Above the Law | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Andrew Davis |
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Cinematography | Robert Steadman |
Edited by | Michael Brown |
Music by | David Michael Frank |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Running time | 99 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
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Budget | $7.5 million [2] |
Box office | $18.8 million |
Above the Law, also known as Nico: Above the Law,[3] or simply Nico,[4] is a 1988 American crime action thriller film co-written, co-produced and directed by Andrew Davis. It marked the film debut of Steven Seagal, who also produced the film alongside Davis, and stars Seagal alongside Pam Grier, Sharon Stone, Ron Dean and Henry Silva. Seagal plays Nico Toscani, an ex-CIA agent, Aikido specialist and a Chicago policeman who discovers a conspiracy upon investigating the mysterious shipment of military explosives seized from a narcotics dealer.
The film originated after a successful screen test financed by Michael Ovitz, leading to Seagal being offered a contract by Warner Bros. It was set and filmed on location in Chicago.[5] The film premiered in the United States on April 8, 1988. Above the Law is regarded as the first American film to feature Aikido in fight sequences.[6] Seagal tweeted plans for Above the Law 2 on August 1, 2016, but the project remains in pre-production.[7]