gruff yet friendly part and is the best actor in the film (so you know you're in trouble). Not sure what kind of market the producers of this tosh were hoping to aim at - as an action film it's totally hopeless, as an ecological thriller it's predictable and clichéd. Any way you look at it, THE PATRIOT is a film to be avoided at all costs.

Steven Seagal, though not the greatest actor, has appeared in many good movies such as Above the Law (1988), Hard to Kill (1990), Marked for Death (1990), Out for Justice (1991), and Under Siege (1992). His career took a hit with the preachy and vanity project On Deadly Ground (1994) which was also his directorial debut. He had mixed results with Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995), Executive Decision (1996), The Glimmer Man (1996), and Fire Down Below (1997). The Patriot (1998) was wisely seen as distributors as a direct to video release, and it proves to be a very good decision. Without question this movie movie was terrible. The Patriot also marked the beginning of the end of Steven Seagal's career in which his box office appeal has all but disappeared and a majority of his movies released direct to video where he is a shadow of his former self.The Patriot (not to be confused with the Mel Gibson/Heath Ledger blockbuster released in 2000) is about a respected small town doctor and immunologist Wesley McLaren (Steven Seagal) who must race against time to cure a virus unleashed onto the town by an unstable militia extremist leader Floyd Chislom (Gailard Sartain) who has also infected himself with the same virus. Floyd Chislom and his militia have taken over the hospital where Dr McLaren works in order to find a cure but conveniently, Dr McLaren effortlessly dispatches the militia members with his martial arts skills (how convenient) and Dr McLaren is able to escape along with his daughter Holly (Camilla Belle). From there, Dr McLaren is predictably able to find a cure in the most unconventional way which will leave many viewers groaning with disbelief. I'm still shocked at the pathetic solution and ending years later.Steven Seagal seemed to have taken a different direction in his career with this rubbish all the while preaching peace amongst humanity and the nature is our friend. If I wanted to hear that I would have gone to attend a health retreat (no disrespect intended to those that enjoy the naturalistic lifestyle). But for crying out loud, for a Steven Seagal movie this is terrible. This is also notable for the only Steven Seagal movie with minimal action scenes and less violence.Gailard Sartain as the unstable militia leader Floyd Chislom serves no purpose nor does he have any strong intentions for unleashing the virus apart from the fact he is hating life as well as the US Government.Director Dean Semler (who also directed the 1998 box office flop Firestorm) must have got the hint that he should stick with cinematography (Mad Max 2, Dances with Wolves, We Were Soldiers) as he has had bad luck as a director. He has not directed a movie since The Patriot.The Patriot is one of the worst movies for Steven Seagal which has since seen him stuck in direct to video hell since. Although he did reappear with cinematic releases such as Exit Wounds (2001), Half Past Dead (2002) and Machete (2010). Unable to recapture his former glory, all of his movies since have not seen the light of day in the cinemas nor does it look he will ever make a triumphant return to the cinemas unlike Sylvester Stallone and Mickey Rourke. If that ever happens, that would be a miracle.Unless you are a loyal Steven Seagal fan which I was once, avoid this movie like a virus.1/10.

The premise starts out good, but falls apart with each passing scene. I found nothing believable about any of it. Segall's acting is flat as usual. Devoid of emotion. His character is laughable as it does not fit his stereotypical character. Nor does his being able to perform special forces maneuvers fit his supposed brainiac character in this film. I am not a Segall fan to start with, but this is lower than his average. He should stick to the paramilitary type characters. And a personal suggestion would be that he find himself a comic relief to play opposite his straight man persona. And for God's sake, yell or laugh or cry once in a while.

Dr Steven Segal saves the world from a deadly virus outbreak. This movie strikes me as foolish earnestness that has morphed into an unintended camp classic (the best kind). Memorable lines include "Knowledge is like a deer. Chase it, and it will run away from you" and "Drink this. It will make you feel better." It is so sublimely bad -- they couldn't have made it any worse if they tried.Segal tries to convince you that he is 1. sensitive -- by saving a stricken pony; 2. a good father -- by a saccharine cooking scene for his daughter; 3. a man of science -- by looking at a fake spectrum; 4. in tune with nature -- by using homeopathic remedies; 5. politically correct and multicultural -- by having Indian friends; 6. an iconoclast -- by opening a rural practice after a former life in a national research lab; and 7. an action hero -- by being really fat but yet can still fight. ROTFL.It's good to see on as a late-night Saturday flick, with friends, preferably (but not necessarily!) inebriated.