History Film / OnDeadlyGround

* CharacterShilling: Both Michael Caine and R. Lee Ermey get long lines of dialogue talking up what an unstoppable badass Forrest is. Did we happen to mention that Seagal also wrote and directed the film?

%%* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Michael Jennings, the Aegis CEO.

* CharacterShilling: Both Michael Caine and R. Lee Ermey get long lines of dialogue talking up what an unstoppable badass Forrest is. Did we happen to mention that Seagal also wrote and directed the film?

%%* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Michael Jennings, the Aegis CEO.

* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler: Taft basically murders Jennings, who admittedly was a JerkAss but who was completely unable to defend himself.]]

* BrokenAesop: The film is supposed to have a GreenAesop, yet FridgeLogic says that destroying an oil rig would cause far more environmental damage than simply letting it run. Also, it portrays the oil company as exploiting the natives. But it also says they have a contract... generally, those contracts include paying out dividends to the original owners of the mineral rights.

* AuthorTract: In case the films GreenAesop wasn't unsubtle enough for you, the film caps off its green-friendly agenda with Forrest ''literally'' lecturing the audience on environmental problems and getting a round of applause.

** [[spoiler:Liles gets probably the most drawn-out death of the villains, getting horribly maimed in a car crash, set alight by petrol pouring out of the fuel tanker she crashed into, and then blown to shreds when said tanker explodes. It seems ''way'' over the top for an attempted KarmicDeath, when the only particularly villainous thing she did was likening Alaska to a third-world country and being aligned with Jennings.]]

* DeadStarWalking: [[spoiler:Creator/RLeeErmey shows up towards the end of the film, basically to reiterate how amazing and hard to kill Taft is, and get offed by Seagal's patented flip the gun the mook is holding to shoot them when they get close enough.]]
* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler:Once the mercenaries are all killed, [=MacGruder=] and Liles both see the writing on the wall and abandon Jennings in a panicky fashion. It doesn't end well for them.]]
* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:Even though Stone is played by real-life badass Creator/RLeeErmey, he's the first of the main baddies Taft ices in the climax.]]

** This is pretty much Forrest's entire MO when dealing with any and all opposition. Couple of hicks are harassing a Native American? [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown Continuously pummel them even after they've given up]]! BigBad says you don't have the guts to finish him off? Prove him wrong by murdering him while his back is turned and totally unable to defend himself!

* {{Fingore}}: The chosen method of ColdBloodedTorture [=MacGruder=] inflicts on Palmer. After smashing Palmer's right index finger, only for Palmer continue resisting, [=MacGruder=] coldly asks if Palmer would like to be questioned nine more times.

* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: The film contains several drawn-out torture scenes, such as when Forrest's friend Hugh is beaten with a pipe cutter. Not just on the part of the villains, though; Forrest has several scenes where he continues to bully people even when he's already beaten them, such as a very lengthy and painful fight in the bar. And Forrest murders Jennings at the end of the movie, even though he was unarmed, outmatched, and totally unable to defend himself.

* MegatonPunch: Forrest delivers one to the gut of a mook in the ending battle, with enough force to make the mook stagger backwards a few feet and then collapse in a heap. Apparently the punch is hard enough to kill, as said mook is shown with blood around his mouth and never shows up for the rest of the climax.

* OhCrap: Liles' last words (in the cruder, better-known phrasing) before her [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere escape attempt]] [[StuffBlowingUp goes remarkably awry]].

* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: Yes, the oil executives are a pack of amoral scumbags. But do their actions ''really'' justify destroying an exploration site and presumably [[WhatTheHellHero causing multiple deaths and millions of dollars in property and environmental damage?]] Apparently it does, for everyone, including the press, who give Forrest a standing ovation.

* StuffBlowingUp: Happens [[spoiler:after Taft finds Hugh Palmer's corpse in a building with a ticking bomb, and multiple times in the climax]].
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler:Liles' death. Car crash, set on fire, and stuck at ground zero of an explosion. Ow.]]

* UseTheirOwnWeaponAgainstThem: [[spoiler:Forrest kills Stone using the latter's own gun.]]

* WeCare: The BigBad is first introduced filming a commercial for his company of this kind, complete with dead seals covered in oil. The instant the director says "cut", however, his true colors shine through as the first words out of this guy's mouth are "Fuck! These animals stink!" and he's yelling at his people to get the seals out of there.

* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:Taft basically murders Jennings, who admittedly was a JerkAss, but who was completely unable to defend himself.]]
* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: At one point, R. Lee Ermey's character manages to hold Forrest at gunpoint with his shotgun... and then proceeds to gloat for a few seconds about how he's got the upper hand. Forrest proceeds to flip the shotgun around and blow a hole into the mook's chest. A particularly stupid example, given that Ermey's character earlier had a speech describing Forrest as basically the most dangerous man on Earth and would logically have shot him on first sight.

* BarBrawl: Forrest starts one when some rednecks bully a Native American.

* CharacterFilibuster: The infamous aforementioned environmental speech by Seagal.

* TheChosenOne: Whether Forrest wants it or not.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Michael Jennings, the Aegis CEO.

* FourEyesZeroSoul: [=MacGruder=], TheDragon and also the TortureTechnician.
* GaiasVengeance: Yes, Forrest is supposed to embody that. And the film isn't subtle about it either.

* NeverFoundTheBody: Why Jennings believes Forrest is alive.

* SacrificialLamb: [[spoiler:Hugh Palmer.]]

* TortureTechnician: [=MacGruder=].

* YouWouldntShootMe: Jennings, towards Forrest. [[WhatTheHellHero It fails, of course.]]

** Liles advises Jennings on several issues related to hiring the mercenaries, and mentions to him that she's heard about an EPA investigation into the company, but the extent of her knowledge of and participation in Jennings crimes is somewhat vague.

* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler:Once the mercenaries are all killed, [=MacGruder=] and Liles both see the writing on the wall and abandon Jennings. It doesn't end well for them.]]

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:Liles gets probably the most drawn-out death of the villains, getting horribly maimed in a car crash, set alight by petrol pouring out of the fuel tanker she crashed into, and then blown to shreds when said tanker explodes. It seems ''way'' over the top for an attempted KarmicDeath, when the only particularly villainous thing she did was likening Alaska to a third-world country and being aligned with Jennings.]]
** Also, [[spoiler:Jennings himself, dropped headfirst into a huge pool of oil to drown]].

* DisproportionateRetribution: This is pretty much Forrest's entire MO when dealing with any and all opposition. Couple of hicks are harassing a Native American? [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown Continuously pummel them even after they've given up]]! BigBad says you don't have the guts to finish him off? Prove him wrong by murdering him while his back is turned and totally unable to defend himself!

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler: Liles gets probably the most drawn-out death of the villains, getting horribly maimed in a car crash, set alight by petrol pouring out of the fuel tanker she crashed into, and then blown to shreds when said tanker explodes. It seems ''way'' over the top for an attempted KarmicDeath, when the only particularly villainous thing she did was likening Alaska to a third-world country and being aligned with Jennings.]]
** Also, [[spoiler: Jennings himself, dropped headfirst into a huge pool of oil to drown.]]
* DeadStarWalking: [[spoiler: Creator/RLeeErmey shows up towards the end of the film, basically to reiterate how amazing and hard to kill Taft is, and get offed by Seagal's patented flip the gun the mook is holding to shoot them when they get close enough.]]
* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler: Once the mercenaries are all killed, [=MacGruder=] and Liles both see the writing on the wall and abandon Jennings. It doesn't end well for them.]]
* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler: Even though Stone is played by real-life badass Creator/RLeeErmey, he's the first of the main baddies Taft ices in the climax.]]

** The biggest instance is absolutely [[spoiler: Liles. While Taft doesn't directly kill her, she gets maimed in a car crash and blown up after the gas from the ruptured tank from the suburban she was driving hits an open flame and blows the car up.
* EyeScream: Forrest shoves a merc's knife back into his own eye, then smashes the merc's face - knife still embedded in eyeball - into a wall.

* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: The film contains several drawn-out torture scenes, such as when Forrest's friend Hugh is beaten with a pipe cutter. Not just on the part of the villains though; Forrest has several scenes where he continues to bully people even when he's already beaten them, such as a very lengthy and painful fight in the bar. And Forrest murders Jennings at the end of the movie, even though he was unarmed, outmatched, and totally unable to defend himself.

* SacrificialLamb: [[spoiler: Hugh Palmer.]]

* StuffBlowingUp: Happens [[spoiler: after Taft finds Hugh Palmer's corpse in a building with a ticking bomb, and multiple times in the climax.]]
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler: Liles' death.]]

* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler: Taft basically murders Jennings, who admittedly was a JerkAss, but who was completely unable to defend himself.]]

* YouWouldntShootMe: Jennings, towards Forrest. [[WhatTheHellHero It fails of course.]]

* ManOnFire: Forrest does this to a few mooks by shooting at a room leaking with gasoline.

* AntiClimaxBoss: [[spoiler: Jennings. Even though he's the film's big bad, he's smart enough to know he's no challenge to Taft at all and attempts to merely insult him and walk away. Taft still executes him.]]
** [[spoiler: Also, [=MacGruder=] who attempts to flee in a helicopter and gets stopped by Taft. He pulls a gun and is quickly disarmed, blubbers for his life, and when Taft makes it clear he's going to kill him, he attempts literally one punch on Taft before getting a face full of the helicopter's rear rotor.]]
** Finally, [[spoiler: Stone. He lives long enough to gloat over catching Taft off guard whilst holding him at gunpoint with a shotgun, then of course during his gloating monologue he gets close enough for Taft to spin the shotgun in his hands and blow him away.]]

* AntiClimaxVillain: [[spoiler: Jennings. Even though he's the film's big bad, he's smart enough to know he's no challenge to Taft at all and attempts to merely insult him and walk away. Taft still executes him.]]

* TortureTecnician: [=MacGruder=].