The fact that I'd give any Steven Segal movie a 7 is a shock to me. But, I must admit, it's a good film and he actually was very well cast in the movie!
When the story begins, the psychotic Executive Officer (Gary Busey) of the USS Missouri battleship (it's actually the USS Alabama in the movie) is planning on a party for the Commanding Officer. However, I did say he was psychotic and the man is actually in charge of bringing aboard some other psychotics so that they can take over the ship...a ship armed with nuclear and all sorts of other weapons! Fortunately, one of the few men not captured by the evil commandos is Ryback (Segal) and he apparently is more than a match for the hijackers!
There are two minor problems with the movie that kept me from giving it a higher score. First, the film is essentially DIE HARD but on a ship instead of in an office building. Second, Erika Eleniak's character is simply terrible and it seemed obvious that she was tacked onto the script at the last minute. She had little reason for being there and her character was simply awfully written...at first whiny and proclaiming "I hate guns" and "I won't kill anyone" even after the killing starts....and then later, this stripper character suddenly becomes a commando-type!!! This makes no sense nor did most of her dialog.
These problems not withstanding, it IS a very tense and entertaining film. Plus, Segal is perfectly cast as his aikido skills don't always make sense in his other films...but her in small confined spaces it worked well....and Segal also tended to mumble less than usual. Overall, a fun film....just turn off your brain and enjoy it, as such a story really could NOT happen but the filmmakers made it seem like it could.
