The latest fix for you action junkies, 'Under Siege 2: Dark Territory', has been released by Warner. If 'Under Siege' was "Die Hard on a battleship", then 'Under Siege 2: Dark Territory' must be "Die Hard on a train". Well, for my money, Steven Seagal is no Bruce Willis and Under Siege, 1 or 2, is no Die Hard. But, 'Under Siege 2: Dark Territory' does have its share of outrageous stunts, martial arts fighting, high tech weaponry and, of course, the requisite pyschotic bad guys for Seagal to beat the piss out of at will.
For those unfamiliar with the plot of the film, former special forces superman and erstwhile cook, Casey Ryback (Seagal) is traveling with his niece by train from Denver to Los Angeles following the death of her parents in an airplane crash (that's why the train and not a plane). A former government scientist, aided by a group of highly trained mercenaries, also chooses the same train from which to set up a portable satellite control center which he uses to wrest contol of a top secret particle beam satellite from the Government then in turn uses the satellite to blackmail the World out of a billion dollars. Of course, they didn't count on Casey Ryback. At one point in the film, one of the Navy brass monitoring events from the Government's control center, upon hearing that Ryback is on the train yells, "why the hell is Casey Ryback on that train?". You might be asking yourself the same question. If poking holes in the plots of movies like 'Under Siege 2: Dark Territory' is your thing, you better take a pass on this one. But, if you enjoy your action fast and furious, and I suppose Seagal does have a certain appeal in this type of film, then 'Under Siege 2: Dark Territory' will fill the bill.
I actually found 'Under Siege 2: Dark Territory' more enjoyable on disc, though I suspect this is a case of expectations. When I saw the film this past summer in the theatre, I went in with rather high expectations and was mildly disappointed. Knowing what to expect from the video release, my expectations were somewhat lower and I found myself enjoying the film more. Go figure.
Warner's disc release is typical Warner, which is to say, typically good, except for their irritating penchant for windowboxing. This one, like several other past transfers isn't even centered properly, having an unaccountably wide area of black matting on the right side of the frame. How noticable this is will depend on how much any particular monitor overscans. The aspect ratio is about 1.85:1 and the framing looks well balanced. Other than the off center windowboxing, the transfer is excellent. Except for one or two dark shots that have a slight graininess, the image is spotless. Colors are solid and appear accurate. Contrast and brightness are near perfect, as is image sharpness and detail.
Certainly one of the biggest contributing factors to the enjoyment of this disc is the terrific soundtrack. This high octane Dolby mix contains numerous directional effects and very aggressive use of the surround channel. Dynamics and range are excellent with crystal clear highs and a solid low end. Dialog is clear and well balanced (if it really matters).
'Under Siege 2: Dark Territory' runs 100 minutes and the disc contains 31 chapters. The side break is intelligently (and obviously intentionally) placed. No trailer or other extras are included (also typical Warner). List price is $34.95.
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