Siege, The (UK)

7 / 10
1 vote cast
Rate this item

Click to read:

Inline Image

On November 6th our freedom is history
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 110 mins
Retail Price: £19.99
Release Date:

Synopsis:
Bruce Willis and Denzel Washington deliver action and mayhem in this edge-of-your-seat thrill ride from the director of `Courage Under Fire` and `Glory`.

When a crowded city bus blows up in Brooklyn and a campaign of terror begins to make its bloody mark on the streets of New York, it’s up to FBI special agent Anthony `Hub` Hubbard (Denzel Washington) and US Army General William Devereaux (Bruce Willis) to find out who’s responsible and put an end to the destruction. Together they face explosive danger at every turn when they team up to wage an all out war against a ruthless band of terrorists.

Special Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Original Theatrical Trailer
Making Of Featurette

Video Tracks:
Widescreen Anamorphic 2.35:1

Audio Tracks:
Dolby Digital 5.1 English

Directed By:
Edward Zwick

Written By:



Starring:
Sami Bouajila
Tony Shalhoub
Bruce Willis
Annette Bening
Denzel Washington

Casting By:
Mary Goldberg
Mary Colquhoun

Soundtrack By:
Graeme Revell

Director of Photography:
Roger Deakins

Editor:
Steven Rosenblum

Producer:
Edward Zwick
Lynda Obst
Jonathan Filley
Bruce Devan
Robin Budd

Executive Producer:
Peter Schindler

Distributor:
Twentieth Century Fox

Your Opinions and Comments

7 / 10
"The Siege" is a difficult movie to review.
While not totally fictitious, it is so far from the truth, especially for anyone who serves/served in the Intelligence service.
Putting the problematic attitude towards terror aside, this is a good thriller, which does not let go. The movie even touches a couple of moral issues, which is a good thing, I think.
The acting is very convincing, especially by Washington and Bening. Willis is not worse than his usual.
The video transfer is very well done. There aren`t any compression signs at all and the picture is crystal clear. While the special effects in this movie are nice, it is obvious that the production was very wise and left some explosions un-photographed. Somehow, the lack of the immediate horrors increases the emotionality of the scene.
The DD 5.1 soundtrack is very powerful. There are plenty of shots, chases and explosions in this movie to last you for (half) a lifetime. :)
One of the most brilliant parts of the movie (when it comes to its audio) is the scene where all the beepers start beeping. Sounds like a rather usual thing. Actually, this is one of the most horrifying scenes in the movie.
The extras are nice but could`ve been a bit more elaborated.
One last remark. As an Israeli, I can totally understand the uproar this movie made with the Arab citizens of the USA. While the movie contained several layers of trying to avoid making accusations towards a specific crowd, this movie clearly portrays the Muslims of the US of A as the bad guys. A bit harsh and definitely not accurate.
Bottom line - yeah, go for it, but trust me - there`s more to terrorism than it appears in the movie.
posted by Zvi Josef on 8/8/2000 05:04