When Missouri is under siege, it needs an army to rescue it. So they got Steven Seagal, the one-man army on Missouri; that’s right, not in the retiring battleship Missouri but on it in Andrew Davis’s big commercial success of the time Under Siege (1992).
Seagal appears as Casey Ryback, a former Navy Seal who now works as a chef onboard Missouri. Change of profession, however, has not tamed the defiant warrior in him and so when a former CIA guy William Strannix (Tommy Lee Jones) takes Missouri hostage with the help of hired guns and the insider Commander Peter Krill (Gary Busey), Ryback is left no choice but to drop his apron and pick up every weapon available to stop Missouri’s invaders.
What gives Under Siege a special spot in the action cinema, particularly when you consider its astounding success at the box office? It’s not as aggressive and explosive in the use of ammunition or physical fights to win the action lover’s heart. What makes it special?
The answer is likely in the attention to details in cinematography as well as the main characters in conflict. The sight and sound aboard the ship are made believable by capturing loud and clear shots of weaponry and physical combat scenes. The action isn’t overdone – a big plus for the movie – and the pace is kept balanced.
Seagal’s defiant character is kept on the cool side so it doesn’t appear desperate for attention by exaggeration in lines or action. It’s not his character alone that keeps the story alive and kicking; Tommy Lee Jones as Strannix and Busey as Commander Krill both make great antagonists against Ryback. The only out-of-place vibe comes from the character of model Jordan Tate (Erika Eleniak) who is brought onboard to do a striptease for the guys at the birthday party of Captain Adams (Patrick O’Neal). But then of course, there has to be a chick to fill the eternally present romantic lead slot. Good for Ryback and the viewers who want to see a bit more than action and combat. Too bad though it’s only a few seconds of striptease and a little kiss at the end. Oops, spoiler alert was due here!
Under Siege, produced by Seagal himself, is still an action gem and will remain so for action and Seagal’s fans.
