Editing Steven Seagal (section)

== Influence and artistry ==
At the height of his career, Seagal was one of the biggest action movie stars in the world, and one of the most successful martial arts actors of the 1980s and 1990s, alongside [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Matthew |date=2023-02-05 |title=Why Jean-Claude Van Damme Took Years To Admit To His Affair With This Music Superstar |url=https://www.thethings.com/jean-claude-van-damme-affair-with-kylie-minogue/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=TheThings |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Scucci |first=Rob |date=2022-11-28 |title=Jean-Claude Van Damme or Steven Seagal: Who had the Better Career? |url=https://movieweb.com/jcvd-vs-seagal-better-career/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=MovieWeb |language=en}}</ref> Credited with popularising [[aikido]] in film, Seagal is considered an important figure in the development and popularization of East Asian martial arts in the West.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wingchunnews.ca/the-truth-about-steven-seagals-aikido/ | title=The Truth About Steven Seagal's Aikido | date=June 29, 2022 }}</ref> 

Many of Seagal's films share unique elements which have become characteristic of his body of work. His characters often have an elite past affiliation with the [[CIA]], [[Special Forces]], or [[Black ops|Black Ops]] (for example, [[Casey Ryback]] in ''[[Under Siege]]'', a former [[Navy SEAL]], Jack Cole in ''[[The Glimmer Man]]'', an ex-CIA police detective, or Jonathan Cold in ''[[The Foreigner (2003 film)|The Foreigner]]'' and ''[[Black Dawn (2005 film)|Black Dawn]]'', an ex-CIA Black Ops freelancer). His characters differ from those of other action movie icons by virtue of their near-invulnerability; they rarely face any significant physical threat, easily overpowering any opposition and seldom facing bodily harm or even temporary defeat.<ref>{{cite book|title=Seagalogy: A Study of the Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal.|last=Vern|publisher=Titan Books|year=2008|page=12}}</ref> Two notable exceptions are ''[[Executive Decision]]'' (1996), in which Seagal's character is introduced as a [[false protagonist]] only to be [[plot twist|killed halfway through]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/executive-decision-1996 |title=Executive Decision |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=March 15, 1996 |access-date=September 27, 2014 }}</ref> and ''[[Machete (2010 film)|Machete]]'' (2010), which features Seagal in a rare [[villain]]ous role.<ref>{{cite news|title=Growl, and Let the Severed Heads Fall Where They May|work=[[The New York Times]]|author-link=Stephen Holden|author=Holden, Stephen|date=September 2, 2010|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/movies/03machete.html?mcubz=1}}</ref>

Seagal's films also frequently reflect aspects of his personal life. His music appears in several of his films (for example, ''[[Into the Sun (2005 film)|Into the Sun]]'' and ''[[Ticker (2001 film)|Ticker]]'', where he appears as part of a bar band), as does his fluency in other languages (he speaks Japanese in ''[[Into the Sun (2005 film)|Into the Sun]]'') and religion (Buddhism features prominently in ''[[The Glimmer Man]]'' and ''[[Belly of the Beast]]''). His past as an aikido teacher is also incorporated into several films, for example ''[[Above the Law (1988 film)|Above the Law]]'' (which opens with a montage of real-life photos from Seagal's own past) or ''[[Shadow Man (2006 film)|Shadow Man]]'', where he is seen giving an aikido demonstration. Several of his films also feature prominent political messages, most notably the environmentalism evident in ''[[On Deadly Ground]]''.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/8B0np_o1VBg Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120704172025/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B0np_o1VBg&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media|author=edstar83|title=Steven Seagal On Deadly Ground. 1994 Ending Speech!|date=July 10, 2010 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B0np_o1VBg|format=video|via=[[YouTube]]|access-date=December 20, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

While Seagal's acting in ''Above the Law'' gained praise from the likes of [[Roger Ebert]], Seagal has repeatedly faced criticism from both critics and fans who accuse him of playing the same character in many of his movies, as well as displaying a lack of emotional range. In fact, his [[typecasting]] has been informally referred to as "Seagalism" and has become the subject of much [[parody]]. In 2008, author and [[critic]] Vern published ''[[Seagalogy]]'', a work which examines Seagal's filmography using the framework of [[auteur theory]]. Vern describes themes of government corruption (particularly involving the CIA), [[environmentalism]], and adoption of foreign cultures as being examples of recurrent motifs in Seagal's films, among a variety of others. The first edition breaks Seagal's career into four chronological "eras", marked by specific differences in style and content. The 2012 updated edition adds a fifth era.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.craveonline.com/film/reviews/186519-review-seagalogy-a-study-of-the-ass-kicking-films-of-steven-seagal-updated-and-expanded-edition |title=Review: Seagalogy (Updated and Expanded Edition) A badass study of the badass films of Steven Seagal, treated like they were Shakespeare |last1=Seibold |first1=Witney |date=April 11, 2012 |website=Fixist |accessdate=March 9, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coolasscinema.com/2012/04/cool-ass-cinema-book-reviews-bone.html |title=Cool Ass Cinema Book Reviews: Bone Breaking, Ass Kicking Edition! |date=April 11, 2012 |website=Cool Ass Cinema |accessdate=March 9, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flixist.com/book-seagalogy-updated-and-expanded-edition--208924.phtml |title=Book: Seagalogy (Updated and Expanded Edition) |last1=Vigilla |first1=Hubert |date=April 6, 2012 |website=Fixist |accessdate=March 9, 2014}}</ref>

These chronological "eras" describe different phases of Seagal's career, and include the "Golden Era" (1988–1991), the period of Seagal's first successes, the "Silver Era" (1992–1997), during which Seagal saw the peak of his fame and made high-profile blockbusters, a "Transitional Period" (1998–2002) during which he made lower-profile or ensemble films, a lengthy "[[direct-to-video]]" period (his most prolific to date, 2003–2008) and, in the 2012 updated addition, a "Chief Seagal" period (2009–present) during which Seagal moved into [[television]] and began reflecting elements of his ''Steven Seagal: Lawman'' persona in his films.<ref>{{cite book |last= Vern |date=April 3, 2012 |title= Seagalogy: The Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal |publisher= [[Titan Books]] |pages= ii–iv |edition=New Updated |isbn=978-0857687227}}</ref>