• Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) -- Generally stupid, but is disposable fun, 6/10. WATCH full episodes of "Movie Night" -- ****** TWEET a review with the #JPMN hashtag, and have it featured! ~~ Movie Night Reviews ~~ Your host, and film critic Jonathan Paula reviews everything from opening day releases, recent DVDs, upcoming trailers, and classics from years past. Each "Quick Review" is an excerpt from a full episode, which airs on the Jogwheel channel every y week. ~~ Watch More Reviews ~~ Browse By Year ----- ****** Browse By Rating --- ****** Trailer Reviews ------- ****** ~~ Other Channels ~~ Jogwheel (Main channel) --- ****** Jon's World (2nd channel) -- ****** The Microwave Show --------- ****** uStream Live Shows ---------- ****** ~~ Social Media & Merch ~~ Twitter ---------------------------- ****** Facebook ----------------------- ****** Instagram ----------------------- ****** Patreon -------------------------- ****** Letterboxd ---------------------- ****** T-Shirts -------------------------- ****** ~~ Technical Credits ~~ Created by ------ Jonathan Paula Camera ---------- Panasonic HMC-150 Microphone ----- Sennheiser ME 66 Software --------- Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2014 Computer ------- ****** • Jogwheel Productions © 2015 • ~~ Review Script ~~ 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. ~