History YMMV / OnDeadlyGround

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Creator/RLeeErmey plays a tough mercenary leader that could've provided a formidable challenge to Taft, but is easily taken out due to his BondVillainStupidity. Furthermore, his lines sound [[{{Narm}} nonsensical]] due to the fact that Seagal refused to allow Ermey to improvise his own lines, something that even the famously controlling Creator/StanleyKubrick allowed and made ''Film/FullMetalJacket'' better for it.

* WTHCastingAgency:
** Aside from a Knighted British legend, they got Creator/RLeeErmey in this film. R. Lee Ermey! Ermey's death in this film involves him basically walking up behind Seagal's character and allowing Seagal to get within arms reach of his shotgun... Yeah, they must have paid him a lot to put up with that. Worse, they reportedly didn't let him ad-lib, which is why several of his lines sound completely nonsensical, to the point of self-parody.
** Many viewers were incredulous that Steven Seagal would even presume he could direct Creator/MichaelCaine. As if that isn't enough, reportedly Creator/AlanRickman and Creator/AnthonyHopkins were both sought for the role, and Creator/JeremyIrons was actually cast in the role before Caine replaced him. It's just as hard to imagine Seagal directing any of them.
** Meanwhile, they brought in John C. [=McGinley=] pre-''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' to play... a psychotic torture expert? Although this last one is probably the most YMMV of the whole lot; to some, he's the best thing in this movie, and genuinely creepy. It's not the first time before and after that series that he's played a convincing villain. This time, of course, one ends up wishing the rest of the movie deserved him.

* AntiClimaxBoss: [[spoiler: Jennings. Even though he's the film's big bad, he's smart enough to know he's no challenge to Taft at all and attempts to merely insult him and walk away. Taft still executes him.]]
** [[spoiler: Also, [=MacGruder=] who attempts to flee in a helicopter and gets stopped by Taft. He pulls a gun and is quickly disarmed, blubbers for his life, and when Taft makes it clear he's going to kill him, he attempts literally one punch on Taft before getting a face full of the helicopter's rear rotor.]]
** Finally, [[spoiler: Stone. He lives long enough to gloat over catching Taft off guard whilst holding him at gunpoint with a shotgun, then of course during his gloating monologue he gets close enough for Taft to spin the shotgun in his hands and blow him away.]]

** Meanwhile, they brought in John C. [=McGinley=] pre-''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' to play... a psychotic torture expert? Although this last one is probably the most YMMV of the whole lot; to some, he's the best thing in this movie, and genuinely creepy. It's not the first time before and after that series that he's played a convincing villain.

** TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Creator/RLeeErmey plays a tough mercenary leader that could've provided a formidable challenge to Taft, but is easily taken out due to his BondVillainStupidity. Furthermore, Seagal refused to allow Ermey to improvise his own lines, something that even the famously controlling Creator/StanleyKubrick allowed and made ''Film/FullMetalJacket'' better for it.
* WTHCastingAgency

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: One of the many reasons behind why the film was verbally eviscerated by both critics and audiences alike stems from it being a hybrid of action mixed in with an extremely {{Anvilicious}} GreenAesop. Action fans (and really, most audiences in general) are likely to be turned off by how heavy-handed the environmentalist message is, and [[DontShootTheMessage environmentalists themselves]] will most likely be put off by the [[{{Gorn}} gratuitous]] levels of violence.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: If there's one thing Creator/StevenSeagal did right during production, it was hiring Music/BasilPoledouris to score the movie (and the Seagal/Nasso Productions logo at the end). [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0heez-7wlE Here's a suite.]]

** Many viewers were incredulous that Steven Seagal would even presume he could direct Creator/MichaelCaine. As if that isn't enough, reportedly Creator/AlanRickman and Creator/AnthonyHopkins were both sought for the role. It's just as hard to imagine Seagal directing them.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Unbelievably, both Creator/AnthonyHopkins and Creator/AlanRickman were sought for Michael Jennings before Creator/MichaelCaine, who was noted for sometimes choosing roles based on the amount he'd be paid, or the filming location, stepped in.
** Creator/HenryRollins was considered for MacGruder.
** Creator/MichaelCaine was actually a replacement for Creator/JeremyIrons, who was originally cast as Jennings.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Unbelievably, both Creator/AnthonyHopkins and Creator/AlanRickman were sought for Michael Jennings before Creator/MichaelCaine, who was noted for sometimes choosing roles based on the amount he'd be paid, or the filming location, stepped in.

** Meanwhile, they brought in John C. [=McGinley=] pre-''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' to play... a psychotic torture expert? Although this last one is probably the most YMMV of the whole lot; to some, he's the best thing in this movie, and genuinely creepy. And to be fair, McGinley also played a pretty good villain who undergoes a HeelFace turn in Film/SurvivingTheGame.

** Many viewers were incredulous that Steven Seagal would even presume he could direct Creator/MichaelCaine. As if that isn't enough, reportedly CreatorAlanRickman and Creator/AnthonyHopkins were both sought for the role. It's just as hard to imagine Seagal directing them.

** Creator/JohnCMcGinley is a torture expert.

** Many viewers were incredulous that Steven Seagal would even presume he could direct Michael Caine.

** Meanwhile, they brought in John C. [=McGinley=] pre-''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' to play... a psychotic torture expert? Although this last one is probably the most YMMV of the whole lot; to some, he's the best thing in this movie, and genuinely creepy.

* DontShootTheMessage: The film's environmental message and criticism of the damage done by major companies is not a bad one. It just suffers due to Forrest's actions being totally over the top and the film coming across as a monument to Seagal's ego.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: One of the many reasons behind why the film was verbally eviscerated by both critics and audiences alike, stems from the movie being a hybrid of action mixed in with an extremely {{Anvilicious}} GreenAesop. Action fans, (and really, most audiences in general) are likely to be turned off by how heavy handed the environmentalist message is, and [[DontShootTheMessage environmentalists themselves]] will most likely be put off by the [[{{Gorn}} gratuitous]] levels of violence.

* DesignatedHero: '''Forrest Taft''' so very much so. All throughout the film, he comes off as a complete psychopath. What Jennings is trying to do is wrong, but Forrest commits [[EcoTerrorist eco-terrorism]] on a grand scale, murdering several people in the facility, including people who are unarmed and unable to defend themselves. When told they have enough evidence to go to the police and stop the oil rig from beginning operation legally, Forrest blows off this option and simply blows the rig up. Which, [[FridgeLogic when you think about it]], would also have some pretty devastating effects on the environment Forrest was sworn to protect.

** Macgruder after Hugh's torture and MORESO after the Inuit village raid.

** Forrest's dramatic introduction which perfectly highlights how much the project was a testament to Seagal's bloated ego: from the slow pan up while he steps off his helicopter complete with cheesy music swelling in the background. %% The offscreen voice triumphantly proclaiming: "Forrest is here! That fire is as good as gone!" doesn't help.

** The scene where Forrest schools a bigoted bar patron. After beating the bigot to the point of bleeding, Forrest somehow makes the man realize the error of his ways in a drawn out attempt at drama while cheesy music swells in the background.

* SoBadItsGood: This movie is ripe with moments of Creator/StevenSeagal making a total fool out of himself and other actors saying ridiculous dialogue, not to mention how blatant the GreenAesop is and how the movie carelessly handles it.

** Meanwhile, they brought in John C. [=McGinley=] pre-''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' to play... A psychotic torture expert? Although this last one is probably the most YMMV of the whole lot; to some, he's the best thing in this movie, and genuinely creepy.

** Forrest's dramatic introduction: from the slow pan up while he steps off his helicopter complete with cheesy music swelling in the background. %% The offscreen voice triumphantly proclaiming: "Forrest is here! That fire is as good as gone!" doesn't help.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: One of the many reasons behind why the film was verbally eviscerated by both critics and audiences alike, stems from the movie being a hybrid of action mixed in with an extremely {{Anvilicious}} GreenAesop. Action fans, (and really, most audiences in general) are likely to be turned off by how heavy handed the environmentalist message is, and environmentalists themselves will most likely be put off by the [[{{Gorn}} gratuitous]] levels of violence.

* InferredHolocaust: Forrest blowing up an oil rig will cause more environmental damage than letting it run normally.
* KarmicOverkill: Liles. At worst, she (1) works as the BigBad's secretary and (2) has a bit of an ego. Yet the movie's logic = her deserving probably the most CruelAndUnusualDeath here. To be fair, she is possibly involved in her boss' actions (she's the one who tells him that the EPA has been receiving tips about him), but her [[DisproportionateRetribution final fate]] can still feel too extreme and excessive to some viewers.

* InferredHolocaust: Forrest blowing up an oil rig will cause more environmental damage than letting it run normally. Also doubling as MoralDissonance.

** Forrest's [[SarcasmMode dramatic introduction]] deserves special mention. Just about everything in the scene oozes of Narm. From the slow pan up while he steps off his helicopter complete with cheesy music swelling in the background. The offscreen voice triumphantly proclaiming: "[[CharacterShilling Forrest is here! That fire is as good as gone!]]" doesn't help.
** "THERE IS NO I IN TEAM! [[CaptainObvious THERE IS T-E-A-M!!]]"
** The frequent offscreen voices shouting their support for Forrest and/or dislike for the villains, which were obviously added in post-production because Creator/StevenSeagal needed his ego stroked even more.
** Creator/RLeeErmey's mixed metaphor-laden praise of Forrest. Everything out of his mouth in this scene just comes across as CharacterShilling, and none of it makes the slightest bit of sense - particularly the pesos comment.
--->'''Stone:''' You could drop this guy off at the arctic circle wearing a pair of bikini underwear without his toothbrush and tomorrow afternoon, he's gonna show up at your poolside with a million-dollar smile and a fistful of pesos.
** Creator/JoanChen dramatically telling TheDragon, "I will watch you die" in the most [[DullSurprise emotionless voice imaginable]]. Then it gets better when she ''doesn't'' get to watch him die, meaning the line was put in for absolutely no reason.
** Just about all of Seagal's "acting" qualifies, but the scene where he schools a bigoted bar patron has to take the cake. After beating the bigot to the point of bleeding, Forrest somehow makes the man realize the error of his ways in a drawn out attempt at drama while cheesy music swells in the background. This is all supposed to be taken completely seriously, mind you.

* {{Anvilicious}}: The movie's environmental message, which Creator/RogerEbert disparaged as "sanctimonious". The oil tycoon villain is so mean, he can't even stand the smell of caribou to film one commercial.

* InferredHolocaust: As [[WebVideo/BadMovieBeatdown Film Brain]] pointed out, Forrest blowing up an oil rig will cause more environmental damage than letting it run normally. Also doubling as MoralDissonance.

* NightmareFuel: Hugh's torture scene. An old man is bound to a chair and his fingers broken with a whale bone and later a pipe cutter is used on him. Part of this scene, according to [[WebVideo/BadMovieBeatdown Film Brain]], is cut from the UK release, and when he says that the scene is better trimmed, he's right, since enough of the scene played out still gives us what we need to hate the characters.

* VanityProject: Obviously. The CharacterShilling, the AuthorFilibuster at the end. Not to mention that Seagal's character is an [[DesignatedHero insufferable]] character of the highest caliber, who wins all his fights easily.

* HarsherInHindsight: Blowing up the oil rig becomes a lot harder to watch after the Gulf Oil Spill.

** Arguably Forrest himself when killing many {{Designated Villain}}s (e.g., Liles) who just happen to work for the BigBad's company.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Liles. At worst, she (1) works as the BigBad's secretary and (2) has a bit of an ego. Yet the movie's logic = her deserving probably the most CruelAndUnusualDeath here. To be fair, she is possibly involved in her boss' actions (she's the one who tells him that the EPA has been receiving tips about him), but her [[DisproportionateRetribution final fate]] can still feel too extreme and excessive to some viewers.

** [[Series/{{Scrubs}} Dr. Cox]] is a torture expert.

* SoBadItsGood: This movie is ripe with moments of Steven Seagal making a total fool out of himself and other actors saying ridiculous dialogue, not to mention how blatant the GreenAesop is and how the movie carelessly handles it.

* DesignatedHero: '''Forrest Taft''' so very much so. All throughout the film, he comes off as a complete psychopath. What Jennings is trying to do is wrong, but Forrest commits [[EcoTerrorist eco-terrorism]] on a grand scale, murdering several people in the facility, including people who are unarmed and unable to defend themselves. When told they have enough evidence to go to the police and stop the oil rig from beginning operation legally, Forrest blows off this option and simply blows the rig up. Which, when you think about it, would also have some pretty devastating effects on the environment Forrest was sworn to protect.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: If there's one thing Creator/StevenSeagal did right during production, it was hiring Basil Poledouris to score the movie (and the Seagal/Nasso Productions logo at the end). [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0heez-7wlE Here's a suite.]]