The Glimmer Man - 1/2*

The Glimmer Man is a truly disgraceful outing that amounts to little more than an unbelievable Steven Seagal self-love fest. Steven Seagal is Detective Jack Cole, a special forces operative in Vietnam who went native, and is now working under a cover name in the homicide department in L.A. His partner is Detective Jim Campbell (Keenen Ivory Wayans), a veteran of homicide who isn’t too keen on his new partner’s anonymity. The pair begin working the case of a prolific serial killer, The Family Man (Steven Tobolowsky), who kills, then crucifies, entire families. However, Jack Cole soon gets the idea that there may be more than just serial killing at work here. This outlandish plot tosses such unnecessary elements such as credibility and enjoyment aside. While watching it, I was amazed at the similarities between Seagal’s Cole and Apocalypse Now’s Col. Kurtz. Both were special forces operatives who got a little kooky, went native, and grew both in ego and in girth. Now imagine Kurtz as a cop in L.A. without Brando’s acting ability to back him up, and…whoa…Steven Seagal! As one of the most unsympathetic heroes in recent memory, he is cocky, cruel and practices torture, both on his victims and the audience. Keenen Ivory Wayans gets little development and fewer laughs as the second wheel on this, Seagal’s self-worshiping unicycle. All but the most rabid Seagal fans should avoid this one…

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