UNDER SIEGE (1992, Northwest Productions, USA, 102 mins, Colour, 1.85:1, Dolby Digital, Cert: 15, Action/Thriller) ∗∗∗
Starring: Steven Seagal (Casey Ryback), Tommy Lee Jones (William Stranix), Gary Busey (Cmdr. Krill), Erika Eleniak (Jordan Tate), Colm Meaney (Doumer), Patrick O’Neal (Capt. Adams), Andy Romano (Adm. Bates), Nick Mancuso (Tom Breaker), Damian Chapa (Tackman), Troy Evans (Granger), David McKnight (Flicker), Lee Hinton (Cue Ball), Glenn Morshower (Ens. Taylor), Leo Alexander (Lt. Smart), John Rottger (Cmdr. Green).
Producer: Arnon Milchan, Steven Seagal, Steven Reuther; Director: Andrew Davis; Writer: J. F. Lawton; Director of Photography: Frank Tidy; Music: Gary Chang; Film Editor: Robert A. Ferretti, Dennis Virkler, Don Brochu, Dov Hoenig; Production Designer: Bill Kenney; Art Director: William Hiney; Set Decorator: Rick Gentz; Costume Designer: Richard Bruno.
Action hero Steven Seagal plays a former Navy S.E.A.L., who is now a cook and is the only person who can stop a gang of terrorists after they seize control of a U.S. battleship containing nuclear warheads.
Basically, DIE HARD on a battleship, this is a serviceable action thriller typical of the star and of its time. Whilst Seagal has a physical presence on screen, he lacks charisma. Tommy Lee Jones, on the other hand, more than compensates with an enjoyably unhinged performance as the chief terrorist. Busey, however, adopts an overly broad approach that cheapens the thrills and is at odds with O’Neal’s more naturalistic style as the ship’s captain. Eleniak is along as eye candy and to deliver dumb lines. Director Andrew Davis wrestles between macho action thrills and tongue-in-cheek humour and mostly succeeds in keeping our interest and stops us from dwelling too long on the improbability of the plot with his well-paced edit.
A sequel, UNDER SIEGE 2: DARK TERRITORY followed in 1975 – this time set aboard a train.