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{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = On Deadly Ground
| image          = On_deadly_ground.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Steven Seagal]]
| producer       = Steven Seagal<br />[[A. Kitman Ho]]<br />[[Julius R. Nasso]]
| writer         = Ed Horowitz<br />[[Robin Russin|Robin U. Russin]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
*Steven Seagal
*[[Michael Caine]]
*[[Joan Chen]]
*[[John C. McGinley]]
}}
| music          = [[Basil Poledouris]]
| cinematography = [[Ric Waite]]
| editing        = [[Don Brochu]]<br />Robert A. Ferretti
| studio         = [[Seagal/Nasso Productions]]
| distributor    = [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]]
| released       = {{Film date|1994|2|18|United States}}
| runtime        = 101 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English<br />[[Yupik languages|Yupik]]
| budget         = $50 million<ref name="boxofficemojo.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ondeadlyground.htm|title=On Deadly Ground (1994)|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=June 24, 2015}}</ref>
| gross          = $78.1 million<ref name=worldwide>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=M-56|date=October 17, 1994|title=Top 100 grossers worldwide, '93-94}}</ref>
}}

'''''On Deadly Ground''''' is a 1994 American environmental [[action adventure film]] [[film director|directed]], co-produced by, and starring [[Steven Seagal]], and co-starring  [[Michael Caine]], [[Joan Chen]], [[John C. McGinley]] and [[R. Lee Ermey]]. As of 2024, it is Seagal's only directorial effort and features a minor appearance by [[Billy Bob Thornton]] in one of his early roles. Seagal plays Forrest Taft, an expert [[firefighter]] who chooses to fight back against the [[environmental destruction]] caused by his ruthless former employer (Caine). ''On Deadly Ground'' was theatrically released in the United States on February 18, 1994, by [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]] It garnered negative reviews from critics and grossed $78.1 million worldwide on a $50 million production budget.

==Plot==
Aegis Oil owns various [[oil refineries]] and [[oil rigs|rigs]] in [[Alaska]], where the company faces great opposition from the public due to the increasing environmental damage done by its operations. Aegis had purchased the oil production rights from the local [[Tribal council (United States)|tribal council]] 20 years prior; however, the rights will revert to the natives if Aegis 1, the company's newest oil platform and biggest refinery, is not online within a certain deadline. In order to make the deadline in the face of multiple delays, CEO Michael Jennings forces his workers to use substandard parts.

Foreman Hugh Palmer's rig suffers a blowout due to the faulty parts. Trained firefighter Forrest Taft extinguishes the blaze. However, they have become suspicious of their company's consistently poor safety record. Taft manages to hack into the company's computer files and learn about the faulty parts. After being informed of Palmer's efforts to alert the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] and of Taft's access to restricted files, Jennings arranges for both of them to be eliminated by his [[Chief Security Officer]], MacGruder and his assistant Otto. The two ransack Palmer's cabin and brutally torture and murder him when he refuses to cooperate. Meanwhile, Taft is ordered by Jennings to head over to another accident site, but realizes too late that the damaged building has been rigged as a booby trap. Taft narrowly survives the ensuing explosion and is rescued by Masu, the daughter of [[Yupik people|Yupik]] tribe chief Silook.

At the behest of Silook, Taft undergoes a vision quest in which he sees the full truth and vows to make amends for his part in Aegis's crimes. Meanwhile, the Aegis security team tracks Taft to Silook's village and when the tribe turns them down, a confrontation ensues, ending with MacGruder fatally shooting Silook. Taft returns in time to have one last talk with Silook before he succumbs to his wounds, vowing to avenge him and bring down Aegis.

Taft and Masu make their way to Palmer's cabin. While gathering supplies, they find his incriminating disk containing proof of Aegis's crimes. Otto and three Aegis security guards track the pair back to the cabin. Taft ambushes the party, quickly killing all of them. Jennings then deploys a squad of mercenaries led by an older man code-named "Stone", but Taft manages to evade the group by killing several of the members with booby traps and blowing up a shack which obliterates a helicopter, effectively finishing their pursuit.

Taft and Masu collect weapons and explosives and proceed to sneak into the refinery complex. Taft sabotages Aegis 1 by killing the main power and forcing a reboot, then releasing [[hydrochloric acid]] gas inside the refinery. He then plants a series of C-4 explosive charges onto several oil tanks and in the control room and sets them to a timer.

Jennings has already arrived at the refinery to check on it when he gets word of Taft's infiltration and orders his henchmen to find and kill him. Taft fights and eventually eliminates every opposing mercenary (including MacGruder and Stone) using firearms, a steel pipe, and even burning gasoline. He then confronts and corners Jennings, condemning him for his greed and corruption. As Jennings attempts to escape, Taft lassos one of his legs with a cable, puts it on a hook and shoots the cable, sending Jennings to his death into a pool of oil sludge below. He and Masu then escape the rig just as the hidden C-4 charges detonate, causing a chain of explosions that ravages the entire plant. They flee the exploding refinery in an Aegis truck, escaping as Aegis 1 is torn down by the fire. Later, Taft, far from being arrested for industrial sabotage and multiple murders, delivers a speech at the Alaska State Capitol about the dangers of oil pollution and the companies that are endangering the ecosystem.<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>

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Steven Seagal]] as Forrest Taft, a firefighter and blowout specialist.
* [[Michael Caine]] as Michael Jennings, greedy, ruthless billionaire [[CEO]] of Aegis Oil.
* [[Joan Chen]] as Masu, the daughter of Yupik tribe chief Silook.
* [[John C. McGinley]] as MacGruder, the chief of security of Aegis Oil.
* [[R. Lee Ermey]] as Stone, the leader of the mercenary group.
* [[Shari Shattuck]] as Liles, Jennings' personal assistant.
* [[Billy Bob Thornton]] as Homer Carlton, one of Stone's men.
* [[Richard Hamilton (actor)|Richard Hamilton]] as Hugh Palmer, rig foreman of Aegis Oil.
* Chief Irvin Brink as Silook, chief of the Alaskan Yupik tribe.
* [[John Trudell]] as Johnny Redfeather, Forrest's friend.
* [[Mike Starr (actor)|Mike Starr]] as Mike "Big Mike", an oil worker who starts a barfight with Forrest.
* [[Sven-Ole Thorsen]] as Otto, Jennings' other henchman.
* [[Bart the Bear]] as The Bear
}}

==Production==
In addition to the credited writers, [[Chris Gerolmo]], [[David S. Goyer|David Goyer]], and Mitchell Kapner also did work on the screenplay.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/1993/film/news/deadly-seagal-pic-rolling-in-alaska-107013/|title='Deadly' Seagal pic rolling in Alaska|last=Moerk|first=Christian|date=May 20, 1993|magazine=Variety|access-date=August 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005035349/https://variety.com/1993/film/news/deadly-seagal-pic-rolling-in-alaska-107013/amp/|archive-date=October 5, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Critical response===
''On Deadly Ground'' received negative reviews from critics. {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|14|3.5|35|ref=yes|access-date=February 24, 2024}}  {{Metacritic film prose|33|18|ref=yes|access-date=May 4, 2020}} Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/|title=CinemaScore|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/|archive-date=December 20, 2018}}</ref>

At the time of its release, [[Gene Siskel]] included the film in his "Worst of" list for 1994, singling out the melancholy tone of the film and the quality of Seagal's dialogue.<ref name="atm_review">[[Siskel, Gene]], [[Ebert, Robert]]. (1994). "Siskel and Ebert at the movies: Best and worst of 1994" [Television recording] Buena-Vista Entertainment Ltd</ref> On their syndicated TV show ''[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|Siskel & Ebert]]'', Siskel called the film's [[pyrotechnics]] "low rent" and stated that he "didn't think the fight sequences were anything special." He noted that Seagal's speech at the end was "more interesting than the actual fighting."

[[Roger Ebert]], for his part, stated the movie was "limited to two basic qualities: it's violent and it's sanctimonious", and opined that while "it doesn't pay to devote close attention to the plot", "if you like to see lots of stuff blowed up real good, then this'll be a movie for you." His opinion on the ending speech was that it was "absurd", stating, "at the end after Seagal kills about 30 people and blowing up the largest oil refinery in the world, what happens? He's invited to the Alaska State Legislature to give a talk about ecology. I'm not sure, but blowing up oil refineries does not make you that popular in Alaska."<ref>{{cite AV media|people=[[Siskel, Gene]], [[Ebert, Robert]]|year=1994|title=Siskel & Ebert: Sugar Hill / On Deadly Ground / Eight Seconds (1994)|medium=TV|url=http://siskelandebert.org/video/SRGMG6R3XNSO/Sugar-Hill--On-Deadly-Ground--Eight-Seconds-1994|access-date= April 28, 2014|time=12:00}}</ref>

''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' film critic Leonard Klady referred to the film as "a vanity production parading as a social statement" and commented that the film seemingly borrowed heavily from the earlier film ''[[Billy Jack]]'', but opined that Seagal lacked "acting technique and the ability behind the camera to keep the story simple and direct" that ''Billy Jack'' star [[Tom Laughlin]] exhibited. Like Siskel, Klady also singled out the speech by Seagal's character at the end of the film.<ref name="klady_variety">{{cite magazine|date=February 21, 1994|last=Klady|first=Leonard|title=On Deadly Ground|url=https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/on-deadly-ground-1200435684/|magazine=Variety|access-date=January 23, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727142516/https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/on-deadly-ground-1200435684/|archive-date=July 27, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Harrington|first=Richard|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/ondeadlygroundrharrington_a0abae.htm|title=On Deadly Ground (R)|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=February 19, 1994|access-date=May 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202004851/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/ondeadlygroundrharrington_a0abae.htm|archive-date=February 2, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the 1996 movie guide ''"Seen That, Now What?"'', the film was given the rating of "C−", stating "This combination action/environmental rights movie is an interesting hybrid in concept, but a filmic mess in execution, including embarrassing Eskimo shaman scenes and well-meaning lecture-finale on endangered species."<ref>{{cite book|last=Shaw|first=Andrea|date=1996|title=Seen That, Now What?: The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Video You Really Want to Watch|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vgVStU_SWRcC|publisher= Simon and Schuster|page=42|isbn=9780684800110}}</ref>

''[[Seagalogy]]'' author Vern considers ''On Deadly Ground'' to be one of Seagal's defining works, writing, "It's the corniest, most unintentionally hilarious movie of his career... But it's also Seagal's most sincere and his most ballsy," going on to claim, "You can't understand Seagal if you haven't seen ''On Deadly Ground''."<ref>{{cite book|last=Vern|date=March 2012|title=Seagalogy: A Study of the Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal|location=London|publisher=[[Titan Books]]|isbn=978-0857687227|page=69}}</ref> He points out that many of the most important themes and [[motif (narrative)|motif]]s that define Seagal's work are present in the film, and more overtly so than in any of his other films.<ref>{{cite book|last=Vern|date=March 2012|title=Seagalogy: A Study of the Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal|location=London|publisher=[[Titan Books]]|isbn=978-0857687227|page=78}}</ref>

Caine's American accent in the film, which ''[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]]'' described as that of a "Texan that had been brought up in the mean streets of London," has made several "worst movie accent" lists.<ref>{{cite news |date=2019-04-19 |archive-date=2020-04-27 |title=The 16 worst movie accents of all time, from Anne Hathaway to Dick van Dyke |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427052142/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/worst-movie-accents-time-anne-hathaway-dick-van-dyke/ |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/worst-movie-accents-time-anne-hathaway-dick-van-dyke/ |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |access-date=2025-02-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lay |first=Duncan |date=2017-12-23 |title=What is the worst movie accent of all time? |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/movies/what-is-the-worst-movie-accent-of-all-time/news-story/7b37c4e254f781a21283bdc258679302 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=2025-02-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Black |first=Stuart |date=2016-01-18 |title=The Very Best and the Bloody Worst of Sir Michael Caine |url=https://londonist.com/2016/01/the-very-best-and-the-bloody-worst-of-sir-michael-caine/ |website=[[Londonist]] |access-date=2025-02-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |people=Singer, Erik |date=2018-09-17 |title=Movie Accent Expert Breaks Down 28 More Actors' Accents |publisher=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |time=8:28 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXyWwirLfcg |access-date=2025-02-19}}</ref>

===Box office===
The film grossed $38.6 million in the United States and Canada<ref name="boxofficemojo.com"/> and $78.1 million worldwide<ref name=worldwide/> against its reported $50 million budget.

===Accolades===
{{Anchor|Awards|Accolades}}

The film received six [[Golden Raspberry]] Awards nominations and won in the Worst Director category. The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder [[John J. B. Wilson|John Wilson]]'s book ''The Official Razzie Movie Guide'' as one of The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=John|author-link=John J. B. Wilson|title=The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood's Worst|year=2005|publisher=Grand Central Publishing|isbn=0-446-69334-0}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Subject
! Result
|-
| rowspan=11|[[Golden Raspberry Award]]
| [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress|Worst Actress]]
| [[Joan Chen]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor|Worst Actor]]
| rowspan=3|[[Steven Seagal]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director|Worst Director]]
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan=3|[[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture|Worst Picture]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[A. Kitman Ho]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[Julius R. Nasso]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan=2|[[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay|Worst Screenplay]]
| Ed Horowitz
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Robin U. Russin
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan=3|[[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song|Worst Original Song]] <small>("Under the Same Sun")</small>
| [[Mark Hudson (musician)|Mark Hudson]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[Klaus Meine]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[Bruce Fairbairn]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
|}

====Year-end lists====
*1st worst&nbsp;– Sean P. Means, ''[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=P. Means|first=Sean|date=January 1, 1995|title='Pulp and Circumstance' After the Rise of Quentin Tarantino, Hollywood Would Never Be the Same|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|page=E1|edition=Final}}</ref>
*2nd worst&nbsp;– Bob Strauss, ''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Strauss|first=Bob|date=December 30, 1994|title=At the Movies: Quantity Over Quality|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]|page=L6|edition=Valley}}</ref>
*7th worst&nbsp;– Dan Craft, ''[[The Pantagraph]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Craft|first=Dan|date=December 30, 1994|title=Success, Failure and a Lot of In-between; Movies '94|newspaper=[[The Pantagraph]]|page=B1}}</ref>
*9th worst&nbsp;– [[Peter Travers]], ''[[Rolling Stone]]''<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Travers|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Travers|date=December 29, 1994|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/the-best-and-worst-movies-of-1994-180969/|title=The Best and Worst Movies of 1994|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=July 20, 2020|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720131134/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/the-best-and-worst-movies-of-1994-180969/|archive-date=July 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
*Top 10 worst (listed alphabetically, not ranked)&nbsp;– Mike Mayo, ''[[The Roanoke Times]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Mayo|first=Mike|date=December 30, 1994|title=The Hits and Misses at the Movies in '94|newspaper=The Roanoke Times|page=1|edition=Metro}}</ref>
*Top 10 worst (not ranked)&nbsp;– Betsy Pickle, ''[[Knoxville News-Sentinel]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Pickle|first=Betsy|date=December 30, 1994|title=Searching for the Top 10... Whenever They May Be|newspaper=Knoxville News-Sentinel|page=3}}</ref>
*Top 10 worst (not ranked)&nbsp;– Dan Webster, ''[[The Spokesman-Review]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Webster|first=Dan|date=January 1, 1995|title=In Year of Disappointments, Some Movies Still Delivered|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|edition=Spokane|page=2}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0110725}}
*{{TCMDb title|18772}}
*{{Mojo title|ondeadlyground}}
* {{AFI film|id=60416|title=On Deadly Ground}}
*[http://www.evuk.co.uk/StevenSeagal.mp3 Audio of Seagal's closing environmental thoughts]

{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director}}

[[Category:1994 films]]
[[Category:1994 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1990s action adventure films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:American action adventure films]]
[[Category:Eco-terrorism in fiction]]
[[Category:Environmental films]]
[[Category:Films about firefighting]]
[[Category:Films scored by Basil Poledouris]]
[[Category:Films about Native Americans]]
[[Category:Films directed by Steven Seagal]]
[[Category:Films set in Alaska]]
[[Category:Films shot in Alaska]]
[[Category:Films shot in Wyoming]]
[[Category:Golden Raspberry Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Inuktitut-language films]]
[[Category:Northern (genre) films]]
[[Category:Petroleum in Alaska]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
[[Category:Films about petroleum]]
[[Category:English-language action adventure films]]