History Film / UnderSiege

** The two worst decisions in the first part are when Krill provokes Rybeck and throws him in the meat locker, and when Strannix ignores Krill offering to relieve the Marine guard and take Ryback himself ''with more than two men for backup''.

* TimedMission: An in-universe example as Ryback has to save the rest of the crew in the fo'c's'le before it floods.

* BullyingTheDragon: Krill is constantly making trouble for Ryback, which proves to be a foolish mistake on his part when he learns only after the killing has started that Ryback is indeed a professional killing machine as Strannix suspected.

* InvincibleHero: Ryback disposes everyone, mooks, TheDragon, the BigBad without breaking a sweat or losing his cool, which makes sense given his stature as a highly experienced Navy SEAL fighting the aggressive & intelligent adversaries that are Strannix and Krill. The closest Ryback gets to being hurt is when he's scraped by a boat hook while disabling the submarine. It's also averted in the climax of the final where he could have been killed by Strannix, but instead he finally clutched the VillianBall and let Ryback live.

* {{BFG}}: The 16" guns of the ''Missouri''. [[spoiler:We get to see them fired twice, both at the submarine as it's moving off from the ''Missouri''. First one misses but the shot blows Tommy Lee Jones off his feet and bursts his ear drums. The second one fired gives Gary Busey's character an OhCrap moment before the submarine he's on is hit and sunk by the ''Missouri'''s 16" shell.]]

Casey Ryback (Seagal) is [[AlmightyJanitor a valued cook]] on the USS ''Missouri'', which is undergoing one last party in Pearl Harbor before it goes to UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco to be decommissioned. The captain of the ship wanted Seagal to show up in his dress whites with full decorations, but he refused; he eventually said that the captain's birthday was tomorrow and he needed to make bouillabaisse for it, which lets him off the hook.

The captain's birthday is coming, and a surprise party is arranged. Food will be flown in, and so the pesky cook has to be LockedInAFreezer -- though not before the bouillabaisse is spat on and he attempts bodily harm on Commander Krill (Creator/GaryBusey), the XO making the plans. He is guarded by someone on orders not to let him out or listen to him. He isn't let out....

Anyhow, this is an elaborate surprise party. There is a band featuring Creator/TommyLeeJones and a cake containing Miss July. Everyone is allowed off shift -- though the captain didn't want that. And there's a clown car's worth of mercenaries ready to take over the ship once everyone's had enough champagne. That's right -- a hijacking!

The captain and operations officer are killed; most of the rest of the crew is locked into the forecastle, and a few other sailors get locked in the engine room. The hijackers now have control of a ship with nukes on it. It occurs to them that the kitchen, where our cook is, is not blocked off from the weapons room, so they send two men in to finish off the pesky cook....

Of course, [[ChefOfIron the pesky cook kills them first]], and leaves a bomb in a microwave when he finally escapes. He sneaks up to the captain's room, finds him dead, and finds the cake with Miss July in it, unopened. She's alive, but she's missed everything. She's also a self-proclaimed pacifist and never handled a gun....

The XO then finds the cook's service record, which had been locked in the Captain's "eyes only" safe. When they do find it, they learn that he was a Navy SEAL, one of the best ever, who, after a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Nifty_Package#Military_execution mission in Panama]] went wrong, lost all his ranks, leaving him only qualified to be a yeoman -- or a cook. Unfortunately for them, he still has the ''skills'' of a SEAL....

* IResembleThatRemark: As Commander Krill reads through his now-dead superior's report on him, he notices that he pegged Krill for being psychologically unstable. Krill, in drag, asks Strannix if he looks like he needs psychological help.

** Played straight when a self-destruct code transmitted to a cruise missile in flight causes it to blow up.
*** It should be noted, that the nuke didn't go nuclear, it just detonated its self destruct and fell from the sky.

%%* DefensiveFeintTrap

%%* StuffBlowingUp

* VillainBall: Ruthlessly {{Averted|Trope}}. Prior to the VillainousBreakdown both Strannix and Krill refuse to pick up the ball, with the worst decisions being the incident where Krill provokes Rybeck and throws him in the meat locker (which is petty and stupid, but he had no way of knowing that this could impact his plan) and only sending a couple men to the kitchen at the start (which is understandable as they had no idea how dangerous Ryback was -- and Krill ''did'' insist two guys weren't enough). After that, Strannix orders his men into roving patrols, reporting in regularly, to not pursue Ryback into unsecured areas, and to immediately call for backup should anything happen. The sub has backup anti-air weapons used to take out the SEAL Team, Krill smartly figures that putting the crew in danger will create a situation where they can take out Ryback, and they notice Ryback trying to sabotage the submarine.
* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Near the end of the movie, Strannix gets the drop on Ryback by sneaking up behind him, but doesn't shoot him because... reasons? It's clear the only reason for this is the director wanted a climactic knife fight between the two of them.

* InvincibleHero:
** A common complaint for the films is that, unlike Bruce Willis in ''Film/DieHard'', Seagal's Ryback disposes of everyone -- mooks, TheDragon, the BigBad -- without breaking a sweat or losing the cool façade, which tends to suck out some of the potential drama or excitement. The crazy thing is that it's ''significantly'' toned down from Seagal's usual characters. Ryback is far less respected than the standard Seagal protagonist, he gets injured twice, has to be saved by the ActionGirl at one point, and needs the help of a small band of escaped sailors to save the day. It's offset somewhat by the fact that Strannix and Krill are portrayed as extremely ruthless and competent, so so Ryback's victories feel more like a statement of his skill rather than their lack of skill.
** Actually partially justified, as [=McClane=] was a police Lieutenant (in NYPD he will be carrying out administrative duties and assisting precinct commander), and Ryback is a seasoned special forces operator, with combat experience starting from Vietnam War.

* ArtisticLicenseMilitary: When the ''Missouri'' stopped in Honolulu, all the projectiles for the 16" artillery as well as any other armor-piercing rounds were offloaded; while Ryback and company are [[spoiler:trying to sink the submarine]], they acknowledge this, discussing how the only ammunition they still have aboard are 5" starburst rounds. However, when they are shown loading the guns and preparing to fire, it's clear that both the powder bags and projectiles used are for the 16" guns.
--> '''Krill''': Those are just five-inch starbursts. They don't have any shells that can ''hurt'' us.

* NotSoDifferent: Flipped around, from Seagal's protagonist to Jones' antagonist.

* AxCrazy: Krill is not exactly the most stable guy around, which even the captain had noted long before he is inevitably murdered.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Captain Adams to Ryback: "You know, if I had your ribbons, I'd wear 'em to bed," hinting that there's much more than meets the eye here (as if his being the main character didn't already).
** And we see at the end that Ryback's broad chest is indeed laden with decorations.

* GenderBlenderName: Steven Seagal's character is named.... Casey Ryback.

** A common complaint for the films is that, unlike Bruce Willis in ''Film/DieHard'', Seagal's Ryback disposes of everyone -- mooks, TheDragon, the BigBad -- without breaking a sweat or losing the cool façade, which tends to suck out some of the potential drama or excitement. The crazy thing is that it's ''significantly'' toned down from Seagal's usual characters. Ryback is far less respected than the standard Seagal protagonist, he gets injured twice, has to be saved by the ActionGirl at one point, and needs the help of a small band of escaped sailors to save the day.
** Actually partially justified, as McClane was a police Lieutenant (in NYPD he will be carrying out administrative duties and assisting precinct commander), and Ryback is a seasoned special forces operator, with combat experience starting from Vietnam War.

* KarmicDeath: If you think about it, Commander Krill being blown to kingdom come by the guns of the ship whose crew he betrayed can be considered this.

* DieHardOnAnX

* InvincibleHero: A common complaint for the films is that, unlike Bruce Willis in ''Film/DieHard'', Seagal's Ryback disposes of everyone -- mooks, TheDragon, the BigBad -- without breaking a sweat or losing the cool facade, which tends to suck out some of the potential drama or excitement. The crazy thing is that it's ''significantly'' toned down from Seagal's usual characters. Ryback is far less respected than the standard Seagal protagonist, he gets injured twice, has to be saved by the ActionGirl at one point, and needs the help of a small band of escaped sailors to save the day.

* ANuclearError

** TruthInTelevision; Naval Special Warfare ratings didn't exist at the time, so enlisted [=SEALs=] retained whatever rating (Bosun's Mate, Radioman, Machinist's Mate, etc.) they had prior to completing [=BUD/S=]. This also meant they had to maintain at least some proficiency in their rating, as they still had to compete for promotion in that rating.[[note]] The Navy has since recognized that this is kind of ridiculous, which is why ratings like Special Warfare Operator were created.[[/note]] Ryback was busted back to being a cook because that's the job he had before he became a SEAL.

* StuffBlowingUp

* ChekhovsGun: At the beginning of the movie we see Ryback showing off his skills with a throwing knife, which is left stuck in a target. Later, when the ship has been taken over and Ryback has to escape from the kitchen, he uses that same knife to silently dispose of a mook. And later on, when Strannix and his henchmen find the bodies in the kitchen, this knife gives Strannix the first sign that the cook may be more threatening than they thought, prompting him to search Ryback's files.

* InvincibleHero: A common complaint for the films is that, unlike Bruce Willis in ''Film/DieHard'', Seagal's Ryback disposes of everyone -- mooks, TheDragon, the BigBad -- without breaking a sweat or losing the cool facade, which tends to suck out some of the potential drama or excitement.
** The crazy thing is that it's ''significantly'' toned down from Seagal's usual characters. Ryback is far less respected than the standard Seagal protagonist, he gets injured twice, has to be saved by the ActionGirl at one point, and needs the help of a small band of escaped sailors to save the day.

The captain's birthday is coming, and a surprise party is arranged. Food will be flown in, and so the pesky cook has to be LockedInAFreezer -- though not before the bouillabaisse is spat on and he attempts bodily harm on Commander Krill (Creator/GaryBusey), the XO making the plans. He is guarded by someone on orders not to let him out or listen to him. He isn't let out...

The captain and operations officer are killed; most of the rest of the crew is locked into the forecastle, and a few other sailors get locked in the engine room. The hijackers now have control of a ship with nukes on it. It occurs to them that the kitchen, where our cook is, is not blocked off from the weapons room, so they send two men in to finish off the pesky cook...

Of course, [[ChefOfIron the pesky cook kills them first]], and leaves a bomb in a microwave when he finally escapes. He sneaks up to the captain's room, finds him dead, and finds the cake with Miss July in it, unopened. She's alive, but she's missed everything. She's also a self-proclaimed pacifist and never handled a gun...

The XO then finds the cook's service record, which had been locked in the Captain's "eyes only" safe. When they do find it, they learn that he was a Navy SEAL, one of the best ever, who, after a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Nifty_Package#Military_execution mission in Panama]] went wrong, lost all his ranks, leaving him only qualified to be a yeoman -- or a cook. Unfortunately for them, he still has the ''skills'' of a SEAL...

* ArtisticLicenseEngineering: The microwave oven that Ryback used to booby-trap the kitchen has a rotary dial rather than a digital display, meaning it wouldn't beep like it did and warn Strannix of an imminent explosion. [[note]]It also wouldn't beep until the time expires and switches off, thereby no longer being a threat.[[/note]]

* ArcWords: Welcome to the revolution.
* ArtisticLicenseShips: In various scenes is perfectly clear, that ship is actually the USS ''Alabama'' standing-in for the ''Missouri'', with its shorter hull and single stack. Radars on artillery directors is older model too. Also, on ''Iowa''-class battleships the pilot house is located inside an armored conning tower, what appears as (and depicted in movie) a control room is just an enclosed gallery around said conning tower.

* {{BFG}}: The 16" guns of the Missouri. [[spoiler:We get to see them fired twice, both at the submarine as it's moving off from the Missouri. First one misses but the shot blows Tommy Lee Jones off his feet and bursts his ear drums. The second one after fired gives Gary Busey's character an OhCrap moment before the submarine he's on is hit and sunk by the Missouri's 16" shell.]]
* BigBad: Strannix, who hijacks the Missouri with the intent of selling its nuclear warheads.

* BlatantLies: The person who is on the USS Missouri's radio responding to the F/A-18 [[spoiler:before they shoot him down with the CIWS minigun]].
-->'''F/A-18 Pilot:''' Sting 1 to Missouri, are you tracking me?
-->'''USS Missouri radio operator:''' Uh... Negative.

* EveryoneKnowsMorse: In the first movie, Ryback is able to rescue a group of survivors trapped behind a welded-shut hatch who just happened to be broadcasting Morse code as he was nearby. Somewhat justified in that he was previously a Navy SEAL.

-->'''Strannix:''' (looking at the carnage Ryback has left behind) Daumer, Daumer, Daumer... why didn't you ''hire'' this person? I don't know what his price would have been but it would have been ''worth'' it.

-->'''Strannix:''' "Not at all".

-->'''Admiral Bates:''' "I'm trying to get ahold of Ryback."
-->'''Jordan Tate:''' "He's in a gunfight. I'll have to take a message."

* TheLoad: Jordan, although [[AdrenalineMakeover she shows Action Girl potential]] in the last 20 minutes of the film. She's also pretty clever. He tells her to stay back "where it's safe". Her reply, "The safest place on this ship is right behind you!"

--> '''Ryback:''' "We're the same, you and I."

-->'''Doumer:''' "Goddamn cook's a ''SEAL''!?"

* OverrankedSoldier: Commander Krill is a mix of type IV-V, harassing and provoking crew members he doesn't like for no real reason, often in ways that blatantly violate Navy regulations. To be fair, Captain Adams had noticed his XO's instability, and after the terrorists take the ''Missouri'', they find he had prepared a performance review for Krill that would have torpedoed Krill's career over that had Adams lived to reach Pearl Harbor and file it.
* PerformerGuise: Some of the terrorists infiltrating the U.S.S. Missouri dress up and perform as musicians during a party for the ship's captain.

* PointDefenseless: Averted when the CIWS easily takes out the F/A-18 on its recon mission. Justified when Tackman's and Ryback's sabotage cripples the ''Missouri's'' electronics before they can shoot down the SEAL team's choppers, then subverted when they get shot down anyway by a pair of missileers on the submarine armed with Stingers.

** TruthInTelevision; Naval Special Warfare ratings didn't exist at the time, so enlisted [=SEALs=] retained whatever rating (Bosun's Mate, Radioman, Machinist's Mate, etc.) they had prior to completing [=BUD/S=]. This also meant they had to maintain at least some proficiency in their rating, as they still had to compete for promotion in that rating[[note]] The Navy has since recognized that this is kind of ridiculous, which is why ratings like Special Warfare Operator were created[[/note]]. Ryback was busted back to being a cook because that's the job he had before he became a SEAL.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: Ryback was a highly decorated navy SEAL until he lost his security clearance for punching his commanding officer after some of his team members were killed on a mission due to faulty intelligence. After this, he retrained to be a cook and was taken on the Missouri's captain so he could finish his navy career and retire honorably.

-->'''Adm. Bates:''' ''[talking to Ryback on the radio, who is in a gunfight with the bad guys]]'' I see you have disobeyed my orders.\\

* RedshirtArmy: The navy SEAL team sent to retake the ship is wiped out when their helicopter is shot down. Any other crewman trying to be a hero other than Ryback and his companions doesn't gets to survive for long, either.

* SpannerInTheWorks: The villains have carefully planned this entire thing out, prepared to take on everything from Navy reinforcements to rebellion among the crew...but never considered how the ''cook'' might just be the most capable warrior on the entire ship.
* SpitefulSpit: In his first scene, Krill shows his contempt towards Ryback by spitting on the ''bouillabaisse'' he was preparing. Ryback [[BerserkButton doesn't take it well]] and punches Krill right in the mug.
* StandardEvilOrganizationSquad:.

* VillainBall: Ruthlessly {{Averted|Trope}}. Prior to the VillainousBreakdown both Strannix and Krill refuse to pick up the ball, with the worst decisions being the incident where Krill provokes Rybeck and throws him in the meat locker (which is petty and stupid, but he had no way of knowing that this could impact his plan) and only sending a couple men to the kitchen at the start (which is understandable as they had no idea how dangerous Ryback was - and Krill still insisted two guys wasn't enough). After that, Strannix orders his men into roving patrols, reporting in regularly, not to pursue Ryback into unsecured areas, to immediately call for backup should anything happen, the sub has backup anti-air weapons used to take out the SEAL Team, Krill smartly figures that putting the crew in danger will create a situation where they can take out Ryback, and they notice Ryback trying to sabotage the submarine.
* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Near the end of the movie, Strannix gets the drop on Ryback by sneaking up behind him, but doesn't shoot him because...reasons? It's clear the only reason for this is the director wanted a climactic knife fight between the two of them.

* KnifeFight: The climax has a knife fight between Strannix and Ryback, [[spoiler: which quickly turns into a CurbStompBattle, with Strannix only getting one lucky scratch, before Ryback [[EyeScream gauges his eye out with his bare hand]], before [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill stabbing him through the head and smashing his head through a piece of equipment, electrocuting him]]. And that's ''after'' owning him in the knife fight.]]

* AffablyEvil: Strannix is very much this, before his VillainousBreakdown.
-->'''Strannix:''' (looking at the carnage Ryback has left behind) Daumer, Daumer, Daumer... why didn't you ''hire'' this person? I don't know what his price would have been but it would have been ''worth'' it.

* RealMenCanCook: Casey is an excellent chef, and is only questioned by [[TheDragon Krill]].

* VillainousBreakdown: Strannix goes completely insane after Krill is killed and his eardrums burst due to the shockwave from the Missouri's 5" guns firing. He proceeds to launch two Tomahawk missiles at Honolulu while babbling about cartoon characters.

* {{BFG}}: The 16" guns of the Missouri. [[spoiler:Which, unfortunately, we never get to see in action (due to all the ammunition being offloaded in Hawaii at the beginning of the film).]]
** [[spoiler:Actually we do get to see them fired, twice. Both at the submarine as it's moving off from the Missouri. First one misses but the shot blows Tommy Lee Jones off his feet and bursts his ear drums. The second one after fired gives Gary Busey's character an OhCrap moment before the submarine he's on is hit and sunk by the Missouri's 16" shell.]]

* TheLoad: Jordan, although [[AdrenalineMakeover she shows Action Girl potential]] in the last 20 minutes of the film. She's also pretty clever. He tells her to stay back "where it's safe". Her reply, "The safest place on this ship is three feet behind you!"

** The crazy thing is that it's ''significantly'' toned down from Segal's usual characters. Ryback is far less respected than the standard Seagal protagonist, he gets injured twice, has to be saved by the ActionGirl at one point, and needs the help of a small band of escaped sailors to save the day.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: A lot of good sailors die, but the heroes win and avert a national disaster. The film closes on the captain's funeral, but on triumphant note seeing Ryback back in full uniform, restored to his full rank.