REVIEW:
Steven Seagal is not, and never has been a good actor. But for one shining moment in his career, at one point in time, all the pieces came together perfectly to make a very good movie. That movie is Under Siege. This is the film that got director Andrew Davis to make the Fugitive. It’s the movie that showcased Davis’ talents in a pretty beautiful way.
The movie is basically Die Hard on a ship, with our hero, Casey Reibeck, (Seagal,) locked up in a meat locker for punching a superior officer when the ship is taken over by terrorists. And a big part of the fun of this movie is how much fun the terrorists are. Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones work in tandem with each other, delivering a one-two punch that outshines some of the best movie villains.
The action in the movie isn’t anything special, and yet the music and atmosphere here really catapult the film into feeling like it’s something pretty substantial. This might actually be the next best terrorist movie to Die Hard, and that is in large part because of the villains. It’s a quick moving film, that almost plays like a video game with Reibeck going around the ship taking out one terrorist at a time. This one holds up and stands the test of time in ways that most action movies don’t.