Film: Under Siege (1992)

Thoughts: Under Siege is remarkably interesting and exceptionally entertaining, and stands as a quintessential example of 80s/90s action filmmaking. Seagal is dangerous, the one liners are witty, the bad guys are evil and intriguing, and the action is well placed, as is the plot. You can't beat 90 minutes with Seagal at his finest.

Seagal plays Casey Ryback, a former SEAL turned cook. I know, right?! Anyway, he's a bad-ass with no regard for idiotic authority figures, but when the shit goes sour you know he's a man you can rely on. When Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey takes over his ship, you can be damn sure that he's not gonna take it lying down. So he kills a bunch of people and generally fucks up their plans. Next!

There's NOT ONE but TWO significant knife fights in Under Siege.

Review over.

...OK fine, let me elaborate. The film, while friendly to action fans, also has a surprisingly interesting story and pace. You never truly know what is going on until the final act, so you're constantly curious as to how everything's going to play out, especially with regards to the bad guy's plan. Tommy Lee Jones plays a pitch-perfect crazy asshole with serious talent, so any time he's on screen you're never bored. There's a requisite hot chick (Erika Eleniak, smack bang in the middle of her Baywatch years), some light co-star and background character action, and enough lackeys to cut down, break apart or relieve throats from. Boredom is practically non-existent.

It all basically points to a case of elements coming together nicely. I mean, there's a reason why it's considered Seagal's best film ever. Popcorn, drinks and a recliner. It's how late century action films were meant to be enjoyed.

4/5