Arrow’s ‘Under Siege’ 4K limited edition rewards fans of high-octane military thrillers

By far the best movie of irascible action star Steven Seagal’s scattered career, Under Siege: Limited Edition (Arrow Video, rated R, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 102 minutes, $49.95), which was also nominated for an Academy Award, debuts in the 4K disc format.

Director Andrew Davis’ 1992 action thriller takes place aboard the USS Missouri and finds an unassuming Navy cook, Chief Petty Officer Casey Ryback (Mr. Seagal), attempting to nearly single-handedly stop the theft of 32 nuclear-tipped tomahawk missiles by a group of terrorists who take control of the battleship.

Specifically, under the guise of a surprise birthday party for the captain, the bad guys — led by William Strannix (Tommie Lee Jones), a renegade former CIA operative, and his minions — land on the ship with their access assisted by an onboard traitor, executive officer Cmdr. Peter Krill (Gary Busey).

Well, the ship’s cook turns out to be a highly decorated former Navy SEAL, and with unexpected help from Playboy centerfold Jordan Tate (Erika Eleniak) — who was only meant to emerge from a birthday cake — he launches a daring rescue mission to save the crew and secure the missiles.

Mr. Jones and Mr. Busey’s efforts clearly stand out as they enjoy relishing in being crazy and evil, and they certainly supplement Mr. Seagal’s usual wooden performance.

Yeah, it’s “Die Hard” on a destroyer, but man, it’s an entertaining evening of close-combat, firefights and explosive action.

4K in action: An impeccable ultra-high definition restoration approved by Mr. Davis was built from the original 35mm camera negative scanned at 4K/16-bit resolution at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging.

First noticeable are the vivid and nuanced color palettes seen in the costuming, such as the various naval blues, camouflage or Mr. Strannix’s leather jacket with silver metal studs, as well as Ms. Tate and her glossy red lipstick and fingernails.

Next, admire the clarity by examining all the meters found in the engine room, the pocked face of Mr. Jones and his complex tie-dye shirt, the rivets found on the ship’s gray walls and even the flyby shots of the ship.

Best of the 4K moments include a close-quarter fight with combatants bathed in orange light, the shooting down of a navy jet midflight, the large shiny chain links of the anchor being dropped in the ocean, and Mr. Seagal in a glistening frog man suit as he swims through the water to plant a bomb on the side of a submarine.

Best extras: A dynamite collection of all-new digital goodies begins with Mr. Davis and screenwriter J.F. Lawton reuniting to offer an optional commentary track to reappreciate their efforts.

Unfortunately, the two men spend too much time watching the movie and not having much to say, but when they do react to the screen, they mention memories, such as Mr. Busey’s enthusiasm for the part and shooting helicopter flyover footage from the USS Missouri as it was heading to San Francisco for Fleet Week.

They mention nuggets such as Mr. Strannix was originally an effeminate character; efforts on getting Mr. Seagal to smile; the studio pushback, where the executives thought there was too much humor and not enough traditional martial arts; and worries about Mr. Busey wearing a dress.

Next, a series of solo interviews starts with a very personable Mr. Davis, who boasts that he had fun making the movie, spending 20 minutes touching on using the USS Alabama (as a stand-in for the USS Missouri); working with the cast and crew (Mr. Seagal was arrogant and full of himself); taking shots of tomahawk missiles from actual war footage; creating the effects; and believing Mr. Jones performance was worthy of an Academy Award.

Continue with Ms. Eleniak for 14 minutes as she discusses getting the role with filmed auditions; being uncomfortable with a nude scene; shooting a gun; crying on demand; and working and hanging out with Mr. Seagal, Mr. Jones and Mr. Busey.

More intriguing for movie-making fans is a generous and thorough 27 minutes with visual effects supervisor William Mesa talking about most of the big effects shots in “Under Siege.”

He dives into shooting down an F-18 Hornet (with footage of the scaled, radio-controlled model to show off), blowing up a helicopter on a USS Missouri and destroying a submarine in the ocean — all using the Introvision system.

As a reminder, Introvision is a front projection effects technique that allows artisans to compose shots in camera while assembling all of the pieces of the shot, such as incorporating miniature sets, models or matte foreground and backgrounds, all incorporated into the final shot.

He also talks about the evolution of the system as well as other films he used Introvision on, such as “Outland,” “Stand by Me” and “Fearless.”

Finally, 18-minutes with Damian Chapa has the actor discuss his enjoyment of being part on the film as he focuses on time spent with his fellow cast members and especially his appreciation of working with Mr. Seagal.

The package includes a 22-page full color booklet featuring an essay on Mr. Seagal by Vern, the author of “Seagalogy: A Study of the Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal” and a reprint of writer Martyn Pedler piece that explores all of the characters that died in the film (including their back stories) and complete with screenshots of their demise.

I could only expect Arrow Video to pull this literary gem out of its extras hat.