FU&D! Original Review - Under Siege - 4/4 guns
Under Siege is still Seagal's biggest box-office success to date, and there's no denying that Seagal plays ex-SEAL Casey Ryback with conviction. In fact, I think he should do more movies in real military settings, as he really comes across as quite a soldier...although one with a problem with authority.
The premise for the movie is basically Die Hard on a battleship, and it's a great premise. Not only because of Seagal's menacing personality but also due to Tommy Lee Jones' and Gary Busey's excellent performances. This is the first Seagal movie where gun-play heavily outweighs hand-to-hand combat, but it works, because it seems natural that when facing a terrorist with a H&K MP5K, you don't resort to your fists (although Seagal does take out two heavily armed terrorist bare-handed...Hero that he is).
The best part, however, has to be the knife fight at the end of the movie. I know Jones used a stunt-double for most of the takes, but that's really Seagal parrying blows, and slicing terrorists at the speed of light.
For the first time, a Seagal movie feels like an A film for the rest of the population (not just us), and Andrew Davis direction is so slick I don't see how anyone can not like this movie. Under Siege gets a well-deserved four guns!
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