While out on an assignment, hitman Scott Walker (Daniel Stisen) accidentally lets a witness escape, leaving his identity compromised. His handler sends him to the Reassignment Center, a network of off-the-grid facilities funded by the underground world of assassins, to get a new identity. Walker has been to this particular facility many times, and knows the friendly staff well. After Smithee (Michael Geary) checks him in, collects his old weapon, keys, wallet, etc. and burns off his fingerprints, Walker heads to his assigned room to shower and change while waiting on his new ID. The facility is currently under construction, and has just minimal security and night staff, so those waiting for their new identities are locked down for the night. However, ruthless mobster Big Deal (Byron Gibson) has other plans. There is a woman hiding in the facility whom he is desperate to get back, and so he sends his assault team in to lay siege to the Reassignment Center and retrieve her. Their target is Juliet (Yennis Cheung), the pregnant “girlfriend” of the mob boos, who managed to escape her captor with help from assassin Elda (Lauren Okadigbo). Elda had also been taken when she was a young girl, and now makes it her mission to help other women in need. Elda has heard tales of Walker’s exploits, and seeks his help to assist her in protecting Juliet. Walker is a former soldier turned hitman. He has seen his own loved ones get caught in the crossfire of his job, and now lives by the creed of “no attachments”, but he still reluctantly agrees to help. And so the trio must fend off swarms of bad guys making their way through the facility looking for Juliet.
The Siege may be low on budget, but it is high on entertainment value. It knows exactly what kind of film it wants to be, and doesn’t take things too seriously. It is a fun rollercoaster ride, with a lot of great action and fight sequences, and some humor also thrown in. The characters are constantly making quips and sarcastic remarks at one another. For example, in one scene Walker is on on top of a man, killing him, when Elda walks in, to which she asks “Want me to come back?” and when they end up in a similar situation again later on, she gives a “we have to stop meeting like this”. Yes, the dialogue can be a bit cheesy at times, but in a fun throwback kind of way to those dumb, fun action movies of the ’80s and ’90s.
When we first meet Walker, he’s a masked assassin listening to Mozart as he single-handedly picks off a team of soldiers guarding an informant, one-by-one. However, we quickly discover that Walker is not just some psycho killer, but actually a nice guy who’s just good at his job. While he claims he doesn’t like attachments, he’s still quite friendly to the staff at the Reassignment Center. As Smithee checks him in, another nerdy employee is making an obvious attempt at flirtation with Smithee. Smithee is a bit oblivious, and also nervous and stumbling over his words, like your typically awkward Hugh Grant meet-cute in a rom-com. Walker witnesses the painful interaction and gives the guy some romantic tips afterwards.
Once the bad guys start their siege, the film is pretty much non-stop action, with Walker and Elda using punches, kicks, guns, knives, hammers, or whatever other weapons they can get their hands on to take down their attackers. Even Juliet, who isn’t a trained assassin and has never even punched anyone, gets in on the action. In typical action movie form, the enemies all seem to have split up after entering the building, so our heroes don’t have to take everyone on at once. As they try to make their out of this under-construction facility, they encounter new enemies, each with their own unique weapon and/or fighting style. The film feels like a throwback to the over-the-top action movies from decades ago where the seemingly-indestructible hero makes their way through wave after wave of bad guys, no matter how worn down or injured they appear to be.
The film also explores a bit of of the backstory of both the heroes and the attackers, though this never really gets deep enough to make the viewer form some kind of emotional connection to the characters. Instead, it comes off a bit comical in the way some of this background drama is so over-the-top.
Well Go’s Blu-ray release looks great, with a clean, clear picture throughout that captures all of the fast-paced action in nice detail. Fast and tight camera moves always keep the action exciting, and even in darker scenes, the picture still looks great. The audio track provides clear dialogue and makes nice use of the stereo and surround sound to put the viewer right in the middle of the action. Whether it’s the rumbling of thunder overhead, the blaring of the facility’s alarms, or Walker’s Mozart, there is constantly some immersive sound to fill the room.
Well Go’s Blu-ray release includes a fun 20-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with the cast and creators, as well as the film’s trailer and some previews for three other Well Go releases. The disc comes packed in a locking HD keepcase, and doesn’t include a digital copy. Our review copy did not include a slipcover.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:27:15)
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Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 16:9
- Audio: English DTS-HDMA 5.1, English Stereo
- Subtitles: English
Extras:
- Making Of (21:04)
The crew discuss their love of action movies and inspirations for the film, the stunts, fight scenes and deaths, the look of the Reassignment Center, and more. The actors discuss their characters, the emotional and personal journeys each goes on, and the relationships they have with one another. It closes with everyone talking about what they hope the audience will take away from the film (which they all refer to as “Reassigned”). Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Brad Watson, stunt coordinator Darren Le Fevre, screenwriter Nicole Bartlett, production designer Ian Kerr, and stars Daniel Stisen (“Scott Walker”), Lauren Okadigbo (“Elda”), Yennis Cheung (“Juliet”), Smithee (“Michael Geary”), Keates (“Samantha Schnitzler”), Ali Gadema (“Lovette”), Mark Epstein (“Dannigan”) & Phillip Ray Tommy (“Fisher”). - Trailer (1:49)
- Previews
- Unwelcome (2:19)
- Śakra (2:15)
- Fist of the Condor (2:06)
Final Thoughts:
The Siege is a fun rollercoaster ride of an movie that definitely feels inspired by those over-the-top action films of the ’80s and ’90s. The film may be a little light on story, but more than makes up for this with entertaining action and fight sequences, and even some humor. Well Go’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and even includes over 20 minutes of bonus material. This is an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys over-the-top, fun (and sometimes a bit cheesy) action films.
The Siege
$11.98 $7.39 (as of April 19, 2024 16:40 GMT -04:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
The Siege
64% Off $24.98 $4.79 (as of April 19, 2024 16:40 GMT -04:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
The Siege
$3.99 (as of April 19, 2024 16:40 GMT -04:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
