Under Siege — The Rewatchables Tracker

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Overall episode#338Source sheet order

Movie year19921990s

Tomatometer83%Critics’ score

Metacritic58View score

Roger Ebert3/4Original star rating

DirectorAndrew DavisAction / Thriller / Martial Arts

FROM THE CONVERSATION

What they said about the movie

The episode argues that Under Siege is the peak of Steven Seagal’s early run and functions as a surprisingly effective, almost straight-faced Die Hard-on-a-boat movie. The hosts praise Tommy Lee Jones as the real engine of the film, admire Andrew Davis’s direction, and spend much of the conversation on Seagal’s bizarre persona, the movie’s 90s action-movie mechanics, and its campy pleasures.

Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections

In this conversation

Bill Simmons

Kyle BrandtCraig Horlbeck

WHY IT WORKS

What made it rewatchable

01Tommy Lee Jones dominates the movie with a charismatic villain performance that the hosts say effectively takes ownership of the film. About 48 min
02The movie has strong, memorable entrances and scene-setting for Seagal, Jones, and Gary Busey. About 56 min
03The shipboard action setup gives it the clean, rewatchable Die Hard-style structure the hosts love. About 32 min
04The film’s absurd but specific details—Ryback’s menu, the microwave bomb, the celebration at the end—create constant quotable moments. About 40 min
05Busey’s manic energy and the movie’s odd tonal shifts keep the pace entertaining even when the plot is thin. About 1:04

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Their main criticisms

moderateSeagal does not land punches or take damage, which the hosts find cartoonish and frustrating. About 8 min
minorThe movie’s plotting is hard to follow and requires repeated viewing to fully understand. About 32 min
minorBusey’s drag disguise is bizarre and unnecessary. About 40 min
moderateThe final kiss between Seagal and Eleniak is deeply uncomfortable. About 1:20
moderateSeagal is offscreen for too much of the film, which weakens the momentum. About 1:12

SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO

Standout moments

Favorite

Opening shipboard kitchen introduction

Seagal is introduced as a chef with an over-constructed menu and a fake personality, which the hosts find hilarious.

Opening minutes

Favorite

Busey spits into the bouillabaisse

Busey contaminates the food and Seagal reacts by punching his way through the scene.

About 1:04

mixed

Busey in drag

The movie’s weirdest visual gag, used to disguise Busey and then undercut by the hosts as unnecessary.

About 40 min

positive

Seagal hiding in the ceiling and dropping down

The hosts like the classic action-movie ceiling drop as a clean, cinematic maneuver.

About 1:12

Favorite

Tommy Lee's 'welcome to the revolution' speech

Jones delivers a full villain monologue while the hosts marvel at how little sense it makes and how well he sells it.

About 1:04

Favorite

Microwave bomb countdown

The microwave timer becomes a memorable action-movie beat and a source of childhood nostalgia for the hosts.

About 1:12

mixed

Captain's death and Seagal covering the body

Seagal attempts a dramatic beat of grief that the hosts feel is over-rehearsed but ineffective.

About 1:04

Favorite

Final Tommy Lee knife fight

The climactic confrontation is praised, though the hosts note that Seagal cannot be allowed to look vulnerable even for a second.

About 1:20

mixed

Final kiss and deck celebration

The ending celebrates the victory but is undercut by a bizarre kiss that the hosts find disturbing.

About 1:28

WHERE THEY DISAGREED

The biggest debates

They agreed About 32 min

Whether the movie is really a Seagal movie or a Tommy Lee Jones movie

Bill Simmons
It ultimately feels like a Tommy Lee Jones movie that Seagal is in.

Kyle Brandt
Agrees; Jones takes over from the beginning and never gives it back.

They agreed About 1:20

Whether the final kiss was scripted or improvised

Bill Simmons
It feels improvised or at least inserted late, because it is so uncomfortable and unnatural.

Kyle Brandt
Agrees it feels like an ad-lib or a last-second addition.

Craig Horlbeck
Also agrees it seems improvised, or at least thrown in by someone demanding a kiss.

They agreed About 8 min

How much of Seagal's no-sell behavior is contractual

Bill Simmons
He is convinced Seagal's invulnerability is written into the contract.

Kyle Brandt
Agrees that the movie treats Seagal as untouchable and never damaged.

They partly agreed About 56 min

Whether Erica Eleniak is a good actress in the film

Bill Simmons
Says she is not great but fits the movie well enough.

Kyle Brandt
Is more positive and thinks she is good for the role.

14 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers

mixedSteven SeagalBill Simmons: Praised as the star of a strong early 90s run, but mocked for his strange body, no-selling fights, and odd persona. Opening minutes very favorableTommy Lee JonesBill Simmons: Celebrated as the film’s real force; the hosts say he essentially owns the movie and later becomes a huge star. About 32 min favorableGary BuseyKyle Brandt: Seen as a perfect chaotic villain who is impossible to ignore and delivers memorable menace. About 40 min favorableAndrew DavisBill Simmons: Described as a strong action director whose work here foreshadows The Fugitive. About 16 min

mixedErica EleniakKyle Brandt: Praised for fitting the role and for her 90s-era presence, though the hosts acknowledge she is not a great actress. About 56 min

neutralWilliam G. 'Bill' SimmonsKyle Brandt: Referenced in the course of the conversation as the host and editor of the discussion. Opening minutes

favorableRoger EbertBill Simmons: Mentioned as giving the movie three stars and responding positively despite initial cynicism. About 24 min neutralGene HackmanBill Simmons: Referenced as part of Andrew Davis’s earlier work, specifically The Package. About 16 min neutralHarrison FordBill Simmons: Mentioned in connection with The Fugitive and as the alternative star of that era. About 32 min neutralArnold SchwarzeneggerBill Simmons: Used as a benchmark for 1992 action-star competition. Opening minutes neutralSylvester StalloneBill Simmons: Mentioned as another action star whose 1992 run was weaker. Opening minutes neutralJean-Claude Van DammeBill Simmons: Another comparison point in the 1992 action-star landscape. Opening minutes neutralGeorge H. W. BushBill Simmons: Appears via archival footage alongside Barbara Bush in the movie. About 1:04

neutralBarbara BushBill Simmons: Mentioned as part of the presidential footage used in the film. About 1:04

10 Conversation takesSpeakers shown only where the transcript identifies them

Bill SimmonsLoved it

Under Siege as Seagal's best film

Calls it Seagal's best movie and argues it is a real movie with real production value.

Opening minutes

Kyle BrandtLoved it

Under Siege as a Die Hard on a boat

Frames it as the best variation of the Die Hard template because the ship setting works so well.

About 32 min

Bill SimmonsLiked it

Steven Seagal's action-star run

Argues Seagal had a brief but real peak from 1990-92 when he could plausibly be the top action star.

Opening minutes

Kyle BrandtLoved it

Tommy Lee Jones

Insists Jones is the real star of the movie and praises his charisma and control.

About 32 min

Bill SimmonsLiked it

Gary Busey

Treats Busey as a crucial ingredient in the movie’s energy and villainy.

About 1:04

Kyle BrandtDid not like it

end-of-movie kiss

Says the closing kiss is the movie’s most unsettling moment and feels criminally uncomfortable.

About 1:20

Bill SimmonsLiked it

90s nudity and VHS culture

Expresses nostalgia for the era of brief topless scenes, Playboy-era scarcity, and rewinding tapes.

About 56 min

Kyle BrandtLiked it

Andrew Davis's direction

Credits the director and cast for making a ridiculous premise feel like a real movie.

About 16 min

Bill SimmonsLiked it

Casey Ryback

Likes the movie’s attempt to make Ryback a personality through chef identity and the menu gimmick.

About 8 min

Kyle BrandtLiked it

microwave bomb

Finds the microwave countdown bomb absurdly memorable and a classic action-movie image.

About 1:12

5 ThemesThe larger ideas in the discussion

Action-movie stardom

The episode treats Seagal as briefly holding the 1992 action-star crown before his career curdled.

Opening minutes

Character-building through nonsense details

The film tries hard to manufacture personality through chef jokes, menu names, and backstory.

About 8 min

Villain charisma

Tommy Lee Jones is framed as the movie’s true star because he brings energy, intelligence, and menace.

About 32 min

90s physical media nostalgia

The hosts reminisce about rewinding VHS tapes, Playboy, and cable-era movie rotation.

About 1:12

Die Hard on a blank

The movie is treated as one of the best variations of the Die Hard template because the boat setting works so well.

About 24 min

22 Facts and referencesProduction notes and other movies mentioned

Production note

The film was based on J.F. Lawton's spec script Dreadnought.

About 56 min

Production note

The movie earned two Oscar nominations for sound.

About 56 min

Production note

The movie made about $156.6 million on a $35 million budget.

About 56 min

Production note

It was the most successful film not screened for critics before release at the time.

About 56 min

Production note

The movie was shot on the USS Alabama rather than the USS Missouri.

About 1:52

Production note

Erica Eleniak's first feature-film role was as the girl Elliot kissed in E.T.

About 1:52

Production note

Seagal claimed he wanted to move into more human-oriented scripts and a serious mafia project called A Man of Honor.

About 1:04

The Fugitive

Used repeatedly as the key Andrew Davis comparison and as the movie Under Siege most directly leads into.

About 32 min

Die Hard

The hosts repeatedly describe Under Siege as a 'Die Hard on a boat' variant.

About 24 min

Hard to Kill

Used as the earlier Seagal movie the hosts covered and as a reference point for Seagal's style.

Opening minutes

Point Break

Referenced as part of Gary Busey's early-90s run and as an important movie for him.

About 1:04

The Bear

The kitchen scenes and chef energy are likened to the first season of The Bear.

About 8 min

Playboy

Used to explain why Erica Eleniak was recognizable to a 90s audience and why nudity mattered then.

About 56 min

Baywatch

Mentioned as part of Eleniak's background and the era's media ecology.

About 56 min

Charles in Charge

Another part of Erica Eleniak's pre-film career used to place her in 90s pop culture.

About 56 min

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory

Discussed as the sequel that was less well received and often on cable.

About 1:52

U.S. Marshals

Used as an example of the Tommy Lee Jones/The Fugitive ecosystem after this film.

About 32 min

Lethal Weapon

Referenced when talking about Gary Busey's early reputation and villain roles.

About 1:04

The Program

Referenced when discussing Dwayne Davis as Alvin Mack in the best small-part category.

About 1:52

The Bear

Also used to compare Seagal's kitchen-centered character to a modern culinary workplace drama.

About 8 min

Top Gun

The film's ending is said to rip off the communal deck-celebration tone from Top Gun.

About 1:20

The Wedding Scammer

A pre-roll ad read before the episode itself begins.

Opening minutes · low confidence

10 Running jokes and short linesRecurring bits captured from the conversation

Seagal's fake-chef persona

The hosts keep returning to the absurdly overdesigned menu and Ryback's personality-by-food gimmick.

About 8 min

Seagal never gets hit

A recurring complaint-gag that Seagal's fights are always one-sided and he never takes damage.

About 8 min

Die Hard on a blank

A running template joke about action movies that transplant Die Hard onto another setting.

About 24 min

The fake revolutionary speech

Jones's villain speeches are treated as ridiculous but electrifying.

About 1:04

90s nudity nostalgia

The hosts and Craig joke about how brief topless scenes and Playboy-era scarcity changed the viewing experience.

About 56 min

Kyle Brandt

“it's the best one he ever did”

Opening minutes

Bill Simmons

“Die Hard goes to sea”

About 24 min

Kyle Brandt

“He's flipped. He's completely flipped.”

About 1:04

Bill Simmons

“I'm afraid of needles, you know.”

About 1:28

Bill Simmons

“50 gallons of bouillabaisse”

About 1:20

MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT

Where to watch

UNITED STATES

Checking where Under Siege is available…

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

Movies to watch before and after.

Three movies to watch before Under Siege, and three to watch next.

Finding six movies…Three to watch first and three to watch next.

ON THE MIC

2 voices on this episode

Bill SimmonsThe Rewatchables

Kyle BrandtThe Rewatchables

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