Die Hard On A Battleship (Under Siege (DVD))

Member Name: wampyrii

Product:	Under Siege (DVD)
Date:	19/07/01 (175 review reads)
Rating:

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Yet another Steven Segal movie which promises to be something more than it ultimately delivers. He, like Jean Claude Van Damne is fast becoming crown prince of the B-Movie action genre, with about the same level of acting talent and the exact same band of brain dead followers. Shame really, because with a little more polish and direction, some could actually have been quite good.

Under Siege was immediately tagged, "Die Hard on a battleship" when it was released, and does offer the occassional sign of being a good movie, before descending back into macho posturing and general dumb lines and plot scenarios. A former Navy SEAL, Casey Ryback(Seagal) has been demoted to position of ship's cook, thanks to his vociferous opposition of the US's involvement in Panama. However, when the ship is taken over by terrorists intent on stealing and selling on its weaponary he is once more called into action.

Could have been ok, apart from some rather stupid additions to the plot. For example. The terrorists find their way onto the boat in the form of Tommy Lee Jones as a rock singer hired to sing at the Captain's birthday bash. They also have a stripper - Erica Elaniak who then follows Seagal around the ship as he goes about his business of dispatching bad guys. Why would a Navy SEAL want a stripper getting in his way? Well of course, so the director can bounce a few really cheap, crappy lines off her and have a pretty face on camera all the time...why else.It threatens to match Die Hard in its witty opening sequences but then soon decends into big bangs, gore and muscles as it progresses which relegates it to a position amongst the crowd. You wil certainly get you fix of gunfights, explosions etc. but its all just so formulaic to make it anything special.

Its not a bad movie, its just not that good either - in fact, it is distinctly average which is a shame when you consider the opening scenes. Ah well...never mind. It'll waste
a few moments of your time next time its on the telly, just don't go hunting it out, thats all. I suppose it IS more watchable than most others of its type at least...

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