enact revenge. A dozen or so people will die, as many or more limbs will be broken, and Seagal will do it all with as much emotion as a stick. To those expecting more of Seagal's usual stuff, that's what you'll get.But in my opinion, what we also get are some inexplicably high level bad guys for this outing. Although about a decade or two behind today's times keeping in mind the film itself is a decade and a half old , the two antagonists are the well known actors Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey. While getting on in their age nowadays, these two were some of the most crazed and entertaining actors of the 70s and 80s. Jones is probably best known from The Fugitive, for which he won an academy award, while Gary Busey has done a boatload of famous, not-so famous, and video game voiceover work. Together, these veterans almost steal the show as they chew the scenery and provide Seagal's most colorful and charismatic characters. Busey is a former ship's commander who's willing to drown his crew simply to taunt Seagal, whereas Jones' character used to send body parts to his ex-bosses at the CIA before turning up here.The plot of this movie is that the two aforementioned crazies, with an entire crew of inside tech guys and hired muscle, have overtaken the aircraft carrier USS Missouri, with plans to extort various things from the big guys in Washington with the ship's small but capable arsenal of weapons at their disposal. The catch is that a high-ranking ex-navy seal is on the ship, serving a commuted sentence for misbehavior. Stuck here as the ship's cook, Seagal plays Casey Ryback who must do whatever he can to rally the ship back into responsible hands.Strangely enough, the movie departs in several ways from the regular formula. The aforementioned bad guys are not only one head honcho but two equally ambitious ones, as well as a capable force of a dozen or so armed men. But where one would expect Seagal to be alone, this time the film adds at least a little credibility to the mix: Seagal still raises hell, but he also has to get the help of several others stowed on the ship if he's to have any chance in operating its guns and other functions. In a film rooted in implausability, it's at least nice to see old Steve actually running around with some admitted help.The pace is interesting, as the early scenes in the movie set up some beautiful shots of the ship as well as some of its intricate interiors and set pieces. Some characters are the token one-line kills, but then there are some side characters who are given their own personality and a scene or two to take advantage of. Many characters from the aforementioned Fugitive 1993 make returns in this movie, as well as a decent character played by Colm Meaney, who was Miles 'O Brien to Star Trek fans.Probably the only annoying bit of this movie is the female lead, played by Playboy model Erika Eleniak. She does a serviceable job, shows her breasts for a minute like she's expected to, and sometimes comes across as a believable person. But for the most part, she's there to lend support to Seagal, and add a little comic repartee between them. I didn't really mind her until she had a silly turn as hero ine for a minute or two.But that's a minor quibble, in a film that I still love as being Seagal's most tight, interesting and energetic. It somehow seems more well written or polished than all his other efforts, and this is no doubt aided by the considerable time that is spent establishing the villains, who I've already noted as being the best Seagal's had to tackle. The sequel to this one was quite a letdown but still fun on its own, but in my opinion the original is Seagal's best and a great choice for those looking for some good old fashioned action heroics

the cast was perfectly chosen, and the costumes were perfectly designed. Now, in conclusion, to all you Steven Seagal fans who haven't seen this great at sea action movie, I highly recommend it.

so it wouldn't seem like Stevie was robbing the cradle.Seagal does utter a great line during a climatic scene with Tommy Lee Jones...."We're both puppets of the same ungrateful master" or something like that. Don't hold it against Seagal that he is usually a one dimensional actor....if you like action movies, you have to see this one.

terrorists who plan to use the nuclear weapons on board. Seagal a former Navy Seal, with more medals than a medal shop, is on board as the ships cook, as this is the only position he can occupy in the ship after he was involved in a military blunder previously. Seagal uses his skills to cause problems for the terrorists as he sets out to stop them, aided by Miss July 89 Jordan The played by the sexy and melon chested Erika Eleniak who is certainly there for her looks ahead of acting ability, she is however a cut above Seagal in the acting department.The action in this is great, Seagals usual Aikido master class is on display as well as some good gun fights, and impressive stunts. Seagal has always had a bit of paunch but he looks a lot fitter than his recent films where he lumbers about, in his earlier films he actually seems in some sort of shape and actually looks tough.Overall this is an entertaining film, Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey are in scene stealing form as the bad guys and Seagal is at the top of his game. 8/10

Casey Ryback "the lowly, lowly cook" might be somewhat interesting since he is the only character played by Seagal that has some humanity in him. This is perhaps most evident in the scene when two of his boys are dancing to hip-hop music and you can tell that's apparently enjoying himself and enjoying that his cooks are having fun. And also the scene when he finds out that perhaps his closest friend, the Captain was killed and gives him a proper respectful memorial of him. And you can tell that he's upset by it. So at least we get to see Seagal in another kind of character besides those annoying wooden performances that he usually puts forth.Tommy Lee Jones as William Strannix is another high point of "Under Siege", since even though he's a little over-the-top, he doesn't show any shame, embarrassment or awkwardness for acting that way. He delivers his lines perfectly, but because of the material he was given he wasn't really as threatening as Clarence Boddicker of Robocop, The Joker in The Dark Knight or Anton Chigurgh of No Country for Old Men were. But he was still very entertaining to watch and a very realistic psychopath.Gary Busey as Commander Krill is not really as memorable here and his flame was starting to wear out after his great role as "Buddy Holly" in the 70's. But if you see two names like Jones and Busey as the 2 bad guys in this, then you gotta know that it's worth watching. Busey still manages to put up some tension with Seagal at the beginning when he keeps harassing him and his cooks. Erika Eleniak is absolutely sexy as the damsel in distress in this and makes an unforgettable scene when she pops out of the cake and goes topless for a few seconds, which all those who fantasize about Playboy girls will remember.The action is obviously the high point here, and Seagal delivers some great martial arts as usual. The fistfights the explosions are really great to look at and the sound may have been a a little bit ahead of its time since it was nominated for 2 Oscars related to only the action genre. The knife fight between Ryback and Strannix is one of the better ones I've ever seen thanks to the music and cinematography. And like a said, its basically a rip-off of Die Hard only that it's set in a different place.When you first hear of this film, you might automatically hate it because of Seagal, but give it a chance and its a good way to kill an hour and 40 minutes.

direction is surprisingly good, the story is engaging and the action is the best there is in any Seagal film. Seagal himself doesn't give an amazing performance, but here he does what he does best, and it is wholly acceptable. Best of all are Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones who are very charismatic. All in all, very entertaining and Steven Seagal's best. 9/10 Bethany Cox

2 - the over-the-top villains portrayed by fun-to-watch actors Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, and 3 - the fabulous looks and body of Erika Eleniak, who pops out of a cake topless in a sight that every guy who saw this film remembers.Jones was just about hitting his acting career peak as he demonstrated the following year with his Oscar-winning performance in "The Fugitive." Busey was the opposite, nearing the end of his run after a starring role as singer "Buddy Holly" made him famous. This film might be Segal's most successful, or at least in the top three. His star has faded since the new century. Eleniak never made it far past the cake. She played "Elly May" in "The Beverly Hillbillies" the following year and nothing but 'B' films after that.The first part of this movie is far better than the second. It gets out-of-control by the end, as most of these action films do with the violence overdone and with little credibility. But watching the three leads, and ogling Eleniak, always make this film fun to watch for a little while, at least.

explosives, weapons, and tactics, is the Captain's best kept secret... There's supposed to be a 'surprise' birthday party for the Captain Patrick O'Neal but he is shot before he can even show up to the fiesta...The terrorists, a group of professional killers, under the guise of entertainers and musicians, get access to the U.S. battleship by a helicopter cleared to land on the vessel's last voyage by a heavy turncoat officer...Tommy Lee Jones is fabulous as the lunatic Hippie, a former CIA undercover operative, who is for a railing system to offload the missiles onto a submarine they will rendez-vous with...Gary Busey is Krill the commander graciously ready to give a 'surprise' to his captain... He is absolutely perfect as the maniac everyone loves to knock him down...Erika Eleniak is the beautiful Playboy centerfold who will knock you off your feet... Erika is hired to jump out topless of the cake and dance...If you like to see your favorite celebrity shooting an evil bad guy in the back, don't miss Andrew Davis' 'Under Siege,' a good entertaining movie, well directed, and very exciting...

that this annoying, pain-in-the-ass cook was an ex-Seal with martial arts, weapons, and bomb-making skills. Even with about 30 men at his disposal, working throughout the Missouri, Strannix can not seem to halt Ryback's abilities to move about at will, taking them out little by little. Ryback has an unlikely ally in a Playboy model, Jordan Tate Erika Eleniak, who was a major babe during this period who he finds by accident, popping out of a cake intended for Adams. Together they free some trapped sailors, and attempt to thwart the efforts of Strannix, Krill, and their goons, hoping to stop the transmission of missiles, as well as disrupt their methods.The film alternates between the Missouri and a secret building within the Pentagon where Ryback will communicate with the military and governmental suits, such as Admiral Bates Andy Romano , keeping them apprised of the ongoing situation. Meanwhile, we see how those in the Pentagon react as Strannix and company go about to threaten possible global terror. Those in the Pentagon plan, if they must, to send an air strike in order to keep the Missouri from destroying civilizations.Having previously worked with Steven Seagal on Above the Law, director Andrew Davis knew what to expect..let's face it, Seagal isn't gonna captivate us with some sterling performance. Stevens lets Seagal do what he does best, wipe out the bad guys in various ways, such as gunfights and knife battles. Anyone who comes within close proximity of Seagal is mincemeat, plain and simple. This was one of three films Stevens worked with Tommy Lee Jones, and the second where he's a villain and killer. Under Siege has plenty of personality to compensate for Seagal's lack thereof ..though, his silent calm is part of what makes his characters effective, the way they go about their business, not letting too much emotion take away from their abilities to take out those who wish to disrupt the peace, unleashing fury on the hostile and base . Stevens, for instance, allows TLJ to let it all hang out, going into any direction he so wishes, giving him every opportunity to go completely off-the-charts psychopathic. Busey, his side-kick, is also given carte blanche to chew as much scenery as he so desires ..he even has a scene in drag where he asks Strannix, "Do I look like I need a psychological evaluation?" . While TLJ is made short work by Seagal at the end, it's not about their final dueling of blades that he's used, but all the time before this. He's used as entertainment while Seagal obliterates his men, it's a balance I think that works exceptionally.I just love the way Stevens shoots the action set pieces throughout the ship, following Ryback and the few he has to help him..Stevens gets every bit of value he can from the ship setting aboard the USS Alabama, in actuality , and the way Ryback goes about his business actually doesn't seem too far-fetched. Sure, he's a Rambo archetype, but I figure there are many like me who find great joy in these "one man army" movies. I like, though, how Ryback requires assistance from others in order to stop Krill from fixing a damaged wing ..Ryback bombed on the sub and the many scumbags firing at them throughout the Missouri. I like the decision to alternate between the ship and Pentagon, establishing the importance of successfully upending Strannix or else risk doom to the civilized world. I imagine Seagal looks back at this movie with pride, it's easily one of his best to date.