THE GLIMMER MAN

"THE GLIMMER MAN"
(1996) (Steven Seagal, Keenen Ivory Wayans) (R)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Mild	Heavy	Heavy	Moderate	Extreme

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Moderate	Mild	Heavy	None	Extreme

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Moderate	Mild	Mild	Moderate	Extreme

QUICK TAKE:: Action: Two cops must solve a serial killing spree that gets personal for one of them.

PLOT:: Jack Cole (STEVEN SEAGAL) is a mystical new-age cop who joins forces with L.A. cop Jim Campbell (KEENEN IVORY WAYANS) to solve a serial murder spree. The victims are all crucified and the latest ones don't sit right with Cole. When his prints are found on one of the bodies, he knows it's the work of a professional and he seeks the help of his former military mentor, Mr. Smith (BRIAN COX). What he doesn't know is that Smith is in cahoots with Frank Deverell (BOB GUNTON), a wealthy man who is involved in international weapons smuggling. As the detectives get closer to solving the case, they must deal with Cole being accused of the crimes as well as Deverell's violent right-hand man, Donald (JOHN M. JACKSON), who will do anything to prevent their discovery of the truth.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they like martial arts films or are fans of Seagal or Wayans they will.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For strong violence, language and some nudity.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: STEVEN SEAGAL is a cop with a mysterious past who easily "takes out" the bad guys, but who gets a little sadistic at times in doing so.
KEENEN IVORY WAYANS plays the partner who also kills the bad guys, but isn't quite as sadistic as Segal's character.; KEENEN IVORY WAYANS plays the partner who also kills the bad guys, but isn't quite as sadistic as Segal's character.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

OUR TAKE: 3 out of 10: Ah, another cop buddy movie where a white and black cop are partners and sometimes don't get along but manage to bond and solve the crime by the end of the movie. Let's see, where have we seen that before? This latest attempt at that genre shows a little promise at the beginning with some decent chemistry between Seagal and Wayans, but it soon erodes into the typical cop flick with a convoluted story. To top it off, a serial killer plot is thrown in (also another of Hollywood's recent and favorite story lines), but it's really a decoy which is a shame because it was more interesting than the plot that ends the movie. The fighting scenes are well choreographed but aren't anything we haven't seen in many similar movies before. If you like this type of film, you probably won't be disappointed, but don't expect anything new. We give it just a 3 out of 10.

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:: If you've seen any Steven Seagal movies before, this one is pretty much the same formula. There's lots of martial arts action with many bad guys getting beaten up with punches and kicks. Of course there are also many people being killed, but this film stands out a little more than his previous films in the sadistic nature of the deaths and wounds inflicted upon people. There's a serial killer who crucifies his victims, but Seagal's character inflicts -- how should we say it -- more than necessary beatings on the bad guys. In many scenes he repeatedly beats someone instead of his normal one or two punches to take the person out. Also, in one scene he shoots a bad guy through the foot and hand to get him to talk. Sex and nudity is constrained to bare breasts seen on cadavers and some jokes about "powered deer penis." Profanity is heavy as are the bad attitudes. As usual, make sure you read through the scene listings before allowing your kids to see this one.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Campbell tells another cop who's eating donuts, "Why don't you just try crack (cocaine)?"
The detectives learn that Deverell's stepson had previously been arrested for drugs.
Deverell and Donald drink wine with dinner.
Campbell tells Cole that he uses Jack Daniels (whiskey) to "calm his spirit."
Mr. Smith drinks at a restaurant.
Donald has a drink after having fought with Cole.
Campbell drinks beer in a bar.

BLOOD/ GORE: In the opening credits there are quick views of black and white photos of murder victims, some of them quite bloody.
The detectives visit a murder scene and find the victims crucified to a wall with lots of blood having run down the wall.
Bodies are seen in a morgue and Cole takes a scalpel to a dead woman's breast (the cutting isn't seen) and pulls out an implant.
In a confrontation with some bad guys, Cole pulls out a razor blade equipped credit card and slices open the throats of three of the bad guys and a brief glimpse of the bloody gashes is seen.
Bullet entry wounds are seen on the heads of two victims as they're shot by the serial killer.
The detectives visit another crime scene and find another crucified couple with blood running down the wall.
A man's face is rather bloody after Cole's beaten him up.
Cole shoots Smith through the foot and hand, both of which are somewhat bloody.
A final shootout ends with many people being killed with lots of blood spurting from their bodies.
In the big final fight scene, Donald's face is rather bloody, and a punch to Cole's makes his nose bleed. In addition, Campbell is bloody from where he was shot in the shoulder.
Donald is impaled up through the chin after falling on a wrought iron fence.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Obviously all of the bad guys, including the serial killer and Deverell, have both types of attitudes.
Donald visits Cole and tells him that Mr. Deverell would like him to testify in favor of his son (regarding an earlier hostage situation), and that if he doesn't, Deverell knows enough people to make or break his career.
The detectives stop some young thugs from breaking into and stealing a car. The thugs aren't scared and even say "f
ck you" after the guys identify themselves as cops.
A restaurant employee isn't nice to Cole and thus Cole knocks him out.

FRIGHTENING/TENSE SCENES: Many of the scenes listed under "Violence" may also be viewed by some as frightening and/or tense.
The detectives race to a classroom where Deverell's stepson, Johnny, is holding a classroom of students hostage because of his failed romance with a girl. Cole makes his way into the class and confronts the young man with the gun. Cole puts his gun down and the man puts his gun against his head, ready to kill himself. Cole rushes forward and knocks the man through the window, across a narrow alley and through another building's window.
Campbell finds the serial killer coming out of a church. The killer runs back inside and Cole follows him to find the man holding a gun to a priest's head. Cole manages to get the priest out, and the killer then alternates between pointing the gun at Cole or at his own head. Finally he makes the wrong move and Cole shoots him dead.
The detectives must hunt down Donald through an apartment building and Campbell nearly shoots two kids who are playing in the hallway with toy guns.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Handguns/Machine guns: Used to threaten, harm or kill others. See "Violence" for details.
Knife: Used to attack Campbell in his home.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: There's plenty of martial arts action and fighting that kids may imitate.
Cole confronts a bad guy and says "I've got something for that bruise on your forehead." The man replies, "What bruise?" and Cole punches him there.
Phrases: "Pisses me off," "Balls," and "Screwed."

JUMP SCENES: As Cole cautiously makes his way through a house, a bird suddenly flies at his face, startling him.
Campbell stretches back while sitting on his sofa and suddenly sees a knife coming at his face as an assailant tries to kill him.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): There's a moderate amount of suspenseful music in the movie.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: 8 "f" words (3 with the prefix "mother"), 19 "s" words, 13 "ass" words, 5 hells, 4 terms for male genitals (2 penis, 1 each of the "d" and "p" words), 3 damns, 3 SOB's, 1 slang term for breasts ("tits"), and 4 uses of "God damn," and one use each of "Jesus," "Jesus Christ," "Swear to God," "God," and "Oh God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY: Dead women are seen lying on morgue tables and their bare breasts are seen. The detectives examine the bodies and when asked what else he notices about one of them, Campbell replies, "She's got nice tits." Cole says they're too nice and takes a scalpel (the cutting's not seen) and removes an implant that he says can be traced.
In a holistic medicine store, Cole gives Campbell some powder to put under his tongue to help his allergies. He then tells him that it's powdered deer penis and Campbell begins to gag. Later on, this topic is revisited several times (for humor). When asked if he's all right after being allergic to incense a woman is burning, he says "I'll just go suck on some deer penis."
As Cole is lying on top of Campbell after having just saved his life, Campbell says "Is that your gun or are you getting excited?"

SMOKING: Several cops are seen smoking.
Mr. Smith smokes a cigar.
A building manager smokes a cigar.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: One of the murder victims is Cole's ex-wife, but while supposedly upset inside, he barely shows any emotion on the outside. Later, he tells his wife/girlfriend that he must go outside and tell his kids that their real mother is dead and a funeral is seen several days later. Then, we learn that he and his ex-wife were having custody fights over the kids.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: The serial killer crucifies his victims and some may be disturbed and/or confused by the religious connotations of this act.
In two separate scenes, despondent characters hold guns to their heads as they prepare to commit suicide (but neither do).

VIOLENCE: A hooded man with a laser sighted gun breaks into a house at night and shoots a woman dead.
The detectives visit a murder scene and find the victims crucified to a wall with lots of blood having run down the wall.
The detectives race to a classroom where Deverell's stepson, Johnny, is holding a classroom of students hostage because of his failed romance with a girl. Cole makes his way into the class and confronts the young man with the gun. Cole puts his gun down and the man puts his gun against his head, ready to kill himself. Cole rushes forward and knocks the man through the window, across a narrow alley and through another building's window.
The detectives stop some thugs from stealing a car, but don't realize that heavily armed men are approaching them from behind. The cops pull their guns and the bad Russian guys hold their guns on the cops. Eventually the cops lower theirs and one of the bad guys hits Campbell on the head. Cole then offers to pay off the bad guys and reaches for his wallet where he pulls out a credit card with a razor blade in it. He slices open the necks of the three of the guys and then a big fight breaks out. There's plenty of punching and kicking and sounds of breaking bones and a man is impaled on a bulldozer's shovel. Campbell then takes a survivor and repeatedly beats his head onto a car trying to get him to talk.
The serial killer breaks into another house and shoots a man and woman each in the head. Later, the detectives find the crucified couple with blood running down the wall.
A restaurant employee isn't nice to Cole and thus Cole knocks him out. He then confronts a bad guy and says "I've got something for that bruise on your forehead." The man replies, "What bruise?" and Cole punches him there. Then Cole beats up many of Smith's people in the restaurant after they attack him. There's more martial arts fighting with many kicks and punches.
Campbell finds the serial killer coming out of a church. The killer runs back inside and Cole follows him to find the man holding a gun to a priest's head. Cole manages to get the priest out, and the killer then alternates between pointing the gun at Cole or at his own head. Finally he makes the wrong move and Cole shoots him dead.
Cole and Donald fight in a house and there are many punches and kicks thrown.
A man attacks Campbell in his home and they fight. The TV gets knocked to the floor and sparks and sets the room on fire. As they continue fighting, the stove is knocked aside and the gas main breaks as the fire grows and nears it. The assailant leaves and Campbell just makes it to the window as the gas ignites and blows him out through the window as his place explodes.
Cole is picked by two guys who claim to be internal affairs officers, but he figures out who they are and they fight in the car. One of them fires his gun repeatedly but misses, and Cole smashes him in the face many times. The car goes out of control, smashing into things and sideswipes another car that then explodes. Their car flips over and Cole manages to get out just as it slides into a conveniently placed gas tanker that explodes in a huge fireball.
A hit man goes to kill Deverell's stepson, but Cole's there and shoots the man dead.
Campbell punches Mr. Smith's assistant in the face and the two detectives then kidnap Mr. Smith and drive him to a remote location. They want him to talk and when he doesn't, Cole shoots him through the foot and then through his hand. As he threatens the other hand, Smith finally talks.
Deverell and his men wait for the detectives to show up. They've already turned Donald against Deverell and he ends up shooting Deverell dead. The detectives burst into the room and a huge gun battle ensues where all of the bad guys are killed except for Donald who escapes. The cops then must hunt him down. Later, Campbell is shot by Donald and falls through a window and hangs on to the ledge, several stories above the street, but Cole rescues him.
Cole and Donald then have the obligatory last fight that no human could possibly survive, but they continue until Donald is beaten to a pulp and then falls through an interior window and is impaled on a wrought iron fence.

Reviewed October 4, 1996

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