Out for Justice

Out for Justice
Out for Justice movie poster
Directed by	John Flynn
Produced by	Arnold Kopelson Steven Seagal Julius R. Nasso
Written by	David Lee Henry
Starring	Steven Seagal William Forsythe Jerry Orbach Jo Champa
Music by	David Michael Frank
Cinematography	Ric Waite
Editing by	Don Brochu Robert A. Ferretti
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	April 12, 1991
Running time	91 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$14,000,000
Box office	$39,673,161

Out for Justice is a 1991 action film directed by John Flynn and starring Steven Seagal.

Plot

Gino Felino (Steven Seagal) is an NYPD detective from Brooklyn who has strong ties within his neighborhood. He even has an understanding with the local Mob that neither side will harm the other.

In the opening scene of the movie, Gino and his partner Bobby are waiting to bust up a multi-million dollar drug deal. However, Gino sees a pimp beating up a woman and intervenes. Shortly afterward, film's main antagonist, Richie Madano (William Forsythe), murders Gino's partner, Bobby Lupo in broad daylight in front of his wife, Laurie, and his two kids. Everyone knows that the killer is Richie, a crack addict, who used to be a friend to Gino and Bobby in times of their childhood, but gone bad soon after the two became policemen. Richie in his drug induced rage then murders a woman at a traffic stop, and then begins heading off into Brooklyn alongside his goons, who are horrified by what he does but continue to work alongside him.

Gino knows Richie is not going to leave the neighborhood and he tells his captain (Jerry Orbach) to give him the clearance for a manhunt. His Captain gives him the clearance, and provides him with an Ithaca 37 pump action 12 gauge shotgun, and an unmarked 1988 Chevrolet Caprice tactical unit. Gino visits his mob connection Frankie and his boss Don Vittorio to tell them that he is going to find Richie, and he tells them he will not get out of the way of their own plans to take out Richie, whom they view as a loose cannon. As a subplot, Gino is driving when the driver of a station wagon throws a black garbage bag out the window in front of Gino's car. Seeing that the bag is moving, Gino stops, and finds that it contains a puppy, which he decides to keep.

Gino starts the hunt for Richie at a bar run by Richie's brother Vinnie Madano. Vinnie and his friends all refuse to provide information, so Gino assaults all of them. He still does not know where Richie is, but his concern about getting an attitude problem has been taken care of. Richie later comes back to the bar and beats up Vinnie for not killing Gino when it was one cop against a bar full of armed men. He also has info leaked to the mob that he is at the bar, then emerges from hiding and ambushes the mob's hitmen in a shoot-out.

After visiting a number of local hangouts and establishments trying to find information, Gino discovers Richie killed Bobby because Bobby was having an affair with two women - Richie's girlfriend, Roxanne Ford (Julie Strain), and a waitress named Terry Malloy (Shannon Whirry). When Gino goes to Roxanne's home, he finds she is dead. Gino believes that Richie killed Roxanne before he killed Bobby. Gino goes to Laurie's house and tells the widow what is going on. In Laurie's purse, Gino finds the picture that Richie dropped on Bobby's body after killing Bobby. It turns out that Bobby was a corrupt cop who had wanted a money-making lifestyle like Richie's, and Laurie knew Bobby was corrupt. Laurie had found a picture of Bobby and Roxanne naked. She had given Richie the picture out of jealousy, never expecting Richie to kill Bobby for sleeping with Roxanne. Laurie took the picture away from where Richie dropped it on Bobby because she wanted to protect Bobby.

Gino attempts to get Richie out of hiding by arresting his sister Pattie (Gina Gershon) and by talking to his elderly father, a hard-working and honest man who knows his son is corrupt. Following a tip from his local snitch Picolino, Gino eventually finds Richie in a house in the old neighborhood having a party. Gino kills all of Richie's men. Gino beats Richie senseless and then finally kills him. The mobsters arrive soon after, also intent on killing Richie. Gino uses the lead mobster's gun to shoot the already-dead Richie several times, then tells him to return to his boss and take the credit for Richie's death.

Shortly after, Gino, his wife, and the puppy are walking along the pier when they encounter the "tough guy" who threw the bag into traffic. Gino accosts him, and the man attacks him in response. Gino kicks him in the groin, causing him to collapse on the ground in agony. The puppy goes up to the fallen man and urinates on his face.

Main cast

• Steven Seagal....Detective Gino Felino (Tactical Narcotics Division)
• William Forsythe....Richie Madano
• Anthony DeSando....Vinnie Madano
• Jerry Orbach....Captain Ronnie Donziger
• Jo Champa....Vicky Felino
• Shareen Mitchell....Laurie Lupo
• Ronald Maccone....Don Vittorio
• Sal Richards....Frankie
• Gina Gershon....Pattie Madano
• Jay Acovone....Bobby Arms
• Nick Corello....Joey Dogs
• Robert LaSardo....Bochi
• John Toles-Bey....King
• Joe Spataro....Bobby Lupo
• Julianna Margulies....Rica
• Dominic Chianese....Mr. Madano
• Vera Lockwood....Mrs. Madano
• Dennis Karika....The Trainer
• Ed Deacy....Detective Deacy
• John Leguizamo....Boy in Alley

Reception

The movie received a mixed reception.^[1] It was originally rated NC-17 for its brutal and graphic violence. Several cuts were made for the film's release overseas. In the United Kingdom in particular, several of the gruesome action scenes were trimmed, cutting the duration by 54 seconds, it has later been released uncut for DVD.

Box office

The movie debuted at Number 1 at the box office.^[2] This was the third straight Seagal movie to make number 1 at the U.S. box office on its opening weekend. In the United States the film grossed $40 million, falling short of the box office receipts of his last release, Marked for Death. ^[3]

References

1. ^ Maslin, Janet (1991-04-13). "Review/Film; Spotlight on Lowlife, Then ZAP!". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/13/movies/review-film-spotlight-on-lowlife-then-zap.html. Retrieved 2010-12-14. 
2. ^ Fox, David J. (1991-04-16). "WEEKEND BOX OFFICE : Steven Seagal Scores Another Hit". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1991-04-16/entertainment/ca-266_1_weekend-box. Retrieved 2010-11-25. 
3. ^ Maslin, Janet (1991-04-28). "Review/Film; Out of a Coma, Still Dapper and Disarming". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/28/movies/film-view-seagal-packs-more-than-a-wallop.html?ref=steven_seagal. Retrieved 2010-12-14. 

External links

• Out for Justice at the Internet Movie Database
• Out for Justice at AllRovi
• Box Office Information
• Movie Review at The Goddess and the Genius