---
title: "Under Siege: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/under-siege/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/under-siege"
critics_score: 72
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Under Siege (1992): what the critics said

Critics' score 72 from 7 reviews: 4 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative.

The reviews lean positive on Under Siege, with praise centring on energetic action and villains who make the familiar plotting entertaining. Most critics with substantive comments available find it effective escapism, particularly when Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey are allowed to be extravagant. Davis’s direction also earns credit for keeping the action brisk and forceful, while The Hollywood Reporter singles out the battleship as a commanding presence in its own right.

Reservations concern formula, excess and how much the film offers beyond uncomplicated thrills. Variety faults the thin political context and a brief, disappointing climax. Seagal divides opinion more clearly: The Hollywood Reporter finds his performance part of the appeal, while Radio Times argues that Jones and the supporting cast compensate for his lack of charisma. The scores span mixed to positive, with no outright negative verdicts recorded, though two reviews lack enough accessible text to establish their reasoning.

## The Hollywood Reporter — Duane Byrge

Fi1m's normalised score 88/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 2017. 

Byrge considers the film a thrilling, well-crafted action hit, with Seagal’s performance adding to its appeal. He especially praises Davis’s visceral direction and the battleship’s commanding presence as a character in its own right.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/under-siege-review-1992-movie-1044304/)

## Radio Times — John Ferguson

Rating 4/5. 

Ferguson calls the film a slick nautical spin on the Die Hard concept. He says Tommy Lee Jones’s flamboyant performance, backed by Gary Busey and Colm Meaney, compensates for Seagal’s lack of charisma.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-nac6dw/under-siege/)

## Los Angeles Times — MICHAEL WILMINGTON

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 1992. 

Wilmington finds the film an entertaining, cheerfully over-the-top thriller despite its excesses and a possible commercial miscalculation. He praises its willingness to embrace its own absurdity and single outs Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey’s wild comic performances.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-10-09-ca-431-story.html)

## Variety — Emanuel Levy

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 1992. 

Levy finds the film slick and entertaining despite its formulaic action and weak political context. He praises the action set-pieces and strong performances from Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, while faulting the brief, disappointing climax.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1992/film/reviews/under-siege-2-1200430831/)

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Nathan finds the film entertaining as uncomplicated escapism, while noting it offers little beyond that. He praises the energetic, well-paced action and the villains’ over-the-top performances.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/siege-3-review/)

## The New York Times — Janet Maslin

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 1992. 

The review text was inaccessible, so its verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint can be reliably identified from the available page.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/09/movies/review-film-steven-seagal-on-a-ship-in-hot-water.html)

## Time Out — CM

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review’s verdict cannot be determined from the available page text. No specific praise or complaint is visible.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/under-siege)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/under-siege.md