General Commander

• Directed by Philippe Martinez and Ross W. Clarkson
• May 28, 2019

A group of rogue CIA agents go after organ harvesters in the Philippines. Why?

I find it laughable that General Commander opens with a bit of a montage of the actors involved in the film as if it were the opening credits of a TV series. Perhaps it is because that was originally the intention for the project and they never bothered to do a new opener. Like so many other Seagal offerings this can be a bit of a mess.

Such an origin may explain other issues like the obvious padding and a generally leisurely pace. It may also explain the confusing title which if it had become a series may have eventually made some sense. Or not. Somebody may have just thought slapping ‘general’ and ‘commander’ together sounded cool.

I have absolutely no idea what this movie is about other than Steven Seagal as CIA Agent Jake Alexander and a couple other people establishing some kind of independent intelligence agency because of all the important activity in the Philippines. It’s just weird. I’m not throwing any shade at the Philippines. It does not come to mind as a hub of espionage or a place that should be the focus of the CIA. Then again neither should organ harvesting.

Why does the CIA (or Central Intelligence Agency) have any interest in organ harvesting as implied by the opening? Unless the baddies were targeting agents or officials they should be working on other things. What jurisdiction does the CIA have necessarily in the Philippines? It is one of several bits of nonsense that a thinking writer would notice.

Once upon a time in lower brow action movies, it was common for sovereign nations to bow to the authority of the US for no good reason. It connected with a common phrase of some victim shouting “You can’t do that to me! I’m an American!” Writers Lisa Gabriel and Philippe Martinez think type of ‘80s cheese (sans the phrase) still works.

Some of the people in this have some fame (or infamy) but their acting is questionable. When speaking there are pauses that are not for dramatic effect but are moments to recall a line that nobody edited out or took a second take on.

We all know the sound of film music meant to highlight a heartfelt moment. It may vary from film to film but the intent is obvious when used. Despite being focused on secret agent types, there are several emotional moments like they slapped in scenes from other episodes in a clunky attempt to give depth to something shallow. The interjections made me think the 9 intended episodes were made entirely or in part with those tender scenes lifted from there.

Seagal-as-Alexander breezes in and out of the film as a best-of-the-best type tough guy based on what characters say than what he actually does. Women want him with men wanting to be him. His unbridled sex appeal gets them the funding. And that’s about all I can say about that.

The rest of the cast characters are a little less defined. I’m hard-pressed to know what exactly they do besides secret agent stuff involving organ harvesters. Their acting ranges from adequate to atrocious. A lot of it is meant to convey depth or sounding complex, but it’s rather contrived and superficial. 

Alexander’s group in and out of the CIA have access to some pretty James Bond-level gadgetry. Their main piece of tech is a kind of camera in a contact lens and sedative antidote in pill form that lasts 10 minutes. That is one fast acting tablet!

The gun battles here use the silencer noise used by every careful assassin in film and television. Why? Never once is a silencer present! It makes no sense and once you notice it makes the already rough presentation that much harder

With less than tepid action and wooden performances and a nonsensical title, General Commander is one more dud in the Steven Seagal filmography. It’s not even one of the rarities that gets accidentally good at moments without the man.