Under Siege
Gary Busey spends part of the movie in a dress.
The battleship Missouri is about to be decomissioned. Casey Ryback is Captain Adam's personal cook. And Ryback is always butting heads with the ship's XO Commander Krill but the Captain always intercedes. One day, after the President visits the Missouri, which is also the Captain's birthday, the Captain learns that a helicopter has been cleared to land on the ship by Commander Krill, which he was not informed of. When questioned Krill tells the Captain that it's a surprise for his birthday, the Captain then allows it. Later after another one of their scuffles, Krill has Ryback locked in the freezer. During the party, the rock band reveals themselves to be mercenaries, led by William Stranix, a CIA operative, who is in league with Krill to unload all of the ship's nuclear warheads. They lock up all of the crew and make preparations to remove the warheads. And Krill remembers Ryback, Stranix sends two of his men to take care of Ryback, only thing is that Ryback took care of them. Upon discovering their bodies, Stranix deduces that Ryback is more than a cook. He then sends Krill to check on him, and Krill discovers that Ryback's a NAVY SEAL, who got busted down to a cook after an incident in Panama. And Ryback continues to create trouble for them, so Stranix tries to hunt him down. Along the way, Ryback meets Jordan, a former playmate, who was supposed to entertain at the party but was also forgotten.
Where to watch Under Siege (US)
A navy cook with a bad attitude
A navy cook with a bad attitude is the last thing a gang of hijackers expects to run into, and in Under Siege, he's the only man standing between them and a battleship full of nuclear missiles. Steven Seagal is the cook. He's on board the USS Missouri for its final voyage, and during the captain's birthday party, a crew of mercenaries takes over the ship. Leading them is Tommy Lee Jones as a rogue former CIA man, dressed like an aging rock star and clearly enjoying every line he gets. Gary Busey is his partner on the inside, the ship's own executive officer, and Busey goes so far over the top that he spends part of the movie in a dress. Those two villains are the reason the movie works so well. Seagal stays cool and deadly down in the galley, while the pair of them are up on deck losing their minds.
Two villains out-crazying each other
Under Siege made over a hundred and fifty million dollars around the world. It became the biggest hit of Seagal's career, and critics liked it more than anything else he ever made. A sequel moved him onto a hijacked train a few years later, and it never came close to the original. Seagal never got a better showcase. Watch it again for Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey trying to out crazy each other, and you'll wonder why every Die Hard copy didn't hire two villains.
Stills
Trailer
Cast and crew
Cast: Steven Seagal, Gary Busey, Tommy Lee Jones
Featured in
More films like Under Siege
Every Friday
One great film, every Friday.
The story behind it, why it is worth your night, and where to watch it. Two minutes to read.
Film images on this page are promotional posters and stills, © their respective studios and distributors, shown here for commentary and review. If you own an image and would like it credited or removed, contact us and we will act promptly.