Disc Reviews
Under Siege 4k Review
Under Siege set the box office alight and made Segal a household name back in 1992. Segal had broken out in 1988 with Above the Law (or Nico in the UK) and continued his efforts with almost a film a year to build on his brand. We had the likes of Hard to Kill, Marked for Death and Out of Justice (Ignoring Nico, you can see the pattern in the titles of his films – which would also carry over to his Direct to Video phase of his career). Under Siege let him hit the big time with his special brand of aikido skills, albeit for a short period, but here it is.
The cynical view of the film is that it was purposely engineered as a Die Hard rip-off, and this was the first major film to do so, followed literally a month later by Wesley Snipes Passenger 57. Does Under Siege stand up? Well, largely, yes. Segal’s routine is in full force, the film has a fairly slow build to the terrorist takeover, which gives us plenty of time to explore the battleship setting and a wealth of supporting characters. The terrorists themselves are a colourful lot, led by Tommy Lee Jones and the always reliable Gary Busey. This film also helped propel Jones forward towards the A-list, despite being a veteran actor for some time.
The practical locations help with the tension and the action of the piece; nothing like a real environment to help sell the sneaking around and the combat when it happens. There’s plenty of humour thrown in for good measure, government officials on the outside not being of much help, except maybe to offer the threat of putting everyone out of their misery with a missile launch (a beat the sequel will repeat – with the exact same people). Audiences are here for the Segal action – and he delivers – sometimes maybe a little too quickly. The Boss fight at the end barely seems like an effort for him (again, a beat the sequel will repeat). It’s almost like the remit reads: You are not allowed to touch Segal. He touches you.
The film does run out of steam about two-thirds in when he teams up with some of the rescued officers and sailors on board the ship. This kills the film’s momentum, and watching half a dozen or so men loading projectiles and powder kegs into missile tubes isn’t the most effective way to bolster the third act of your action film. But it’s a fairly minor niggle. The film was a hit, Segal picked up the directing reins for his next film and then came back to the series a few years later for the much (unfairly) maligned second film. If you want a good laugh, then Dark Territory (Under Siege 2) is actually a good craic.
The extras aren’t overwhelming, but there are a couple of key players who show up for new interviews, including director Andrew Davies. Segal lovers will be glad to hear Davies talk generously about his star and his capabilities (having worked with him previously on Above the Law). Erika Eleniak also does a good interview, and we also hear from Damian Chapa, who you might have to rewatch the film to know who he plays. But his opinion counts as he was there, and again, has nice things to say about the leading man, which you could argue is refreshing these days. He does pick Segal as a winner out of Segal, Chuck Norris and Van Damme smackdown – which is obviously debatable. The visual effects department also get a look in with a new interview with William Mesa. Davies also shows up for a brand-new commentary with the writer as well, which gives the release added value. It’s the only chat track, though, so we seem to be out of Segal-experts that want to talk about the film and his career. In fact, there aren’t even any video essays for this Arrow release, which is a surprise.
4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by Arrow Films approved by director Andrew Davis
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original lossless stereo audio and a brand new Dolby Atmos mix
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary with director Andrew Davis and writer J.F. Lawton
• I’m on a Boat (With a Bomb), a newly filmed interview with director Andrew Davis
• One of the Guys, a newly filmed interview with actor Erika Eleniak
• A Tight Ship, a newly filmed interview with actor Damian Chapa
• 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
Under Siege is out on 4K Blu-ray January 5th