Common Sense Media Review
By Alistair Lawrence
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Constant violence and language in train-bound action sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
UNDER SIEGE 2: DARK TERRITORY sees former Navy SEAL Casey Ryback (Steven Seagal) battle a gang of hijackers, this time on a train.
Is It Any Good?
After the success of Under Siege, a sequel was inevitable, but this follow-up lacks the swagger and personality of the first movie. Under Siege 2: Dark Territory confines most of the action to a cross-country train, which feels like a significant downgrade from the original's battleship setting. Part of the appeal of the original was to quietly minimize Seagal's stiff performance, giving all the best lines to his more charismatic cast mates—including Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey—who seemed to take no small pleasure in portraying wild and wonderful villains. Here, despite some solid acting pedigree among its cast of baddies, the script has little to offer Eric Bogosian and Everett McGill in terms of snappy one-liners. And their plot to blow up the Eastern Seaboard never gathers as much steam as the movie's collective mode of transport. Early roles for Morris Chestnut and Katherine Heigl remain two of the movie's Easter eggs, although they're cast in two-dimensional sidekick and damsel in distress roles, respectively. All of which consigns this train-based thriller to the sidings of a 1990s action movie landscape already crowded with Die Hard and Speed knock-offs.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. Do you think it was the right level or was there too much? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. What did it contribute to the story? Is a certain kind of language expected in a film like this?
Have you seen Under Siege? How did this sequel compare? What makes a good sequel? What are some of the reasons sequels are made?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 14, 1995
- On DVD or streaming : September 2, 2008
- Cast : Steven Seagal , Eric Bogosian , Katherine Heigl
- Director : Geoff Murphy
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Transportation ( Trains )
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violence and language
- Last updated : October 27, 2026
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