Urban Justice
Encyclopedia
Urban Justice is a 2007
action film starring Steven Seagal
and Eddie Griffin
that was released on November 13, 2007 in the United States
. It was titled as Renegade Justice in the United Kingdom
.
The film was shot in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico
, November-December 2006 and was directed by Don E. Fauntleroy. Reportedly, Screen Gems was considering this film for a theatrical release. It would have been the first Seagal movie to hit theaters since Half Past Dead
in 2002 – the film Machete
in 2010 became the first Seagal movie to be in theatres since 2002.
The film was first known as Once Upon a Time in the Hood, but Sony changed it to Urban Justice.
), and the East Side Gangsters based on the Crips
, led by Armand Tucker (Eddie Griffin
).
Vice cop Max Ballister (Cory Hart) is called out one night by someone that he thinks is his informant Gary Morrison (Jade Yorker
). When Max reaches his destination, someone pulls up to him and fires a single shot that kills him, leaving his wife Linda (Liezl Carstens) widowed.
Max's angry father Simon Ballister (Steven Seagal
), who is a martial arts expert (it is implied that he is ex-CIA), moves to the neighborhood that Max was killed in, at address 1001 North Central, and he starts investigating, with the help of his new landlady Alice Park (Carmen Serano
), who runs MG's Grand Liquors.
Frank Shaw (Kirk B.R. Woller) is the detective who is heading the investigation. And what no one knows is that Shaw, who is a dirty cop, has formed a partnership with Tucker.
As Simon investigates, he starts leaving a trail of beat up and/or dead bodies of gangsters. Gary gives Simon a lead on El Chivo's gang. El Chivo runs most of the booking joints that Max went after, and El Chivo has a private club called the Anodyne. Simon goes to the Anodyne, and Chivo tells him that maybe it was Tucker who ordered the hit on Max.
Later, a pair of East Side Gangsters chase Simon via car. After a long chase, Simon causes them to crash their car. One of the gangsters is dead, and Simon, with a gun, asks the other one, Gary's brother Isaiah Morrison (Trantario 'TJ' Jones), who sent them. Isaiah says Tucker sent them. Later, Isaiah talks to Tucker, and Tucker tells Isaiah to kill Simon, or everyone Isaiah cares about will die.
On the next morning, Gary is chased by a group of four racists, and just as they're about to start beating him up, Simon shows up and leaves the four racists in a bloody heap on the ground. In Simon's car, Simon asks Gary if it was Isaiah who fired the shot that killed Max, but Gary is not saying anything. Just before Gary gets out of the car, Simon plants a tracking device on him.
That night, Simon uses the tracking device to follow Gary to a warehouse, and uses some electronic equipment to eavesdrop on the conversation that's taking place inside. It seems to be a meeting between the gangs. After listening some, Simon gets out and plants some more tracking devices. Shaw is there. And then, all of a sudden, gunfire erupts.
When it's over, the men from Chivo's gang are dead at the hands of some dirty cops who work for Shaw, and Tucker and Shaw take the money and drugs. Simon gets back in his car, and uses the tracking devices to follow them. Simon follows them to what looks like another warehouse. Simon silently breaks in and finds the cocaine.
Some of Tucker's men follow Simon back to MG's Grand Liquors, where Simon still has an apartment. Simon uses his tracking device, and notices that the car that the gangsters are in is right outside. Simon and Alice are in his apartment, and Simon tells Alice to hide.
The gangsters start coming into the apartment, and Simon starts killing them with a G36
. After killing the gangsters who broke into the apartment, Simon tells Alice to follow him. On the stairway, Simon kills some more gangsters.
Simon and Alice get outside, and Simon starts killing more gangsters. And then Simon gets shot by Tucker, who escapes. Alice takes Simon home with her, and he meets her cousin Winston (Diego Lopez
), who works at USC Medical Center. Simon is still focused on taking the gang down.
On the next day, Simon goes to Isaiah's house. Simon beats up Isaiah and two of his friends, and then Gary arrives. Simon forces Gary to admit that Shaw is the man behind everything. It was Shaw who killed Max. Gary explains that he was afraid to talk because Shaw threatened to kill his family. Shaw killed Max because Max witnessed a deal between Shaw and Tucker.
That night, Shaw and Tucker meet with a drug dealer from New York at a warehouse. Simon silently pulls up to the warehouse. Simon gets out, and starts killing gangsters. Shaw kills the New York drug dealer, while Simon continues to kill gangsters. Simon is also targeting Shaw's men.
After killing all of Tucker's men and all of Shaw's men, Simon confronts Shaw. Simon and Shaw engage in a brutal one-sided fight which leaves Shaw badly injured. As Simon has Shaw in a choke hold after giving him a vicious beating, Tucker walks in with a gun and stands there watching as Shaw repeatedly orders him to shoot Simon. Tucker ignores his commands. As Shaw moves towards unconsciousness, Simon fatally snaps his neck. As Simon stands before him unarmed, Tucker sarcastically remarks, "Now I know you ain't dumb enough to bring a fist to a gun fight" The instant Tucker finishes his words, Simon smoothly disarms Tucker, proclaiming "I am." Simon then turns then gun on Tucker stating that Tucker probably believes that he will kill him. However, he tells Tucker that his "beef" is not with him, hands Tucker the gun and walks away. Tucker is visibly impressed by Simon's cool display and delivers the final line of the movie saying, "That's gangster."
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
action film starring 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...
and Eddie Griffin
Eddie Griffin
Edward James "Eddie" Griffin, Jr. is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his sitcom, Malcolm & Eddie along with co-star, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and his role in the 2002 comedy film Undercover Brother as the film’s title character.-Early life:Griffin was born in Kansas City,...
that was released on November 13, 2007 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was titled as Renegade Justice in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The film was shot in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, November-December 2006 and was directed by Don E. Fauntleroy. Reportedly, Screen Gems was considering this film for a theatrical release. It would have been the first Seagal movie to hit theaters since Half Past Dead
Half Past Dead
Half Past Dead is a 2002 action movie in which a criminal infiltrates a prison to interrogate a prisoner about the location of a fortune in gold while an undercover FBI agent has to stop him. The film stars Steven Seagal, Morris Chestnut, Ja Rule, Nia Peeples, Kurupt, and Claudia Christian...
in 2002 – the film Machete
Machete (film)
Machete is a 2010 action film directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. The "Machete" character originates from the 2001 Spy Kids film, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. This film is an expansion of a fake trailer that was released together with Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's...
in 2010 became the first Seagal movie to be in theatres since 2002.
The film was first known as Once Upon a Time in the Hood, but Sony changed it to Urban Justice.
Plot
There is a part of Los Angeles where there are two rival gangs that have been at war with each other—the Hyde Park Gang based on MS-13, led by El Chivo (Danny TrejoDanny Trejo
Dan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
), and the East Side Gangsters based on the Crips
Crips
The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang. They were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams...
, led by Armand Tucker (Eddie Griffin
Eddie Griffin
Edward James "Eddie" Griffin, Jr. is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his sitcom, Malcolm & Eddie along with co-star, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and his role in the 2002 comedy film Undercover Brother as the film’s title character.-Early life:Griffin was born in Kansas City,...
).
Vice cop Max Ballister (Cory Hart) is called out one night by someone that he thinks is his informant Gary Morrison (Jade Yorker
Jade Yorker
Jade Yorker is an American actor of film and television. He grew up in Manalapan, New Jersey. He attended the Freehold Performing Arts Center for High School, which furthered his training. Among his TV credits are Cosby, Third Watch and Law & Order...
). When Max reaches his destination, someone pulls up to him and fires a single shot that kills him, leaving his wife Linda (Liezl Carstens) widowed.
Max's angry father Simon Ballister (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...
), who is a martial arts expert (it is implied that he is ex-CIA), moves to the neighborhood that Max was killed in, at address 1001 North Central, and he starts investigating, with the help of his new landlady Alice Park (Carmen Serano
Carmen Serano
Carmen Serano is a Hispanic American actress. She starred in the 2007 film Urban Justice alongside Steven Seagal. In 2008 she appeared in five episodes of the series, Breaking Bad.-Personal life:...
), who runs MG's Grand Liquors.
Frank Shaw (Kirk B.R. Woller) is the detective who is heading the investigation. And what no one knows is that Shaw, who is a dirty cop, has formed a partnership with Tucker.
As Simon investigates, he starts leaving a trail of beat up and/or dead bodies of gangsters. Gary gives Simon a lead on El Chivo's gang. El Chivo runs most of the booking joints that Max went after, and El Chivo has a private club called the Anodyne. Simon goes to the Anodyne, and Chivo tells him that maybe it was Tucker who ordered the hit on Max.
Later, a pair of East Side Gangsters chase Simon via car. After a long chase, Simon causes them to crash their car. One of the gangsters is dead, and Simon, with a gun, asks the other one, Gary's brother Isaiah Morrison (Trantario 'TJ' Jones), who sent them. Isaiah says Tucker sent them. Later, Isaiah talks to Tucker, and Tucker tells Isaiah to kill Simon, or everyone Isaiah cares about will die.
On the next morning, Gary is chased by a group of four racists, and just as they're about to start beating him up, Simon shows up and leaves the four racists in a bloody heap on the ground. In Simon's car, Simon asks Gary if it was Isaiah who fired the shot that killed Max, but Gary is not saying anything. Just before Gary gets out of the car, Simon plants a tracking device on him.
That night, Simon uses the tracking device to follow Gary to a warehouse, and uses some electronic equipment to eavesdrop on the conversation that's taking place inside. It seems to be a meeting between the gangs. After listening some, Simon gets out and plants some more tracking devices. Shaw is there. And then, all of a sudden, gunfire erupts.
When it's over, the men from Chivo's gang are dead at the hands of some dirty cops who work for Shaw, and Tucker and Shaw take the money and drugs. Simon gets back in his car, and uses the tracking devices to follow them. Simon follows them to what looks like another warehouse. Simon silently breaks in and finds the cocaine.
Some of Tucker's men follow Simon back to MG's Grand Liquors, where Simon still has an apartment. Simon uses his tracking device, and notices that the car that the gangsters are in is right outside. Simon and Alice are in his apartment, and Simon tells Alice to hide.
The gangsters start coming into the apartment, and Simon starts killing them with a G36
Heckler & Koch G36
The Heckler & Koch G36 is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1990s by Heckler & Koch in Germany as a replacement for the 7.62mm G3 battle rifle. It was accepted into service with the Bundeswehr in 1997, replacing the G3...
. After killing the gangsters who broke into the apartment, Simon tells Alice to follow him. On the stairway, Simon kills some more gangsters.
Simon and Alice get outside, and Simon starts killing more gangsters. And then Simon gets shot by Tucker, who escapes. Alice takes Simon home with her, and he meets her cousin Winston (Diego Lopez
Diego López
Diego López may refer to:*Diego López , Spanish Renaissance painter*Diego López Garrido, Spanish politician*Diego López Rodríguez, Spanish football goalkeeper*Luis Diego López, Uruguayan football defender...
), who works at USC Medical Center. Simon is still focused on taking the gang down.
On the next day, Simon goes to Isaiah's house. Simon beats up Isaiah and two of his friends, and then Gary arrives. Simon forces Gary to admit that Shaw is the man behind everything. It was Shaw who killed Max. Gary explains that he was afraid to talk because Shaw threatened to kill his family. Shaw killed Max because Max witnessed a deal between Shaw and Tucker.
That night, Shaw and Tucker meet with a drug dealer from New York at a warehouse. Simon silently pulls up to the warehouse. Simon gets out, and starts killing gangsters. Shaw kills the New York drug dealer, while Simon continues to kill gangsters. Simon is also targeting Shaw's men.
After killing all of Tucker's men and all of Shaw's men, Simon confronts Shaw. Simon and Shaw engage in a brutal one-sided fight which leaves Shaw badly injured. As Simon has Shaw in a choke hold after giving him a vicious beating, Tucker walks in with a gun and stands there watching as Shaw repeatedly orders him to shoot Simon. Tucker ignores his commands. As Shaw moves towards unconsciousness, Simon fatally snaps his neck. As Simon stands before him unarmed, Tucker sarcastically remarks, "Now I know you ain't dumb enough to bring a fist to a gun fight" The instant Tucker finishes his words, Simon smoothly disarms Tucker, proclaiming "I am." Simon then turns then gun on Tucker stating that Tucker probably believes that he will kill him. However, he tells Tucker that his "beef" is not with him, hands Tucker the gun and walks away. Tucker is visibly impressed by Simon's cool display and delivers the final line of the movie saying, "That's gangster."
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 Simon - Danny TrejoDanny TrejoDan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
as El Chivo - Eddie GriffinEddie GriffinEdward James "Eddie" Griffin, Jr. is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his sitcom, Malcolm & Eddie along with co-star, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and his role in the 2002 comedy film Undercover Brother as the film’s title character.-Early life:Griffin was born in Kansas City,...
as Armand Tucker - Jade YorkerJade YorkerJade Yorker is an American actor of film and television. He grew up in Manalapan, New Jersey. He attended the Freehold Performing Arts Center for High School, which furthered his training. Among his TV credits are Cosby, Third Watch and Law & Order...
as Gary Middleton - Carmen SeranoCarmen SeranoCarmen Serano is a Hispanic American actress. She starred in the 2007 film Urban Justice alongside Steven Seagal. In 2008 she appeared in five episodes of the series, Breaking Bad.-Personal life:...
as Alice Park - Kirk B.R. Woller as Frank Shaw
- Liezl Carstens as Linda
- Josh Berry as Detective Brown
- Barry Tolli as Detective Van Pelt
- Jermaine Washington as Rasheed
- Diego Joaquin Lopez as Winston
- Jesus Jr. as Jesus
- Bas van der Zijden as Police officer Randell
- Thomas Wilson BrownThomas Wilson BrownThomas Wilson Brown is an American actor, who began his career at the age of eleven by playing Augie, the nephew of Scott Glenn and Kevin Costners' characters in the Lawrence Kasden western classic Silverado....
as Marcos