Are you ready for another Denzel Washington film? This one’s an action thriller from 1998. It also stars Bruce Willis and Annette Bening. Let’s take a closer a look at the film and the blu-ray release. So without further ado here’s The Siege blu-ray review.
- The Siege (1998)
- Genre: Action, Thriller
- Directed by Edward Zwick
- UK Rating 18
- Discs: 1
- Released By 20th Century Fox
- Blu-ray Released: 9 November 2009
Plot
When a terrorist cell takes a bus fully loaded with passengers they explode a device. Fortunately it only contains paint. However the next time the device turns out to be real. New York is seemingly defenceless against these terrorists. Nobody seems to know where they will strike next. FBI Special Agent Anthony Hubbard (Denzel Washington) and FBI agent Frank Haddad (Tony Shalhoub), a Lebanese American are determined to stop the attacks.
Confusing matters further is CIA operative Elise Kraft (Annette Bening). She seems to know far more than she is letting on. Is she there to help the FBI or hinder their investigation?
Style / Direction
The films directed by Edward Zwick whilst the cinematography is handled by Roger Deakins. The Siege is a very worrying and disturbing film. It’s show’s what could really occur when certain circumstances happen. Marshall law in one of Americas largest cities for instance.
Edward Zwick delivers a very slick and high energy action thriller. The plot is full of twists and turns, making this a must see movie.
Music / Audio Effects
The music score comes from Graeme Revell and it’s fair to say it creates plenty of tension.
Acting / Characters
Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Tony Shalhoub and Bruce Willis really do make this film an uncomfortable but highly entertaining action thriller.
Washington is again outstanding and works very well with Tony Shalhoub. Meanwhile Annette Bening as CIA officer Elise Kraft is the unknown quantity. Is she helping the investigation or protecting the terrorists? It’s hard to tell which means she playing her role exceptionally well.
Bruce Willis plays U.S. Army Major General William Devereaux. He is ordered to bring marshal law to the streets of New York City. I guess you could call it a typical Bruce Willis performance but to be fair that’s not a bad thing.
Cast
- Denzel Washington as FBI Assistant Special Agent Anthony Hubbard
- Annette Bening as CIA officer Elise Kraft / Sharon Bridger
- Bruce Willis as U.S. Army Major General William Devereaux
- Tony Shalhoub as FBI Special Agent Frank Haddad
- Aasif Mandvi as Khalil Saleh
- Amro Salama as Tariq Husseini
- Sami Bouajila as Samir Nazhde
- Ahmed Ben Larby as Sheik Akhmed bin Talal
- Lianna Pai as FBI Agent Tina Osu
- Mark Valley as FBI Agent Mike Johanssen
- David Proval as FBI Agent Danny Sussman
- Lance Reddick as FBI Agent Floyd Rose
Conclusion: The Siege (1998) Film Review
The Siege is a highly entertaining yet disturbing action thriller that tackles terrorism and the possible overreaction to it. The acting is superb as is the story and the directing. Looking at it now post 9/11 it’s still an immensely powerful film that was ahead of its time. Add this one to your must see / own list.
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Conclusion: The Siege Blu-ray Review
I’m happy to report there are no real issues with the picture quality. It’s a sharp and clean print whilst the colours are vibrant.
The extras include a 42 minute documentary about terrorism in general. It’s really only worth watching if you really want to know more about the subject matter. It isn’t related to the film other than the general topic.
The rest of the extras are related to the film and are worth a look.
Extras
- Audio Commentary
- Inside The Mind Of A Suicide Bomber(42 mins)
- The Siege: Taking New York (14 mins)
- The Siege: Freedom is History (13 mins)
- 1998 Featurette: The Making of The Seige (14 mins)
- Theatrical Trailers
Popcorn Cinema Rating: The Siege (1998)
MOVIE RATING: MUST SEE
BLU-RAY RATING: EXCELLENT
EXTRAS: VERY GOOD
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Purchase The Siege (1998) On Blu-ray
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The Siege (1998) Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip not representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes The Siege blu-ray review Blu-ray review, I’m aiming to review at least one Denzel Washington film a week. What’s next? Check back soon…
Summary: The Siege (1998) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: The Siege (1998)
Duration: 116 mins
Director(s): Edward Zwick
Actor(s): Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub, Aasif Mandvi
Genre: Action, Thriller
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
A highly entertaining yet disturbing action thriller
