Hard to Kill (1990)
Our Hard to Kill 1990 Review kicks off with a simple truth: the late 80s and early 90s were the golden age of action heroes. Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Willis ruled the world… and then along came a man with a ponytail, a whisper voice and an absolute obsession with breaking forearms.
This week Whitey, Dan and Will the Worky step back into the dojo to tackle Steven Seagal's second ever film, Hard to Kill (1990). A movie that, at the time, felt like the arrival of the next unstoppable action icon… and now feels like a fever dream involving aikido, silk shirts and extremely uncomfortable sex scenes.
Seagal plays Mason Storm, a cop who uncovers political corruption and is immediately shot, along with his wife, in what might be the least secure safe house ever filmed. Storm survives after being pumped full of shotgun pellets and spending seven years in a coma. Yes, seven years. And apparently, all it takes to recover is a massage, a training montage and a nurse who instantly falls in love with him.
From there, the movie becomes a revenge story, but also, somehow, a romance, a conspiracy thriller, a martial arts film, and a weird Seagal self-fantasy all rolled into one.
The boys dive deep into:
• The unbelievable hospital security
• The most aggressive love scene ever filmed
• Mason Storm's questionable medical recovery
• The ponytail era of action cinema
• And why nobody recognises the villain's voice despite him repeating the same catchphrase constantly
There are discussions about video store culture, the 1990 action boom, and how Seagal briefly convinced the world he belonged alongside the legends.
But time has not been kind to Hard to Kill. Watching it today reveals something different. Schwarzenegger knew he was in on the joke. Bruce Willis had charm. Seagal genuinely believes he is the most dangerous man alive… and that may be the biggest reason this film is unintentionally hilarious.
Still, there are broken bones, exploding pool cues, corrupt cops and more arm snapping than a chiropractor convention.
And honestly… that’s why we kind of love talking about it.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Is Seagal the strangest action star of all time?
Does Hard to Kill accidentally become a comedy?
And is this the most confident bad movie ever made?
Leave a review, share the episode and send it to a mate who still thinks Seagal could win a real fight.
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Will "The Worky"
The youngest member of the Born to Watch family, with an entire decade separating him from the old blokes he calls mates, Will "The Worky" somehow manages to keep the boys young while making them feel ancient.
By trade, Will is a plumber and owner of WPH Plumbing, but those who know him best understand that his true passion is hot water systems. Some men simply install them. Will loves them. His unhealthy obsession with all things hot water has become the stuff of legend, and there are whispers that he knows the serial numbers of his favourites by heart.
When he's not saving households from cold showers and plumbing disasters, you'll find him chasing waves. A keen surfer with salt water in his veins, Will is equally at home in the ocean as he is under a house. Although he'd probably tell you both are preferable to listening to Whitey explain another 80s action movie ranking.
Despite being the youngest member of the crew, Will's stories are legendary, none more so than the tales of his father and his lifelong love affair with martial arts. Whether it's karate, kung fu, or another unbelievable yarn from his family archives, these stories have become cherished moments amongst the Born to Watch faithful and are often as entertaining as the movies themselves.
Will brings a fresh perspective to the show. He doesn't care much for film school theories or artsy symbolism. He just wants to know if the movie is any good, if the action delivers, and if it's worthy of a re…Read More
