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This Geoff Murphy action film took home over $105 million following its July 14th release
in the summer of 1995. Martial arts master Steven Seagal returns to one of the few roles
that actually made a profit, as the ex-Navy SEAL who once again finds himself at the wrong
place at the wrong time. When a cross-country train is hijacked by terrorists for use as
their mobile uplink for a city-destroying satellite weapon, only Seagal is brave and
clever enough to stop them. The inconvenient catch however is that his teenage niece, played
by Katherine Heigl in one of her earliest appearances is also on board the train, and
is in danger herself. Steven is an anomaly in the action-genre. Unlike his peers, he
never seems normal, vulnerable, or even likable: he always plays a stoic, stubborn version
of himself: a big guy with a bad haircut, who is really good at throwing a punch. Because
the audience is unable to relate to a man who doesn't seem to fear anything, care for
anyone, or ever struggle in a fight - the 100-minute story plods along with little tension.
That's not to say "Under Siege 2" isn't fun however: as there are plenty of exciting stunts
and shootouts above the unstoppable train, as it barrels over bridges through the Rocky
Mountains. Plus, watching our 6'4" hero throw people off and under the speeding locomotive
is immensely satisfying. Heigl is primarily included as the requisite damsel in distress,
but manages to hold her own alongside her macho co-stars. When Seagal learns he has
to deal with her bratty teen behavior for the long train ride, he quietly remarks to
himself, "I guess I'm not trained for this." The dozens of highly organized terrorists
are led by Eric Bogosian, a low-rent Dustin Hoffman nerd who spends most of his screentime
monologing about how great he is. Although the bloated supporting cast includes two more
villain sidekicks, neither of them is Kurtwood Smith - who is completely wasted as an Air
Force general, who just watches everything from the sidelines. Much like the lackluster
original, this R-rated follow-up once against portrays America's military leaders as entirely
incompetent individuals who inept at defending themselves against even the most obvious of
attacks. Steven is apparently the only solider in the country capable of throwing a punch
or paying attention. Even though the action and dialogue is paced well enough, this $60-million
dollar follow-up has little connection to its predecessor. In fact, the script was originally
written to be a standalone picture, before producers found a way to shoe-horn in some
existing characters. Basil Poledouris contributes an unremarkable score, which goes hand-in-hand
with the traditional cinematography and simplistic editing. A bit more focused and inventive
than part one, this sequel is hardly anything special - but it goes out with such a preposterous
ending, you can't help but smile. It is seriously one of the most laughably ridiculous and over-the-top
climaxes in action history... which sees Steven sort of casually sauntering through a train
as it falls off a cliff and explodes. Fans of cheesy 90s action might enjoy this enough
for a single viewing - but its appeal is definitely limited. Although it's not saying much, this
might actually be my favorite Seagal flick, as it is just slightly stronger than the original.
"Under Siege 2: Dark Territory" is generally stupid, but makes for disposable fun, I thought
it was GOOD.