Today’s quick review: The Siege. As New York City reels from a bus bombing, FBI agent Anthony Hubbard (Denzel Washington) and his team race to unearth the terrorist cell responsible before they can mount another attack. The investigation is complicated by the involvement of Elise Kraft (Annette Bening), a CIA agent who knows more than she lets on, and William Devereaux (Bruce Willis), an Army general who will stop at nothing to restore order.
The Siege is an action thriller about a terrorist threat that pushes New York to the brink. The Siege takes a typical action thriller premise and pushes it to new extremes. The movie mixes the usual complement of false leads, explosive confrontations, and time pressure with a large-scale plot that touches on real-world themes. The Siege works well as an adrenaline-packed thriller, but its attempts at realism feel somewhat out of place.
What sets The Siege apart is its scope. The movie isn’t afraid to escalate, beginning with an already forceful terrorist attack and raising the stakes even higher from there. The plot expands to encompass not just the remaining members of the terrorist cell but CIA secrets, a nationwide debate, and the spirit of the people of New York. The scale of the plot is matched by the scale of the action, with big explosions and tense standoffs.
Incongruously, The Siege also aims for a degree of realism. The beats of the plot are pure Hollywood, but the film spends an unusual amount of time on themes such as terrorism, civil liberties, and American foreign policy. The Siege steers clear of specific political debates, opting instead for broad moral questions that feed back into the plot. Even so, the film has a heavier tone and a greater focus on consequences than most action thrillers.
Because of this, The Siege gets caught somewhere in the middle. The plot is too exaggerated to make any nuanced political or moral points, while the film’s dramatic side may put a damper on the fun of action fans. Still, The Siege has enough in the way of spectacle, plot, and acting talent to satisfy viewers looking for some action. Those willing to roll with a few heavy punches will find it to be a solid entry into the action thriller genre.
For a character-focused thriller that offers a more sober take on terrorism, try Traitor. For an action thriller with a similar premise and a lighter tone, try Speed, Die Hard with a Vengeance, or The Rock.
6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for high-stakes action with a dramatic streak.