The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Despite his declining box-office presence, Steven Segal is still able to cultivate and maintain a strong cult following. Nonsensical scripts and predictable plot lines seen in his never-ending string of ridiculously titled films have become the touchstones of his long-running career.

Directed by Keoni Waxman, Force of Execution follows Alexander Coates (Seagal); an ex-military specialist turned crime kingpin, who has been contemplating stepping down from his lord-status and returning to lead a normal life.  However, when he sends his most trusted assassin and protégé, Roman Hurst (Foster), out on an important hit, the mission is cut short by an up-and-coming gang boss named Ice Man (Rhames), who is looking to penetrate Alex’s network before eventually taking it over himself. 

Realising that it’s not the time to step down just yet, Alexander blames Hurst for the failed mission and instead of killing him for his mistake, he breaks both his hands– in order to prevent him from ever working again – and sends him off to live life on the streets. Miserable and depressed, Hurst decides to drown his sorrows and soon befriends an ex-con named Oso (Trejo); a cook who runs a neighbouring diner along with Hurst’s soon-to-be love interest, Karen (Gabrielle).

Soon after, a gang-war between Alexander and Ice Man intensifies, drawing both Oso and Karen into the mess, as well as a torn Hurst.

Although he gets top billing, Seagal – sporting a hilarious wannabe Brando accent and an expanding waist-line – is actually not the one calling all of the shots; instead, the focus has been lent to Foster; a taekwondo champion and a rising martial-arts star that can also be seen in 2012’s Man of Conviction. Carrying much of the story, Foster serves to be the only point of interest. As for the rest of the cast, Rhames spends most of the time channelling his inner pimp and Trejo is, of course, just Trejo.

The action is decent, but overall, the direction is sloppy, the pacing is muddled and robotic, while the plot is needlessly complicated.