When the name “Steven Seagal” is spoken in Tinseltown nowadays, it’s probably met with a few grunts and eyerolls. When the name is said among B-movie action fans, it’s probably met with a few chuckles and recanting of obscure lines (“Anyone seen Ritchie?!”). However, before he became a punchline for lovers of horrible action flicks and before he became exiled by the Dream Machine factory that made him famous, Seagal was an exalted martial arts action star. His most successful film to date, Andrew Davis’s 1992 hit film Under Siege, is coming home with a brand-new restoration from the original camera negative, courtesy of Arrow Video.
Coming off a few successful action films, including his ‘80s debut Above the Law (1988), a previous collaboration with Davis, Under Siege was the perfect explosive action blockbuster to shoot its lead into box office stardom. When a gang of mercenaries led by the fantastically unhinged pairing of Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men) and Gary Busey (Point Break) violently hijack the USS Missouri and hold the ship’s nuclear warheads ransom to the US Pentagon, it’s up to Seagal’s Casey Ryback, a chef with a lethal Navy SEAL past, to step up and stop the terrorists. The film, which could be described as “Die Hard (1988) on the ocean,” has the perfect elements of a successful ‘90s blockbuster — a charismatic action star, a compelling villain, a hot damsel in distress, heart-pounding action, and great explosive effects.
As much as it would be standard to discuss what benefits the legacy of Under Siege (the action, the direction, the effects), it would be almost criminal to also not discuss what doesn’t benefit the legacy. Watching the film today, it’s not that far-fetched to understand the pull of Seagal’s charisma. When he arrives on screen, he immediately gives the presence of “action star” — the look, the face (he nailed down the “eyebrow move” before Dwayne Johnson perfected it in his WWE days) and the soft-spoken, laconic voice. More or less, that’s where the authenticity of Seagal’s action icon status … stops. In contrast to what Seagal does right, there’s also the lingering effect of what he does wrong — moments where he unabashedly slips into his “blaccent” (Black accent) while conversing with his fellow shipmates and rarely — and I mean rarely — being seen doing any hand-to-hand combat without quick edits. Seriously, the four-man editing team of Don Brochu (The Fugitive), Robert A. Ferretti (Tango & Cash), Dov Hoenig (Heat), and Dennis Virkler (The Fugitive) deserve a raise for how much they pulled all this together and still made Seagal look fairly good — even with the excessive posing and staging. In addition to the great editing, there’re also great one-liners where even Seagal manages to bring an authentic chuckle out of the audience. A hilarious exchange when Ryback discloses that the captive shipmates are trying to communicate via Morse Code: “What are they saying?” “They’re saying ‘get me the f**k out of here’”.
UNDER SIEGE packshot. Photo courtesy of Arrow Video and MVD Entertainment Group.
All Segal-ness aside though, Under Siege has a lot going for it in its casting, beginning with the pairing of Jones and Busey. Gary Busey is eccentric as always as Commander Krill, a traitorous officer aboard the Missouri who helps Tommy Lee Jones’s “Strannix” and his men come aboard and cause violent rampage. William Strannix is a villain with a crazy enough motivation — he is a former CIA operative who plans to make a revolutionary point with holding the missiles aboard hostage and negotiate with the Pentagon in the process. Is it a foolproof plan? Of course not, but it works for the film. Jones, ever the stoic leading man, provides an eccentrically villainous performance as Strannix, absolutely feeding off the equally memorable Busey at his side. The world wouldn’t see Jones this eccentric again until his turn as “Two-Face” in Joel Schumacher’s brilliant, over-the-top Batman Forever (1995) years later. In the role of damsel-in-distress, Erika Eleniak (Chasers) joins in on the fun as Jordan Tate, a “Playboy” Playmate initially brought onboard to entertain the shipmates but then finds herself as Ryback’s partner-in-crime. Initially used as eye candy, Eleniak holds her own in badassery as she delivers great campy one-liners with confidence and matches Seagal well in their scenes together.
Under Siege is great, campy ‘90s action fare that would launch both its star and director to more blockbusters in their career; it’s also the only film in Seagal’s career to be Oscar nominated (nominated for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing). While Seagal’s future filmography would eventually lead to straight-to-DVD or VOD content, director Andrew Davis would eventually move on to helm films like the critically-acclaimed The Fugitive (1993), reuniting with Tommy Lee Jones, the sci-fi hit Chain Reaction (1996), and the beloved Holes (2003). Davis’s competence as a director is what takes a hilarious knife fight between Seagal and a foe from incredulous in nature to exhilarating in its staging and composition. The final fight sequence between Seagal and Jones is unintentionally hilarious with its erratic jump cuts, clearly showing a mannequin in place of Jones during the fatal blow. Regardless of this, Davis makes up with his tight direction of explosive sequences and his ability to keep the tension present throughout. Arrow gives this ‘90s gem a well-overdue upgrade with its list of insightful supplemental features. The Blu-ray release includes an interview with actor Erika Eleniak where she discusses being “One of the Guys” while making the film, a new interview with director Andrew Davis about the film, a new audio commentary with Davis and screenwriter J.F. Lawton (Pretty Woman; DOA: Dead or Alive), and a new interview with visual effects supervisor William Mesa (The Last Samurai). Owning this film is not only a no-brainer for the Seagal fans (and naysayers) but also for the lovers of great action films from the ‘90s.
Under Siege Special Features:
- Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by Arrow Films approved by director Andrew Davis
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- Original lossless stereo audio and a brand-new Dolby Atmos mix
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- *NEW* Brand new audio commentary with director Andrew Davis and writer J.F. Lawton
- *NEW* I’m on a Boat (With a Bomb), a newly filmed interview with director Andrew Davis
- *NEW* One of the Guys, a newly filmed interview with actor Erika Eleniak
- *NEW* A Tight Ship, a newly filmed interview with actor Damian Chapa
- *NEW* The Introvision Files, a newly filmed interview with visual effects supervisor William Mesa
- Theatrical trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
- Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Vern and a serial fiction by Martyn Pedler
Available now on limited edition 4K UHD and Blu-Ray January 6th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Arrow Video Under Siege webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment Group Under Siege webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
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