Under Siege 2: Dark Territory

Warner Bros. | Release Date: July 14, 1995

CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION

52	METASCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews

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Critic Reviews

Critic score Publication By date

EmpireWilliam Thomas

Sound silly? It is. Very. But it's also highly enjoyable, incredibly slick and a damn sight more entertaining than numerous other bombastic actioners. Bogosian makes for a splendidly deranged villain. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

This is Seagal's best movie since Out for Justice. Read full review

Roger Ebert

I mention all of these tiny logical quibbles because I was amused by them. I was also amused by the film. It isn't as good as the original "Under Siege," but it moves quickly, has great stunts and special effects, and is a lot of fun. Read full review

Gene Siskel

Seagal is a solid, whispering presence, but he is particularly well served by a special-effects team that provides him with one exciting visual adventure after another. Along with "Species," this is a perfect summer action film experience. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

A solidly enjoyable formula thriller. Read full review

Barbara Shulgasser

This sequel is much better than the original "Under Siege"...The real coup here is the discovery that when you eliminate dialogue, and thus eliminate Seagal's efforts to act in that rather high voice of his, the movie takes on a surprising gravity. When Seagal doesn't talk, he verges on the dignified. It's kind of scary. Read full review

Michael Wilmington

A bomb? Not quite. Anyone who gets a kick of train thrillers should get knocked off the tracks by this one. [17 July 1995, p.N2]

Peter Rainer

Under Siege 2 isn't going to convince anyone that Seagal is Brando, though he often sounds a bit like him. But, taken strictly as an action sequel, the film is a lively show. It's a formula follow-up with formula dialogue and formula action but the director, Geoff Murphy, does extremely well within the sequel's narrow limits. Read full review

Richard Harrington

It's fists and feet that do the talking in Under Siege 2 and they prove eloquent enough. Read full review

Mike Clark

Dark Territory is back to familiar territory, and the payoff is moronically comfy [17 July 1995, p.6D]

Leonard Klady

Bogosian provides some much-needed comic relief to the slogging tale. He turns in solid work, as does Everett McGill as his head strongman, but they and others are saddled with pedestrian dialogue and motivation. Read full review

TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)

We'll bet you our measly paycheck that UNDER SIEGE 3 is set on an airplane -- although, given the precipitous downward trajectory of Seagal's career, a moped or a pair of in-line skates isn't out of the question. Read full review

Stephen Holden

Although Under Siege 2 isn't credible for a single moment, its director, Geoff Murphy, has done a smoothly efficient job of coordinating the action sequences. Read full review

Edward Guthmann

Murphy, who started directing movies in his native Australia, does a good job of locomoting Under Siege 2 at a lively, muscular clip. Read full review

Desmond Ryan

There is no discernible train of thought in Under Siege 2, but it serves up exactly what Seagal fans want - a movie where the body count is higher than the IQ needed to enjoy it. [17 July 1995, p.D01]

Paula Nechak

A strangely inert film that is leisurely enough in pace for Seagal to conveniently foil one bad guy at a time until everyone has been disposed of. Ultimately, we're left to rely on pyrotechnic razzle-dazzle to thrill us, which, until the final train debacle, is modest in scope as well. [17 July 1995, p.E3]

Jackie Potts

If the sounds of snapping forearms and ruptured jugular veins make your heart sing, then you won't want to miss Steven Seagal's latest gorefest -- Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. [17 July 1995, p.3C]

Steve Persall

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory is the sort of movie that would give sequels a bad name, if they didn't already have one. [16 July 1995, p.2B]

James Berardinelli

I have come to the conclusion that it's impossible for a Steven Segal movie to be anything better than mediocre, and this particular travesty may be his worst yet. The title Under Siege is supposed to represent the situation faced by Segal's character, but it's equally appropriate in describing the experience of the poor viewer who sits through this film. Read full review

Marjorie Baumgarten

It is so bad and illogical that even devoted loyalists should find their faith tested. The subtitle Dark Territory doesn't even begin to describe how inchoate and blemished this storytelling is. Read full review

Simona Chiose

It's not acting, it's not moviemaking, it's not cooking, and it's hardly watchable. [17 July 1995]