Nico Toscani (Seagal) is a Martial Arts expert who travels to Japan from his native Chicago to further hone his skills. While there, he's recruited by the CIA and sent to Vietnam to work Special Ops. While in 'Nam, he crosses paths with a sadistic torturer named Kurt Zagon (Silva). Nico becomes disillusioned with CIA life and returns to Chicago and becomes a cop. Back on his home turf, he has some very important women in his life - his wife Sara (Stone), his partner Delores "Jacks" Jackson (Grier), and also his mother and young daughter. Nico and Jacks get embroiled in a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top when a simple drug investigation becomes a high-level FBI and CIA cover-up...and that necessitates the sinister return of Zagon. When Nico is forced to turn in his badge and gun, in order to get to the truth he's forced to go ABOVE THE LAW. Above the Law is the one and only 80's Seagal, so we might as well bask in the glory of that moment. The sax on the soundtrack, classic computers, giant cars, and general lack of political correctness all help to add 80's flair to this fine cop drama. Seagal made an impressive debut as Nico - he had serious fighting moves, he was in great shape, and he even was an actor back then. Having co-written the story and co-produced the film with director Andrew Davis, with whom he'd later re-team for Under Siege (1992), the whole outing is serious-minded, professional, and delivers the Martial Arts/action goods. It was the 80's, after all, and things were just better. This includes Seagal movies. Another Andrew Davis regular also appeared here and is worth noting - Joseph Kosala as Lt. Fred Strozah. He was a Chicago cop in real life, and you can absolutely tell. His authenticity stands out, as does his thick Chicago accent (you think at any moment George Wendt is going to show up and they're going to have an in-depth discussion about "Da Bears"). He worked as a technical advisor as well, and we wanted to shine a spotlight on him. Sadly, he passed away in 2015, but his work on screen preserves his legacy. In other cast news, we have fan favorite Pam Grier as Nico's parter, which was an inspired casting choice. Thalmus Rasulala - Blacula himself - plays a small role as well, bringing back memories of 70's Blaxploitation actioners such as Truck Turner (1974). Sharon Stone's role is small, and fan favorite Michael Rooker has a blink-and-you'll-miss-him role as "Man in Bar", but it all adds to the fun. Of course, the great Henry Silva is the main baddie, just as he was in previous Davis film Code of Silence (1985) - both Above the Law and Code of Silence have other things in common as well, plotwise - though it must be said his final exit in the film The Hard Way (1989) might be impossible to top. In all, Above the Law takes us back to a time when Seagal had a bright future ahead of him, action movies were beloved by all and went to the movie theater, cop dramas were tough, and movies weren't wussy and/or tinted blue or green like they are today. You'll surely be entertained by this classic of Seagal Cinema.

This is an action flick starring Steven Seagal, in his first motion picture appearance, as former Special Operations Vietnam vet Nico Toscani, who works as a Chicago cop who tries to expose those broiled in a CIA-involved illegal weapons trade.This movie only has a handful of action scenes, but the plot is still pretty suspenseful and fast-paced, from the cover-up angle involving the CIA to the assassination plot of a U.S. senator. The acting was fine for the most part, with villains you would love to hate. But, I thought Seagal's performance was a little emotionless and stoic, but his awesome martial arts skills and quick wit are entertaining to watch. I also enjoyed Pam Grier's character - Seagal's partner-in-crime Delores Jackson.Overall, it's not a bad action-flick - somewhat entertaining.Grade B-

Steven Seagal's acting debut is a fast-moving little crime thriller, involving drugs smuggling, police corruption, and a maverick cop (guess who?). This above average thriller has a pretty generic plot, but there are lots of fight scenes to keep things moving swiftly along, and also the benefit of a young-looking Seagal. The pacing is spot on and a tight budget used to full extent in terms of screen spectacle. This was before Seagal became a totally indestructible killer who the bad guys couldn't lay a finger on, here he looks fragile and takes a beating before the final credits. Therefore, this guy is always on the line, instead of the viewer knowing that he's going to kill everybody without a single scratch. The freshness of Seagal's debuting character is what makes him of greater interest than normal.The fight scenes in this film basically show off Seagal's different abilities, whether it be jumping on the roof of a car to grab the bad guys, using his gun to take criminals down, or of course his famed martial arts skills which show him taking on multiple opponents with little effort required, packed with the bone-breaking violence we know and love. People are thrown through windows and into tables and there are plenty of exciting moments, like when a small shop becomes a battleground or the shoot-out in a multi-storey car park at the end. Added to this are memorable images such as a row of highly trained killers, walking down the street calmly while firing automatics. The fight choreography is excellent and the photography also superb, kudos to the cameraman for shooting the various scenes so well and making them look this good.Seagal is supported by an interesting cast for once with numerous familiar faces in supporting roles. Genre favourite Henry Silva, the only man to look scarier without makeup than Christopher Walken, is sadistically evil as the chief villain, a torturer no less who enjoys inflicting sadistic torment on his enemies. His features constantly perverted in a twisted grimace, Silva makes an excellent bad guy and for once his death truly fits the crimes he has committed - let's just say it involves a ton of explicit bone-breaking. Up-and-coming starlet Sharon Stone has a small and rather thankless role as Seagal's wife, although '70s blaxploitation icon Pam Grier as Seagal's partner fares a little better with a part which is still somewhat underwritten.NICO: ABOVE THE LAW remains far more believable than other actioners of the time like Schwarzenegger's COMMANDO, thanks to the plot which always keeps its feet on the ground and isn't too elaborate to seem contrived. The events occur with an emphasis on realism and a degree of characterisation to engage the viewer. These events could happen and do happen, and there's a gritty feeling to the film. It's a bit clichéd, for sure, but the formula works, which is why it has been used so many times before and since. The clever drama gives Seagal one of his best roles and the film has a hard edge to it which his later actioners lack. Therefore it deserves an very good rating, as it's a solid thriller which succeeds in all that it tries to achieve, thanks to solid direction from Andrew Davis (UNDER SIEGE) at the near peak of his game.

In Japan, the Sicilian martial arts expert Nicolo "Nico" Toscani (Steven Seagal) is recruited by the CIA Special Agent Nelson Fox (Chelcie Ross) to join the Special Operations Forces in the border of the Vietnam and Cambodia. In 1973, Nico witnesses the torturer Kurt Zagon (Henry Silva) interrogating prisoners of war and he is disgusted and quits the CIA, returning.Fifteen years later, Nico is married with a baby with his wife Sarah (Sharon Stone) and they live in the same house of his mother. Nico is a tough and incorruptible narcotics detective of the Chicago Police Department very close to his partner and friend Delores 'Jacks' Jackson (Pam Grier) and his friend Detective Lukich (Ron Dean). When Nico and Jacks investigate a drug traffic operation, they arrest the gang of the drug dealer Tony Salvano (Daniel Faraldo) but they find that they are smuggling the plastic explosive C4 instead. However there is an interference of the FBI and Salvano and his partner are released by FBI Agent Neeley (Nicholas Kusenko) and the detectives are forbidden of proceed with the investigation. But Nico does not stop and is suspended from the police force. But when there is an explosion in the church of his neighborhood and his friend and parish priest Joseph Gennaro (Joe V. Greco) is murdered, Nico chases Salvano and discovers a corruption ring that is planning to kill the American Senator Ernest Harrison (Joe D. Lauck) that is investigating the involvement of the CIA with drug traffic."Above the Law" is the excellent debut of Steven Seagal in the cinema industry. When I saw this movie for the first time twenty-five years ago, I immediately became fan of this actor that used the style of Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood associated to great fight choreography and violence. Today I have seen it again on DVD and the story is still full of action and has not aged after all these years. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Nico Acima da Lei" ("Nico Above the Law")