Under Siege
Encyclopedia
Under Siege is a 1992 American action film
directed by Andrew Davis
and starring Steven Seagal
as a former Navy SEAL
who must stop a group of mercenaries, led by Tommy Lee Jones
and Gary Busey
, on a U.S. Navy battleship
. It is Seagal's most successful film in critical and financial terms, including two Academy Award nominations.
Under Siege was followed by a 1995 sequel
, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
.
Nine of the actors who appeared in the film (including Tommy Lee Jones) returned the following year for The Fugitive
, also directed by Andrew Davis.
The film has received a MPAA rating of R for strong violence, and for language and brief nudity.
makes a speech announcing that after the Missouri's long time service, the ship will be decommissioned in California, making the trip her final voyage. Casey Ryback
(Steven Seagal
), a Chief Petty Officer
assigned as a cook, is preparing meals in celebration for the birthday of Captain Adams (Patrick O'Neal), against the orders of his adversarial Executive Officer, Commander
Krill (Gary Busey
), who is having food and entertainment brought from Hawaii by helicopter after they have set out to sea. Krill provokes a brawl in the galley with Ryback who assaults Krill. Unable to imprison him in the brig
without clearance from the captain or attracting attention, Krill detains Ryback in a freezer and places a Marine
private on guard to prevent Ryback from leaving. A CH-46 helicopter lands on the ship's deck with a musical band called "Bad Billy and the Bail Jumpers", along with Playboy Playmate "Miss July '89" Jordan Tate (Erika Eleniak
) and a group of caterers who are all really a band of mercenaries led by ex-CIA
agent Bill Strannix (Tommy Lee Jones
). Shortly after the party begins, Strannix, posing as the band leader, pulls out a gun and kills the Operations Officer, Commander Green (the highest ranking officer in the room). Then, all the caterers and band members pull out weapons to seize control of the ship with the help of Commander Krill (who is revealed to be a double agent). Several of the officers are killed during the takeover, including Captain Adams. The rest of the ship's company are imprisoned below decks in the forecastle
, except for several stragglers in secured areas.
Strannix intends to steal the ship's arsenal of nuclear Tomahawk cruise missile
s and plans to sell the nuclear weapon
s on the black market by unloading them onto a submarine
Strannix had stolen from North Korea
while on his final CIA mission, then kept for himself when the CIA tried to assassinate him and used for private arms trading. Strannix and his men take over the ship's weapon systems for defense, shooting down an F/A-18 Hornet sent to investigate, and plan on covering their escape by launching a missile strike into Honolulu that will obliterate tracking systems in Pearl Harbor
.
Ryback has become suspicious upon hearing gunfire and tells the Marine guard, Private Nash (Tom Wood
), to contact the ship's bridge. Krill then remembers Ryback's being locked in the freezer and learns the kitchen is an unsecured area on the ship. He manages to dupe Private Nash about his involvement in the hijacking before Strannix offhandedly sends two mercenaries to eliminate Ryback and Nash. Nash is killed, but Ryback escapes and kills the terrorists before planting a bomb in the microwave. He proceeds to cause havoc amongst the boarders and begins killing off the terrorists with the limited help of the stripper, Jordan Tate, who was only hired as a cover for the festivities. Ryback also gets in contact with Admiral Bates (Andy Romano
) at the Pentagon by using a satellite phone, whereupon the Navy then makes a plan to send a SEAL team to retake the ship. Krill discovers that Ryback is really a Chief Petty Officer
and former Navy SEAL
with extensive special-weapons and counter-terrorism training. He was relegated to his current posting for striking his superior officer who had been responsible for his men being killed in a botched commando mission during the United States invasion of Panama
. As a result, he had lost his security clearance
and was only able to serve as a yeoman
or a cook (a bit of artistic license by the filmmakers, since all personnel in the yeomen rating in the US Navy are required to maintain some level of security clearance, although usually not at a level normally associated with SEAL personnel). To keep the missile-theft plan in place, Krill decides to activate the fire suppression system in the forecastle, leaving the crew members to drown and the terrorists to set up an ambush when Ryback arrives by himself to save them. However, Ryback locates a group of sailors in hiding and along with them engages a successful counter-strike, saving the crew and eliminating a considerable number of Strannix's forces. As Strannix's men regroup, Ryback shuts down the Missouri's weapon systems, leaving the ship vulnerable to an incoming Navy SEAL team.
As the battle for the ship continues, the submarine crew shoots down both the CH-46 helicopter carrying the Navy SEAL team and its AH-1 Cobra escort with shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile
s. The Pentagon responds by ordering an air strike that will destroy the Missouri and all aboard. Strannix regains control of the ship's weapon systems and the Tomahawks are loaded onto the North Korean submarine, departing with Krill on board. With the aid of Jordan and his fellow sailors, Ryback uses the battleship's guns, which were not yet decommissioned, to sink the submarine with Krill still inside, killing him.
Strannix, standing on the deck, suffers a major concussion from being in the proximity of the Missouri's guns as they are fired. He orders the remaining mercenaries out of the control room as he launches two nuclear-tipped Tomahawks towards Honolulu. One of the two missiles is destroyed by an F/A-18 Hornet, but the other continues on its course. As the sailors recapture the ship, killing the last group of Strannix's men, Ryback finds his way into the control room where he is caught off-guard and captured by Strannix. Strannix and Ryback realize they know each other from their past real-world experiences, but Ryback is disgusted by Strannix's excuses for his behavior and angers the terrorist until he lets down his guard for a second. Ryback and Strannix then engage in a knife fight wherein Ryback kills Strannix by poking his eye out, stabbing him in the head with his knife, and finally smashing what was left of it through a computer monitor. Ryback then takes the launch codes needed to destroy the remaining Tomahawk missile. The codes are dialed in and the Tomahawk missile is deactivated, blowing apart harmlessly only a minute before it would have destroyed Honolulu. The Pentagon celebrates wildly, then calls off the air assault on the Missouri.
At the end, the remaining crew members are freed from their forecastle prison as the ship sails towards San Francisco harbor. As Ryback is checked by a Navy doctor, he kisses Jordan Tate as the crew looks on and cheers. The film ends with a funeral ceremony for Captain Adams being held on the decks of the Missouri, showing the Captain's casket with flag draped and Ryback saluting in his service dress blue uniform as a Chief Petty Officer, his SEAL insignia, Naval Parachutist insignia, and various ribbons indicating previous decorations for heroism, all prominently displayed.
museum ship stood in for most of the Missouri sequences, and the USS Drum
portrayed the North Korean submarine.
Based on an original screenplay by J. F. Lawton
, Under Siege was rated 'R' ('Restricted') by the MPAA. The UK release was edited for violence to get a more commercial 15 certificate. Ten seconds were removed from the film, chiefly from the workshop fight and a shot of Seagal ripping out a man's throat.
The film makes extensive use of the IntroVision process
, a variation of front projection that allows realistic three-dimensional interaction of foreground characters with projected backgrounds without the heavy cost of traditional bluescreen effects. The technique was also used in the films Outland
, Megaforce
, Army of Darkness
and Andrew Davis' The Fugitive
.
The movie was also a critical success, with many hailing Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey as the villains. Rotten Tomatoes
currently has a 74% fresh rating on the film.
After seeing this film, Harrison Ford
was so impressed by Andrew Davis' directing work that he immediately signed on to play Dr. Richard Kimble in Davis' adaptation of The Fugitive
.
Also, the film was nominated for two Academy Awards
; Best Sound Effects Editing and for Best Sound (Donald O. Mitchell
, Frank A. Montaño
, Rick Hart
and Scott D. Smith
).
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
directed by Andrew Davis
Andrew Davis (film director)
Andrew Davis is an American film director, producer and cinematographer, noted for the action films Code of Silence, The Fugitive, Chain Reaction, Collateral Damage, Above the Law, The Guardian and Under Siege.-Biography:Born on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, Davis has directed several films...
and starring Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
as a former Navy SEAL
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
who must stop a group of mercenaries, led by Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
and Gary Busey
Gary Busey
William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
, on a U.S. Navy battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
. It is Seagal's most successful film in critical and financial terms, including two Academy Award nominations.
Under Siege was followed by a 1995 sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory is a 1995 American action film set on board a train traveling through the Rocky Mountains from Denver to Los Angeles. Directed by Geoff Murphy, it stars Steven Seagal as the ex-Navy SEAL, Casey Ryback and is the sequel to the 1992 film Under Siege also starring Seagal....
.
Nine of the actors who appeared in the film (including Tommy Lee Jones) returned the following year for The Fugitive
The Fugitive (1993 film)
The Fugitive is a 1993 American thriller film based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was one of the few movies associated with a television series to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
, also directed by Andrew Davis.
The film has received a MPAA rating of R for strong violence, and for language and brief nudity.
Plot
The film begins with the American battleship arriving at Pearl Harbor, where President George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
makes a speech announcing that after the Missouri's long time service, the ship will be decommissioned in California, making the trip her final voyage. Casey Ryback
Casey Ryback
Casey Ryback is a fictional character and action hero from the Under Siege films of the 1990s. Played by Hollywood action star Steven Seagal, Ryback is a Chief Petty Officer and former Navy SEAL operator turned chef with top training in martial arts, explosives, special-weapons and tactics...
(Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
), a Chief Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
assigned as a cook, is preparing meals in celebration for the birthday of Captain Adams (Patrick O'Neal), against the orders of his adversarial Executive Officer, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Krill (Gary Busey
Gary Busey
William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
), who is having food and entertainment brought from Hawaii by helicopter after they have set out to sea. Krill provokes a brawl in the galley with Ryback who assaults Krill. Unable to imprison him in the brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
without clearance from the captain or attracting attention, Krill detains Ryback in a freezer and places a Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
private on guard to prevent Ryback from leaving. A CH-46 helicopter lands on the ship's deck with a musical band called "Bad Billy and the Bail Jumpers", along with Playboy Playmate "Miss July '89" Jordan Tate (Erika Eleniak
Erika Eleniak
Erika Eleniak is an American Playboy Playmate and actress, perhaps best known for her role in Baywatch as Shauni McClain. She also starred in the films Under Siege and The Beverly Hillbillies.-Early life:...
) and a group of caterers who are all really a band of mercenaries led by ex-CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
agent Bill Strannix (Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
). Shortly after the party begins, Strannix, posing as the band leader, pulls out a gun and kills the Operations Officer, Commander Green (the highest ranking officer in the room). Then, all the caterers and band members pull out weapons to seize control of the ship with the help of Commander Krill (who is revealed to be a double agent). Several of the officers are killed during the takeover, including Captain Adams. The rest of the ship's company are imprisoned below decks in the forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
, except for several stragglers in secured areas.
Strannix intends to steal the ship's arsenal of nuclear Tomahawk cruise missile
Cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
s and plans to sell the nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s on the black market by unloading them onto a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
Strannix had stolen from North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
while on his final CIA mission, then kept for himself when the CIA tried to assassinate him and used for private arms trading. Strannix and his men take over the ship's weapon systems for defense, shooting down an F/A-18 Hornet sent to investigate, and plan on covering their escape by launching a missile strike into Honolulu that will obliterate tracking systems in Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
.
Ryback has become suspicious upon hearing gunfire and tells the Marine guard, Private Nash (Tom Wood
Thomas Mills Wood
Thomas Mills Wood is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his portrayal of "U.S. Marshal Noah Newman" in the 1993 movie The Fugitive and the 1998 movie U.S. Marshals and "Private Nash" in the 1992 movie Under Siege...
), to contact the ship's bridge. Krill then remembers Ryback's being locked in the freezer and learns the kitchen is an unsecured area on the ship. He manages to dupe Private Nash about his involvement in the hijacking before Strannix offhandedly sends two mercenaries to eliminate Ryback and Nash. Nash is killed, but Ryback escapes and kills the terrorists before planting a bomb in the microwave. He proceeds to cause havoc amongst the boarders and begins killing off the terrorists with the limited help of the stripper, Jordan Tate, who was only hired as a cover for the festivities. Ryback also gets in contact with Admiral Bates (Andy Romano
Andy Romano
Andy Romano is an American actor, known for playing "J.D." in the 1960s Beach Party movies ....
) at the Pentagon by using a satellite phone, whereupon the Navy then makes a plan to send a SEAL team to retake the ship. Krill discovers that Ryback is really a Chief Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
and former Navy SEAL
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
with extensive special-weapons and counter-terrorism training. He was relegated to his current posting for striking his superior officer who had been responsible for his men being killed in a botched commando mission during the United States invasion of Panama
United States invasion of Panama
The United States Invasion of Panama, code-named Operation Just Cause, was the invasion of Panama by the United States in December 1989. It occurred during the administration of U.S. President George H. W...
. As a result, he had lost his security clearance
Security clearance
A security clearance is a status granted to individuals allowing them access to classified information, i.e., state secrets, or to restricted areas after completion of a thorough background check. The term "security clearance" is also sometimes used in private organizations that have a formal...
and was only able to serve as a yeoman
Yeoman (US Navy)
Yeoman is the oldest rating in the United States Navy. Yeomen perform secretarial and clerical work. They deal with visitors, telephone calls and incoming mail. They organize files and operate copy machines and order and distribute supplies...
or a cook (a bit of artistic license by the filmmakers, since all personnel in the yeomen rating in the US Navy are required to maintain some level of security clearance, although usually not at a level normally associated with SEAL personnel). To keep the missile-theft plan in place, Krill decides to activate the fire suppression system in the forecastle, leaving the crew members to drown and the terrorists to set up an ambush when Ryback arrives by himself to save them. However, Ryback locates a group of sailors in hiding and along with them engages a successful counter-strike, saving the crew and eliminating a considerable number of Strannix's forces. As Strannix's men regroup, Ryback shuts down the Missouri's weapon systems, leaving the ship vulnerable to an incoming Navy SEAL team.
As the battle for the ship continues, the submarine crew shoots down both the CH-46 helicopter carrying the Navy SEAL team and its AH-1 Cobra escort with shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
s. The Pentagon responds by ordering an air strike that will destroy the Missouri and all aboard. Strannix regains control of the ship's weapon systems and the Tomahawks are loaded onto the North Korean submarine, departing with Krill on board. With the aid of Jordan and his fellow sailors, Ryback uses the battleship's guns, which were not yet decommissioned, to sink the submarine with Krill still inside, killing him.
Strannix, standing on the deck, suffers a major concussion from being in the proximity of the Missouri's guns as they are fired. He orders the remaining mercenaries out of the control room as he launches two nuclear-tipped Tomahawks towards Honolulu. One of the two missiles is destroyed by an F/A-18 Hornet, but the other continues on its course. As the sailors recapture the ship, killing the last group of Strannix's men, Ryback finds his way into the control room where he is caught off-guard and captured by Strannix. Strannix and Ryback realize they know each other from their past real-world experiences, but Ryback is disgusted by Strannix's excuses for his behavior and angers the terrorist until he lets down his guard for a second. Ryback and Strannix then engage in a knife fight wherein Ryback kills Strannix by poking his eye out, stabbing him in the head with his knife, and finally smashing what was left of it through a computer monitor. Ryback then takes the launch codes needed to destroy the remaining Tomahawk missile. The codes are dialed in and the Tomahawk missile is deactivated, blowing apart harmlessly only a minute before it would have destroyed Honolulu. The Pentagon celebrates wildly, then calls off the air assault on the Missouri.
At the end, the remaining crew members are freed from their forecastle prison as the ship sails towards San Francisco harbor. As Ryback is checked by a Navy doctor, he kisses Jordan Tate as the crew looks on and cheers. The film ends with a funeral ceremony for Captain Adams being held on the decks of the Missouri, showing the Captain's casket with flag draped and Ryback saluting in his service dress blue uniform as a Chief Petty Officer, his SEAL insignia, Naval Parachutist insignia, and various ribbons indicating previous decorations for heroism, all prominently displayed.
Cast
- Steven SeagalSteven SeagalSteven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
as Chief Casey RybackCasey RybackCasey Ryback is a fictional character and action hero from the Under Siege films of the 1990s. Played by Hollywood action star Steven Seagal, Ryback is a Chief Petty Officer and former Navy SEAL operator turned chef with top training in martial arts, explosives, special-weapons and tactics... - Tommy Lee JonesTommy Lee JonesTommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
as William "Bill" Strannix - Gary BuseyGary BuseyWilliam Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
as Commander Krill - Erika EleniakErika EleniakErika Eleniak is an American Playboy Playmate and actress, perhaps best known for her role in Baywatch as Shauni McClain. She also starred in the films Under Siege and The Beverly Hillbillies.-Early life:...
as Jordan Tate - Colm MeaneyColm MeaneyColm J. Meaney is an Irish actor widely known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael Dorn in most appearances in Star Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law & Order to The Simpsons...
as Doumer - Patrick O'Neal as Captain Adams
- Andy RomanoAndy RomanoAndy Romano is an American actor, known for playing "J.D." in the 1960s Beach Party movies ....
as Admiral Bates - Dale DyeDale DyeDale Adam Dye is an American actor, presenter, businessman, and retired U.S. Marine captain who served in combat during the Vietnam War.-Early life & Marine service:...
as Captain Nick Garza - Nick MancusoNick MancusoNicodemo Antonio Massimo "Nick" Mancuso is a Canadian cinema and stage actor.-Career:Mancuso was born in Mammola, Calabria, Italy and immigrated to Canada in 1956...
as Tom Breaker - Damian ChapaDamian ChapaDamian Robert Chapa is a Mexican-American actor, film director and film producer.Chapa was born in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He was briefly married to Natasha Henstridge. Among his earlier notable film roles are one of the leads in Taylor Hackford's Blood In Blood Out and the part of Ken in the film...
as Tackman - Tom WoodThomas Mills WoodThomas Mills Wood is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his portrayal of "U.S. Marshal Noah Newman" in the 1993 movie The Fugitive and the 1998 movie U.S. Marshals and "Private Nash" in the 1992 movie Under Siege...
as Private Nash - Troy EvansTroy Evans (actor)Troy Evans is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his role as Desk Clerk Francis "Frank" Martin in the television drama series ER. He has also appeared in the movies Tiger Cruise , Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Under Siege, Teen Wolf, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Black Dahlia and The...
as Granger - Dennis LipscombDennis LipscombDennis Lipscomb is an American actor.Lipscomb's first feature film was Union City . From the early 1980s to the 1990s, Lipscomb appeared in key roles in various motion pictures including Eyes of Fire , WarGames , The Day After , A Soldier's Story , Amazing Grace and Chuck , Sister, Sister , The...
as Trenton - David McKnight as Flicker
- Dale Payne as Seaman #1
- Lee Hinton as Cue Ball
- Glenn MorshowerGlenn MorshowerGlenn Grove Morshower is an American actor best known for playing Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce on the Fox action thriller drama series 24...
as Ensign Taylor - Leo Alexander as Lieutenant Smart
- John Rottger as Commander Green
- Raymond CruzRaymond CruzRaymond Cruz is a Mexican American actor. He is mostly known for playing military roles. Since 2005 he has been a regular cast member on the TV series The Closer, playing the character Detective Julio Sanchez...
as Ramirez - George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
as Himself - Dru Ann Carlson as Captain Spellman
Production and distribution
The USS AlabamaUSS Alabama (BB-60)
USS Alabama , a South Dakota-class battleship, was the sixth completed ship of the United States Navy named for the U.S. state of Alabama, however she was only the third commissioned ship with that name. Alabama was commissioned in 1942 and served in World War II in the Atlantic and Pacific...
museum ship stood in for most of the Missouri sequences, and the USS Drum
USS Drum (SS-228)
USS Drum is a Gato-class submarine of the United States Navy, the first Navy ship named after the drum, any of various types of fish capable of making a drumming sound. Drum is presently on display as a museum ship in Mobile, Alabama, at Battleship Memorial Park.Drum was laid down on 11 September...
portrayed the North Korean submarine.
Based on an original screenplay by J. F. Lawton
J. F. Lawton
Jonathan Frederick Lawton , born on August 11, 1960 in Riverside, California, is an American screenwriter, film producer and film director...
, Under Siege was rated 'R' ('Restricted') by the MPAA. The UK release was edited for violence to get a more commercial 15 certificate. Ten seconds were removed from the film, chiefly from the workshop fight and a shot of Seagal ripping out a man's throat.
The film makes extensive use of the IntroVision process
Front projection effect
A front projection effect is an in-camera visual effects process in film production for combining foreground performance with pre-filmed background footage...
, a variation of front projection that allows realistic three-dimensional interaction of foreground characters with projected backgrounds without the heavy cost of traditional bluescreen effects. The technique was also used in the films Outland
Outland (film)
Outland is a 1981 British science fiction thriller film written and directed by Peter Hyams.Set on Jupiter's moon Io, it has been described as a space Western, and bears thematic resemblances to High Noon....
, Megaforce
Megaforce
Megaforce is an action film made in 1982 directed by former stuntman Hal Needham. The film starred Barry Bostwick, Persis Khambatta, Michael Beck, Edward Mulhare, Evan C...
, Army of Darkness
Army of Darkness
Army of Darkness, also known as Evil Dead III: Army of Darkness or simply Evil Dead III, is a 1992 horror comedy fantasy action film directed by Sam Raimi. It is the third and final installment in The Evil Dead trilogy. The film was written by Raimi and his brother Ivan, produced by Robert Tapert,...
and Andrew Davis' The Fugitive
The Fugitive (1993 film)
The Fugitive is a 1993 American thriller film based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was one of the few movies associated with a television series to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
.
Critical and box office reception
On its opening weekend, Under Siege made $15,760,003 from 2,042 theaters, with a $7,717 average. From there, it went on to make $83,563,139. Worldwide, it made $156,563,139. At the time, it was the most successful film ever that had not been screened for any critics prior to its release.The movie was also a critical success, with many hailing Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey as the villains. Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
currently has a 74% fresh rating on the film.
After seeing this film, Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
was so impressed by Andrew Davis' directing work that he immediately signed on to play Dr. Richard Kimble in Davis' adaptation of The Fugitive
The Fugitive (1993 film)
The Fugitive is a 1993 American thriller film based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was one of the few movies associated with a television series to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
.
Also, the film was nominated for two Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
; Best Sound Effects Editing and for Best Sound (Donald O. Mitchell
Donald O. Mitchell
Donald O. Mitchell is an American sound engineer. He won an Academy Award for Best Sound and was nominated for thirteen more in the same category...
, Frank A. Montaño
Frank A. Montaño
Frank A. Montaño is an American sound engineer. He has been nominated for five Academy Awards in the category Best Sound. He has worked on nearly 100 films since 1987.-Selected filmography:* Under Siege * The Fugitive...
, Rick Hart
Rick Hart (sound engineer)
Rick Hart is an American sound engineer. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Sound for the film Under Siege. He has worked on over 70 films since 1988.-External links:...
and Scott D. Smith
Scott D. Smith
Scott D. Smith is an American sound engineer. He has been nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Sound. He has worked on over 50 films since 1975.-Selected filmography:* Under Siege * The Fugitive...
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