Fire Down Below MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +3 Content: -2 1/2

Federal Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) Marshal Jack Taggart (Steven Seagal) has set out on assignment to save the beautiful Appalachian countryside in Kentucky. Some of the townspeople in Jackson are getting sick, and whoever is behind the illegal dumning of toxic waste is protected by the silence of a town living in fear. The citizens close their eyes and shut their mouths while the quietly sanctioned industiral poisoning turns the land surrounding their homes into a valley of death. Working undercover as a carpenter through a local relief mission, Taggart eventually becomes personally committed to the locals and centers his investigation on mining tycoon Orin Hanner (Kris Kristofferson). He also meets and romances Sarah Kellogg (Marg Helgenberger), a local outcast with a checkered past. Now, Taggert struggles to prevent an irrevocable ecological catastrophe that will turn this idyllic land into an uninhabitable wasteland. Seagal fans will flock to see this, his best film since ABOVE THE LAW.

Taggert stands for the rights of the weak, and uses his strength to fight those who exploit their lack of wealth and resources. He particularly employs his martial arts skills to hurt his enemies. He makes crushing blows to peoples noses, throats, arms and legs, and the blows are violent and usually draw blood. He is a respectable man who stands for goodness, but his use of force and violence to solve his problems makes him a poor role model for impressionable young men. His choice of language, and that of others, also causes a problem. Foul language slips into the dialogue to the tune of 19 crude words, 23 obscenities and 12 profanities. In addition, angry rattlesnakes are placed in one mans bedroom and anothers truck. Women are frequently seen in low-cut dresses and other revealing outfits. Viewers will be better off to let the FIRE DOWN BELOW burn out.

Preview Reviewer: Jason Shepherd
Distributor: Warner Bros., 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank CA 91522