Review of Under Siege (1992) by Chris W — 08 Sep 2012

This is definitely one of the high points of Steven Seagal's career, maybe because it is his second time working Andrew Davis, who seems usually seems to deliver the goods when it comes to thrills and excitement.

The story revolves around the final voyage of the USS Missouri, the battleship where the official surrender of the Japanese and the end of WWII took place. It's making its final trip from Pearl Harbor back to the mainland where it will be retired and displayed with dignity.

The voyage doesn't go all that smoothly though, as an embittered CIA operate has gone rogue and, along with the help of a band of elite commandos and a turncoat officer aboard the vessel, he takes command of the ship and its weapons supply, with domination and conquest as his main goals. However, all hope is not lost, as a cook aboard the ship named Casey Ryback happens to be an ex- Navy SEAL who isn't about to surrender without a fight.

Billed as "Die Hard on a ship" this is an exciting action thriller. Yeah the main plot isn't new or original, and Seagal is still pretty wooden, but the films excels due to the great cinematography and location shooting (the USS Alabama fills in for the Missouri), the awesome action and fight scenes, and two wonderfully over the top and nutty performances from Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey as the main antagonists. There's also some appearances from a couple of Davis regulars, as well as blink and you'll miss them cameos from Ving Rhames, Roger Corman, and apparently George A. Romero.

The movie is maybe a tad silly, but it is undeniably fun. Occasionally it is also genuinely suspenseful, but nothing quite to the level of Die Hard or heck, even the later Air Force One. If you want a decent action thriller, and want to see one of the better Seagal films, then go ahead and give this one a watch.