Exit Wounds
Encyclopedia
Exit Wounds is a 2001 action film
based on the book of the same name by John Westermann. The book takes place on Long Island
, while the film is set in Detroit. The film was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak
, and stars Steven Seagal
as an urban detective notorious for pushing the limits of the law in his quest for justice. The story is set in Detroit, although many goof
s in production make it apparent that most of the movie was filmed in Toronto
, Ontario
; Hamilton, Ontario
and Calgary
, Alberta
.
As of 2011, Exit Wounds is the last Steven Seagal movie to be distributed by Warner Bros.
) is a cop who works in Detroit's 21st precinct, and his attitude and rough means of enforcing the law always end up annoying the precinct captain, Frank Daniels (Bruce McGill
). When a Michigan militant group try to kill the Vice President of the United States (Christopher Lawford
), Orin kills the militants. Even though Orin saved the Vice President's life, Frank does not like the way Orin did it, so Frank transfers Orin to the 15th precinct — Detroit's worst precinct.
Orin's new captain, former internal affairs officer Annette Mulcahy (Jill Hennessy
), knows of his reputation, and she tells him that she will not tolerate it. Annette sends Orin to an anger management class where he meets Henry Wayne (Tom Arnold
), the high-strung host of a local talk show called Detroit AM. Despite this measure, Orin does not change his ways of doing his job. It is not long before he comes across local drug dealer Latrell Walker (Earl "DMX
" Simmons) and his fast-talking sidekick T.K. Johnson (Anthony Anderson
) doing a shady deal with a man named Matt Montini (David Vadim
). After a brief fight, Orin discovers that Montini has been working undercover trying to nail Walker and Orin messed it up, and that does not sit well with Montini's musclebound partner Useldinger (Matthew G. Taylor
).
Not all of the cops of the 15th precinct give Orin a hard time. Sergeant Lewis Strutt (Michael Jai White
) steps in to cool things down when Orin gets in a fight with Useldinger, and George Clark (Isaiah Washington
) is assigned to be Orin's partner. After Orin stumbles upon the theft of $5,000,000 worth of heroin from Piper Tech, a place where evidence is stored, Orin and George begin focusing their efforts on Latrell and T.K., and also Shaun Rollins (Mel Jason "Drag-On
" Smalls), whom Latrell has been visiting at the local jail. Orin asks Henry to do some digging on Latrell's background. What Henry discovers is that Latrell is not a drug dealer. Latrell is a computer expert and billionaire whose real name is Leon Rollins — he is Shaun Rollins' brother. Orin confronts Leon, who explains that a group of corrupt cops were in danger of losing one of their drug dealers, so the corrupt cops planted heroin on Shaun, setting Shaun up to take the rap so they would not lose their dealer. Leon shows a videotape that shows that Strutt is the leader of the group of corrupt cops, who also include Montini and Useldinger, and it was Strutt and his gang who stole the heroin from Piper Tech. Leon and his friend Trish (Eva Mendes
) have been videotaping some of the activities of Strutt's gang, hoping that it might help prove Shaun's innocence and get him out of jail.
Orin meets with Annette at a parking lot and he gets in Annette's truck and tells Annette what is going on. And then Montini and Useldinger and some other men show up and try to kill Orin and Annette. Annette screeches out of the parking lot with Orin still in her truck. Orin and Annette are chased, and Annette is killed when her truck slams into the back of a bigger vehicle, sending her into her truck's windshield. Orin calls Frank and tells him that Strutt will be having a meeting at a warehouse in about an hour, to sell the heroin that was stolen from Piper Tech. Strutt plans to try to sell it to Leon and T. K., not knowing that Leon is working against him. Frank promises that he will be there with some backup. Orin goes to George's house and tells George what is going on. George agrees to help Orin.
At midnight in the warehouse, Strutt is trying to sell the heroin to Leon when he realizes who Leon is and why Leon is working against him. Orin and Frank show up, and Strutt tells Frank to keep Orin under control. Frank aims a gun at Orin. Orin realizes that it is Frank who is behind everything. Frank complains that his $40,000-a-year salary is not enough money for putting his life on the line every day. That is why Frank has been heading the drug running operation, as a way to make a lot of money. Just as Frank is about to shoot Orin, George blows open the door and barges in with backup, including police chief Hinges (Bill Duke
). Gunfire erupts, and T. K. gets shot in the leg. Useldinger shoots Orin when he sneaks behind him, and as he is about to shoot him again, George shoots Useldinger dead. Orin is fine because he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Chief Hinges kills Frank by shooting him 4 times with a shotgun, the last bullet hitting his neck and yells out "You're fired". Orin gets into a fight against Strutt, and Leon gets into a fight against Montini. After a swordfight, Strutt grabs a case full of money and runs up to the roof, where a helicopter is waiting for him, and there is a rope ladder hanging from the helicopter. Strutt starts climbing up the ladder, and Orin grabs the ladder too. Montini gets the upper hand in his fight with Leon after he damages Leon's vision with cement powder. However, Leon manages to stab Montini in the leg with a piece of broken glass. As the helicopter ladder is dragging Orin across the roof while Strutt is hanging on to the ladder, Orin snags the ladder on one of the metal pipes that's sticking up out of the roof. This makes the ladder snap off of the helicopter with Strutt still on the ladder. Strutt and the ladder fall to the roof, and Strutt is killed when he lands on a metal pipe that impales from his back and causes the exit wound to come through his chest. Leon beats Montini up, and when Montini tries to push Leon toward a metal spike that's sticking out of the wall, Leon grabs Montini, and forces Montini to the wall. Montini dies when the spike goes through his throat and causes an exit wound through the back of his neck.
At dawn, Leon gives Hinges a videotape that has a lot of the corruption on it, hoping that the tape will help prove Shaun's innocence. Hinges thinks the courts will not care about the tape, so Hinges had Shaun released from county about an hour before. Orin decides to stay with the 15th precinct with George as his partner, and T. K. becomes Henry's co-host.
The critical reception was mixed. it was hailed as Seagal's big "comeback", , it currently holds a 32% rating out of 65 reviews on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes
..
. It peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200
and #5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
.
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
based on the book of the same name by John Westermann. The book takes place on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, while the film is set in Detroit. The film was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak
Andrzej Bartkowiak
Andrzej Bartkowiak, A.S.C. is a Polish cinematographer and director.In the early 1980s, Bartkowiak was cinematographer on three films that received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture: The Verdict, Terms of Endearment, and Prizzi's Honor.As cinematographer he has collaborated with several...
, and stars Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
as an urban detective notorious for pushing the limits of the law in his quest for justice. The story is set in Detroit, although many goof
Goof
In filmmaking, a goof is a mistake made during film production that finds its way into the final released picture. Depending upon the film and the actual scene, the goof may have different effects: a loss in realism, an annoyance, or it could just be funny. It is often a type of continuity error...
s in production make it apparent that most of the movie was filmed in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
; Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
and Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
.
As of 2011, Exit Wounds is the last Steven Seagal movie to be distributed by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Plot
Orin Boyd (Steven SeagalSteven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
) is a cop who works in Detroit's 21st precinct, and his attitude and rough means of enforcing the law always end up annoying the precinct captain, Frank Daniels (Bruce McGill
Bruce McGill
Bruce Travis McGill is an American actor who has an extensive list of credits in film and television. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jack Dalton on the television series MacGyver and as Daniel Simpson "D-Day" Day in National Lampoon's Animal House.-Early life:McGill was born in San...
). When a Michigan militant group try to kill the Vice President of the United States (Christopher Lawford
Christopher Lawford
Christopher Kennedy Lawford is an American author, actor and activist and member of the prominent Kennedy family.-Life and career:...
), Orin kills the militants. Even though Orin saved the Vice President's life, Frank does not like the way Orin did it, so Frank transfers Orin to the 15th precinct — Detroit's worst precinct.
Orin's new captain, former internal affairs officer Annette Mulcahy (Jill Hennessy
Jill Hennessy
Jillian Noel "Jill" Hennessy is a Canadian actress and musician known for her television roles on Law & Order and Crossing Jordan.-Early life:...
), knows of his reputation, and she tells him that she will not tolerate it. Annette sends Orin to an anger management class where he meets Henry Wayne (Tom Arnold
Tom Arnold (actor)
Thomas Dwaine "Tom" Arnold is an American actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films, perhaps most notably True Lies . He was the host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period for four years.-Early life:...
), the high-strung host of a local talk show called Detroit AM. Despite this measure, Orin does not change his ways of doing his job. It is not long before he comes across local drug dealer Latrell Walker (Earl "DMX
DMX (rapper)
Earl Simmons , better known by his stage name DMX, is a multiplatinum American rapper and actor who rose to fame in the late 1990s. His stage name pays tribute to the Oberheim DMX drum machine, an instrument he used when he made his own rap beats in the 80's...
" Simmons) and his fast-talking sidekick T.K. Johnson (Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The...
) doing a shady deal with a man named Matt Montini (David Vadim
David Vadim
David Vadim is a Ukrainian-born American actor who appeared in the movies Air Force One, Exit Wounds, G.I. Jane and Punisher: War Zone...
). After a brief fight, Orin discovers that Montini has been working undercover trying to nail Walker and Orin messed it up, and that does not sit well with Montini's musclebound partner Useldinger (Matthew G. Taylor
Matthew G. Taylor
Matthew G. Taylor is a Canadian actor. He is most notably known for portraying Nemesis in Resident Evil: Apocalypse.Taylor spent his youth in Toronto, Canada. Before becoming an actor, he was a police officer for 5 years with the Ontario Provincial Police and personal trainer. He has also studied...
).
Not all of the cops of the 15th precinct give Orin a hard time. Sergeant Lewis Strutt (Michael Jai White
Michael Jai White
Michael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn...
) steps in to cool things down when Orin gets in a fight with Useldinger, and George Clark (Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington IV is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.-Personal life:...
) is assigned to be Orin's partner. After Orin stumbles upon the theft of $5,000,000 worth of heroin from Piper Tech, a place where evidence is stored, Orin and George begin focusing their efforts on Latrell and T.K., and also Shaun Rollins (Mel Jason "Drag-On
Drag-On
Mel Jason Smalls , better known as Drag-On, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York City.Drag-On was originally signed to Interscope Records under the Ruff Ryders Entertainment imprint, where he released his successful debut album, Opposite of H2O, which debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200...
" Smalls), whom Latrell has been visiting at the local jail. Orin asks Henry to do some digging on Latrell's background. What Henry discovers is that Latrell is not a drug dealer. Latrell is a computer expert and billionaire whose real name is Leon Rollins — he is Shaun Rollins' brother. Orin confronts Leon, who explains that a group of corrupt cops were in danger of losing one of their drug dealers, so the corrupt cops planted heroin on Shaun, setting Shaun up to take the rap so they would not lose their dealer. Leon shows a videotape that shows that Strutt is the leader of the group of corrupt cops, who also include Montini and Useldinger, and it was Strutt and his gang who stole the heroin from Piper Tech. Leon and his friend Trish (Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes is an American actress.She began acting in the late 1990s, and after a series of minor roles and performances in several smaller films such as Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror and Urban Legends: Final Cut , she broke into the mainstream, appearing in leading roles in Hollywood...
) have been videotaping some of the activities of Strutt's gang, hoping that it might help prove Shaun's innocence and get him out of jail.
Orin meets with Annette at a parking lot and he gets in Annette's truck and tells Annette what is going on. And then Montini and Useldinger and some other men show up and try to kill Orin and Annette. Annette screeches out of the parking lot with Orin still in her truck. Orin and Annette are chased, and Annette is killed when her truck slams into the back of a bigger vehicle, sending her into her truck's windshield. Orin calls Frank and tells him that Strutt will be having a meeting at a warehouse in about an hour, to sell the heroin that was stolen from Piper Tech. Strutt plans to try to sell it to Leon and T. K., not knowing that Leon is working against him. Frank promises that he will be there with some backup. Orin goes to George's house and tells George what is going on. George agrees to help Orin.
At midnight in the warehouse, Strutt is trying to sell the heroin to Leon when he realizes who Leon is and why Leon is working against him. Orin and Frank show up, and Strutt tells Frank to keep Orin under control. Frank aims a gun at Orin. Orin realizes that it is Frank who is behind everything. Frank complains that his $40,000-a-year salary is not enough money for putting his life on the line every day. That is why Frank has been heading the drug running operation, as a way to make a lot of money. Just as Frank is about to shoot Orin, George blows open the door and barges in with backup, including police chief Hinges (Bill Duke
Bill Duke
William Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. is an American actor and film director with over 30 years of experience. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action/crime and drama genres but also includes comedy.-Early life:Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the...
). Gunfire erupts, and T. K. gets shot in the leg. Useldinger shoots Orin when he sneaks behind him, and as he is about to shoot him again, George shoots Useldinger dead. Orin is fine because he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Chief Hinges kills Frank by shooting him 4 times with a shotgun, the last bullet hitting his neck and yells out "You're fired". Orin gets into a fight against Strutt, and Leon gets into a fight against Montini. After a swordfight, Strutt grabs a case full of money and runs up to the roof, where a helicopter is waiting for him, and there is a rope ladder hanging from the helicopter. Strutt starts climbing up the ladder, and Orin grabs the ladder too. Montini gets the upper hand in his fight with Leon after he damages Leon's vision with cement powder. However, Leon manages to stab Montini in the leg with a piece of broken glass. As the helicopter ladder is dragging Orin across the roof while Strutt is hanging on to the ladder, Orin snags the ladder on one of the metal pipes that's sticking up out of the roof. This makes the ladder snap off of the helicopter with Strutt still on the ladder. Strutt and the ladder fall to the roof, and Strutt is killed when he lands on a metal pipe that impales from his back and causes the exit wound to come through his chest. Leon beats Montini up, and when Montini tries to push Leon toward a metal spike that's sticking out of the wall, Leon grabs Montini, and forces Montini to the wall. Montini dies when the spike goes through his throat and causes an exit wound through the back of his neck.
At dawn, Leon gives Hinges a videotape that has a lot of the corruption on it, hoping that the tape will help prove Shaun's innocence. Hinges thinks the courts will not care about the tape, so Hinges had Shaun released from county about an hour before. Orin decides to stay with the 15th precinct with George as his partner, and T. K. becomes Henry's co-host.
Cast
- Steven SeagalSteven SeagalSteven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
as Orin Boyd - DMXDMX (rapper)Earl Simmons , better known by his stage name DMX, is a multiplatinum American rapper and actor who rose to fame in the late 1990s. His stage name pays tribute to the Oberheim DMX drum machine, an instrument he used when he made his own rap beats in the 80's...
as Latrell Walker - Isaiah WashingtonIsaiah WashingtonIsaiah Washington IV is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.-Personal life:...
as George Clark - Anthony AndersonAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The...
as T.K. Johnson - Michael Jai WhiteMichael Jai WhiteMichael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn...
as Lewis Strutt - Bill DukeBill DukeWilliam Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. is an American actor and film director with over 30 years of experience. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action/crime and drama genres but also includes comedy.-Early life:Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the...
as Chief Hinges - Jill HennessyJill HennessyJillian Noel "Jill" Hennessy is a Canadian actress and musician known for her television roles on Law & Order and Crossing Jordan.-Early life:...
as Annette Mulcahy - Tom ArnoldTom Arnold (actor)Thomas Dwaine "Tom" Arnold is an American actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films, perhaps most notably True Lies . He was the host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period for four years.-Early life:...
as Henry Wayne - Matthew G. TaylorMatthew G. TaylorMatthew G. Taylor is a Canadian actor. He is most notably known for portraying Nemesis in Resident Evil: Apocalypse.Taylor spent his youth in Toronto, Canada. Before becoming an actor, he was a police officer for 5 years with the Ontario Provincial Police and personal trainer. He has also studied...
as Sgt. Usseldinger - Bruce McGillBruce McGillBruce Travis McGill is an American actor who has an extensive list of credits in film and television. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jack Dalton on the television series MacGyver and as Daniel Simpson "D-Day" Day in National Lampoon's Animal House.-Early life:McGill was born in San...
as Frank Daniels - David VadimDavid VadimDavid Vadim is a Ukrainian-born American actor who appeared in the movies Air Force One, Exit Wounds, G.I. Jane and Punisher: War Zone...
as Matt Montini - Eva MendesEva MendesEva Mendes is an American actress.She began acting in the late 1990s, and after a series of minor roles and performances in several smaller films such as Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror and Urban Legends: Final Cut , she broke into the mainstream, appearing in leading roles in Hollywood...
as Trish - Drag-onDrag-OnMel Jason Smalls , better known as Drag-On, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York City.Drag-On was originally signed to Interscope Records under the Ruff Ryders Entertainment imprint, where he released his successful debut album, Opposite of H2O, which debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200...
as Shaun Rollins - Jamie FoxxJamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
as Bar Patron (Uncredited)
Accident on set
Stuntman Chris Lamon died of head injuries on August 23, 2000, six days after a stunt went wrong on the Exit Wounds set in Hamilton, Ontario. A van was being towed along a street upside-down as part of a chase scene; he was supposed to roll safely out, but apparently struck his head. Another stuntman suffered a concussion in the same incident.Reception
Exit Wounds debuted at No.1 at the box office, grossing $19 million at North American theaters from Friday through Sunday. It was considered a surprise hit movie as it grossed over $50 million in America and almost $80 million worldwide.The critical reception was mixed. it was hailed as Seagal's big "comeback", , it currently holds a 32% rating out of 65 reviews on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
..
Soundtrack
A soundtrack containing hip hop music was released on March 20, 2001 by Virgin RecordsVirgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. It peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and #5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
.