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Under Siege [1992]


RRP: £13.99
Our Price: £2.09 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Steven Seagal can consider himself lucky if he ever makes a better movie than this one, which was appropriately dubbed "Die Hard on a battleship" when released in 1992. Seagal handles the heroic duties with his usual wooden efficiency, but the movie's greatest assets are a punchy script and the scene-stealing performances of Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey. The two play leaders of a terrorist group who take over the venerable battleship USS Missouri during its final commissioned voyage. They're crazed psychotics who seize control of the ship's nuclear arsenal, but they don't know that Seagal--as the ship's cook, no less--is a former Navy hero, lurking in the shadows and waiting to spoil their nefarious scheme. Director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive) helms the action with skilful style, and as the cheesecake stripper who proves handy with a hand grenade, Playboy Playmate-turned-actress Erika Eleniak gives Seagal another reason to strut his macho stuff. Under Siege is hormonal hokum for gun-happy viewers, but as action movies go, this one's a definite guilty pleasure. --Jeff Shannon


Top draw action movie
Review date: 2008-07-28 Rating: 10 out of 10

This film is a blast, a great one for that night in with a bottle. Lots of action, some great bonkers acting from Tommy Lee Jones, no shortage of violence and things going bang. Good stuff.

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Reviews


Liked Die Hard?
Review date: 2008-06-22 Rating: 8 out of 10

Steven Seagal (Hard to Kill) stars as Casey Ryback, a cook on a US battleship who gets trapped in a storage compartment when terrorists come aboard and take over. Now only Ryback is undetected and can save the lives of his colleagues.

In one of his earlier roles, Seagal performs acceptably in a typical action thriller, which reminded me somewhat of Die Hard.

With one major setting, and a central character that is sneaking around unnoticed under the enemy's nose, it's John McClane on a boat, though John had more swagger and more personality.

Though its filled with clichés, predictability and unrealistic action sequences, Under Siege still keeps viewers hooked on the edge of their seats as new deadly situations arise with a great villain in Stranix, played with great enthusiasm and sophistication by Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive).

It's a tense film and the whole concept of the take over is great and tense, but is still Die Hard all over in my personal opinion.

The tense action sequences and general idea of the film, plus Tommy Lee Jones equals an entertaining action film which is consistent throughout.

Average support is given by Gary Busey and Erika Eleniak, though not very convincing.

The action sequences are directed well to create excellent tension and with a cool sophisticated hero in Seagal, the film justifies the genre well.

Though as with many action thrillers, there is many close calls which doesn't generate realism but if you like Die Hard then you will either feel cheated by this similar ideology, or will love it.

The ending was atrocious with predictability all over from the start and did take the edge off the film a bit for me, but in conclusion, is still an entertaining fast paced worth watching thriller.

7.5/10

MINDLESS ACTION
Review date: 2007-11-10 Rating: 8 out of 10

Steven Seagal is a Special Forces, Ninja, Commando, Chef, yes Chef. Cooking aboard the soon to be decommissioned battleship Missouri, a group of highly trained and well dressed terrorists overcome the skeleton crew and proceed to unload cruise missiles from the ships magazine.

BUT, they missed chefman who proceeds to kill everybody in a white dinner suit, save the crew and missiles and cook them all a fine meal.

It's predictable stuff, but good action scenes in places and a few one-liners from chef. I believe a remake is scheduled, starring Gordon Ramsey.



Seagal's best
Review date: 2007-02-27 Rating: 8 out of 10

This is the best Steven Seagal film by quite a margin. This film has the perfect marriage of his silky martial arts skills and its also a good action movie. What takes it above the rest of Seagal's movies is the top notch cast. Both Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey are at their best first rate actors and they add another dimension to the film.

Credit where credit is due, Seagal is good in this film as well. Unlike his more recent films where he has put on a lot of weight, here he looks good and demonstrates the brilliant skills that took him to a 7th Dan in Akido. Be of no doubt Seagal is the real thing as far as martial arts are concerned. Sometimes his acting skills let him down - not here though.

The film is essentially a remake of Die Hard set on a boat. However its actually better than the Die Hard sequels, and is worth buying at the right price.

DIE HARD ON A BATTLESHIP
Review date: 2007-01-15 Rating: 8 out of 10

I watched this for the first time last night all the way through, I have seen bits of it before but I never really sat down and watched it all the way through until last night. This is probably STEVEN SEAGAL's most famous film apart from UNDER SIEGE 2.

The story is: When the USS Missouri welcomes aboard entertainers for the battleship's last voyage, the visitors throw a party. A war party. Lead by rouge CIA operative (TOMMY LEE JONES) and a turncoat officer (Gary Busey), they're killer - elite commandos out to hijack the ship's nuclear arsenal. They over power the crew. Except one man. He's an ex - Navy SEAL and decorated combat operative Casey Ryback (STEVEN SEAGAL).

I liked the film, I didn't think it was as good as DIE HARD but it was a good action film and STEVEN SEAGAL did a good job at acting in this film and as I said earlier this is probably his most successful film along with the sequel. TOMMY LEE JONES acted the part of terrorist convincingly and is perhaps one of his better roles in a film.

This isn't as violent as DIE HARD as this is only rated as a 15, which I think they rated the film right as it has the right amount of violence and comedy in it. GARY BUSHEY is good at playing TOMMY LEE JONES's right hand man as GARY BUSHEY always seems to play terrorists or bad guys (he was the main terrorist in DIE HARD 2: DIE HARDER).

Watch this if you are in need of a good action film and don't mind STEVEN SEAGAL, which I don't. Special Features wise there is none on this dvd so its just the film and nothing else. Don't let that put you off as it's a good film.

Thank you for reading this review.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Tommy Lee Jones
Colm Meaney
Erika Eleniak
Steven Seagal
Gary Busey

Creators:
Steven Seagal (Primary Contributor)
Tommy Lee Jones (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
EAN: 7321900124201
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 1999-09-27
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 98 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1992-10-09
Language: Arabic (Subtitled)
Language: Bulgarian (Subtitled)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Romanian (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)

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