Under Siege

Directed by Andrew Davis and Andy Romano
1992
RT score: 75%
My rating 6/10

The year was 1992 or 1993. I was staying over at my friend Todd Emmons house and his dad had rented us an R-rated movie named Under Siege. My world was never the same.
Now 20 years later after discussing this as one of the great cheesy action films of all time I found a two pack on Blu-Ray of Under Siege and Under Siege 2 for $8. How could I resist?
Now legend has it that it was Andrew Davis's work on Under Siege that lead to him being named director of The Fugitive. I can actually see that. The film moves at nice pace and is not overly anxious to reveal characters true natures. What still works overwhelming to this day is the performance of Tommy Lee Jones, who initially appears as an aging rocker hired to play a party on the USS Missouri and eventually reveals himself to be an ex-CIA who is longing for revenge.
The films other star is Steven Segal.  Twenty plus years and hundreds of films watched since that night at the Emmons has revealed the comical lack of acting ability that Steven Segal had or to be more accurate did not have. Segal is almost robotic throughout the entire film. Even while we are supposed to believe he is merely a wise cracking cook it's almost painful watching him try to pull it off. Equally terrible is Erika Eleniak but she wasn't cast for her acting skill either.
Ultimately the driving force in the film is Jones and his second in command bad guy Gary Busey. Both are fun too watch and keep you looked in throughout. The other note worthy part of the film is the violence, while entertaining is also frequently over the top. As a good guy, Segal is a cold blood killer. It's incredible the number of different ways he finds to kill some one including ripping one guys throat out with his bare hand.
Truly there isn't much to say about this film. It is the definition of a guilty pleasure movie in every way possible. Jones performance occasionally lifts the film above that but then there is always Segal bringing you back to reality with his painful lack of depth that may have gone unnoticed at 12 years old but his comical at 32.