Hard to Kill

Warner Bros. | Release Date: February 9, 1990

CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION

41	METASCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic score Publication By date

Owen Gleiberman

At this point, revenge thrillers have become so standardized that these films are really all the same film — a Mixmaster blend of Death Wish, Dirty Harry, Enter the Dragon, and Rambo. A star with a personality would only gum up the works. Read full review

Janet Maslin

Mr. Seagal is effective for both his novelty value and his ability to be both literally and figuratively disarming. And the film itself is a lively one for its genre, ambitious enough to do more than simply string fight scenes together. Read full review

TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)

As it is, Hard to Kill has just enough going for it between the explosions and bone-crunching fight scenes to qualify as two hours of solid, high-decibel action entertainment. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

It ain’t pretty, but it gets the action fans off. Read full review

Richard Harrington

Director Bruce Malmuth keeps the pace taut, the shots tight. Read full review

EmpireWilliam Thomas

One for fans only. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

While Seagal is spraying bullets, breaking bones and throwing interchangeable bad guys through windows, this has a certain mindless appeal. But Malmuth's flaccid direction lacks the vicious muscularity and authentic edge of Seagal's previous feature. Read full review

Michael Wilmington

There's nothing dopier than the crooks in one-against-a-hundred action movies -- except maybe the people who cook them up. [12 Feb 1990, p.F8]

Mick LaSalle

This time the martial arts philosophy lesson rings hollow. [10 Feb 1990, p.C5]

Michael Upchurch

Steven Seagal should go into a seven-year coma more often. It suits his acting ability. A coma is what happens to him in Hard To Kill, his latest hard-to-swallow and dull-to-sit-through formula vigilante movie. [10 Feb 1990, p.C7]

Susan Wloszczyna

The story is about as good as the average TV cop drama. But here actions speak far louder than words, and Seagal is quite eloquent. Rather than weapons, he prefers a hands-on approach to his enemies. Twisted limbs are his specialty. [12 Feb 1990, p.2D]

Juan Carlos Coto

Hard to Kill is all Seagal, and if pure action thrills are your preference, this will do just fine. [13 Feb 1990, p.C7]