In his debut feature, Seagal plays Nico, an Italian immigrant with an aikido background, recruited by the CIA to fight crime on the mean streets of Chicago. He’s fluent in many languages, a devout Catholic and family man who served in Vietnam and is now determined to put right everything that stinks in this godforsaken world. The story concerns an assassination attempt on a US senator from undercover drug dealers who fear their cover may be blown. But the film detours into an explosion at a church, torture scenes and numerous fisticuffs and car chases. Seagal strides calmly amongst the madness with considerable charm and style, like a mixture of Bruce Lee and Clint Eastwood. Davis’ direction is as tight as any standard TV cop drama, with a nice sprinkling of comedic moments and a hearty, psychotic villain, lavishly played by Silva. Above the Law turns out to be a delightfully mixed bag, complimented by some brutal fight scenes, and executed by a new action hero relishing every opportunity.

AKA: Nico