Under Siege

Starring: Steven Seagal, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Busey, Erika Eleniak, Colm Meaney
Directed by: Andrew Davis
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
1992

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two terrorists (Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Busey) take over the U.S.S. Missouri to seize control of the weapons arsenal on board. The only person standing in their way is the ship's cook, Casey Ryback (Steven Seagal), an ex-Navy Seal.

Review:

Tim: I know Under Siege has been called a guilty pleasure and one of Steven Seagal's best films (if not the best). I'd love for that to be true, but I simply can't agree. This is a flawed, silly action movie that feels not altogether dissimilar to the many other flawed, silly action movies Seagal has made throughout his career. I understand that this might be slightly tighter and better made, but a good movie this is not.

I really like the character of Casey Ryback. While it might not be the most multi-dimensional or believable character, it is pretty fun to watch a lowly "cook" completely derail the bad guys' plans. Of course, his extensive military background makes him more than he seems, but Steven Seagal plays him with the same bland minor enthusiasm that he puts forth in all his movies. I can't really say that Seagal is good in the role- that would be an overstatement. I'll just say that he wisely knows which roles are better suited to him, and he stays in safe territory here.

The bad guys are a little bit over the top. Tommy Lee Jones is decent, but it is hard to take him seriously because he's so crazy and silly. He is not terrible, but it is hard to be afraid of him when he's talking about the road runner, etc. Gary Busey isn't very strong in the role, either. He isn't very believable, and his cross-dressing scene might be the low point of the entire movie. It is nightmarish and completely unnecessary.

There are some decent action sequences throughout this movie, but nothing really stands out. This feels like a typical action movie with mostly run-of-the-mill action scenes. Besides a few cool moments, this film is mostly forgettable. While I was watching, I can't really say I was enjoying myself. Nothing in this movie was particularly offense or detracted from the experience greatly, but very little added to the experience, either. This movie just plodded along on its semi-believable/semi-ridiculous plot. I wasn't considerably interested in this movie and I wasn't very engaged, either.

Under Siege is a pretty basic, simple movie. It isn't terrible, but it is a far cry from being good at all. I wouldn't say I was "disappointed" because this movie pretty delivered exactly what my lowered expectations thought it would deliver. Die-hard action movie fans would probably want to catch this, but there is very little reason for anyone else to get involved in this overrated movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Fire Down Below, The Glimmer Man