Under Siege

woman: "You're not a cook."
Casey Ryback: "Yeah, well...I also cook."

release year: 1992
genre: action/adventure
viewing setting: home Bluray 10/4/22 and 5/13/15 and 2/7/14, plus numerous times in the past

synopsis: On its way to be decommissioned, the battleship Missouri is hijacked by a bunch of pros with an agenda...an agenda which doesn't include the ex-SEAL running around the ship.

impressions: This was very similar to Die Hard, except on a battleship, and with an even more dangerous hero. There was a good mix of action, explosions, violent death, and one-liners. There are some great creative fatalities here, including a microwave bomb, a girder through the torso, a table saw, a ripped-out throat, a gouged-out eye, and a knife through the top of a skull.

Seagal activation point: 34:54 - this is when he finds his friend dead and the look of rage appears on his face

Steven Seagal body count: 27

non-Steven Seagal body count: 14, plus a helicopter and a submarine

acting: This is one of Steven Seagal's better acting jobs, believe it or not. Tommy Lee Jones steals the show, though, with one of his best roles ever as the head bad guy. Gary Busey also gives in a good performance as the battleship's traitorous XO. Colm Meaney (of Star Trek fame) has a good minor role as a bad guy, too. Erika Eleniak is a chick who's out of place, whines a lot initially, then becomes useful. Andy Romano and Dale Dye are military bigwigs, while Nick Mancuso is a CIA guy who's to blame for most of this.

final word: Seagal's fifth movie, and one of his best.

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