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Movies / Upcoming / The Siege
The Siege

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The Siege (1998)

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43 %
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Reviews Counted:58

Fresh:25

Rotten:33

Average Rating:5.8/10

Consensus: An exciting, well-paced action film.

Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: When the U.S. military abducts a Muslim leader, New York City becomes the target of several terrorist attacks in this gripping political thriller ripped from newspaper headlines. Denzel Washington... When the U.S. military abducts a Muslim leader, New York City becomes the target of several terrorist attacks in this gripping political thriller ripped from newspaper headlines. Denzel Washington stars as Anthony "Hub" Hubbard, the head of the FBI terrorism task force who is charge of investigating the bombings. Ironically, Hub's partner, Frank Haddad (Tony Shalhoub), is Arab-American and must fight for his family's rights as the citizens of New York become increasingly paranoid about the Arab-American population. Elise Kraft (Annette Bening) is an undercover CIA official and Middle East expert who is also investigating the terrorist attacks and joins Hub and Frank as they search for the terrorists. As Hub, Elise, and Frank work to uncover the source of the terrorism, the city erupts in escalating madness, spiraling out of control until the government sends in General William Devereaux (Bruce Willis), who takes over the city and declares martial law. Ultimately, the government seizes the male Arab-American population of New York in makeshift internment camps in this incredibly relevant and cautionary thriller that examines the real dilemma of how a democratic society can uphold the rights of its citizens while under military protection. Director Edward Zwick's film features excellent performances from an all-star cast and includes real footage of President Clinton addressing the problem of terrorism. [More]

Starring: Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub

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

Director: Edward Zwick

Director: Edward Zwick
Screenwriter: Edward Zwick, Menno Meyjes, Lawrence Wright
Producer: Lynda Obst, Edward Zwick
Composer: Graeme Revell

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Siege

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; Australian critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/01/00
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Siege obviously is an ambitious thriller that has some valid issues on its mind. Unfortunately, the movie never really does much more than just raise the right questions.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

This movie has a very strong and compelling narrative thread running through it, and it benefits from expert direction that elevates the tension to a pitched height.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mike DeWolfe
Mike DeWolfe
Apollo Guide

Could someone please turn down Denzel Washington's Righteousness Meter? It's set too high.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
03/24/02
Boston Phoenix

A flawed but not uninteresting political thriller that struggles with middling success to satisfy the dual aims of being both commercially entertaining and socially significant.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/05/02
Wade Major
Wade Major
Boxoffice Magazine

In all, quite a disappointment.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

More political than entertaining, The Siege is a reflection of our heightened awareness and sensitivity to terrorism and the price of freedom.

Full Review Source: Calgary Movies | comment Comment
06/21/07
Ryan Cracknell
Ryan Cracknell
Calgary Movies

The prejudicial attitudes embodied in the film are insidious, like the anti-Semitism that infected fiction and journalism in the 1930s--not just in Germany, but in Britain and America.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Exciting and thought-provoking.

Full Review Source: Cinematter | comment Comment
01/01/00
Madeleine Williams
Madeleine Williams
Cinematter

It was like eating celery - crunchy and loud and tasty - then zero caloric content after all that trouble chewing it.

Full Review Source: Cinerina | comment Comment
06/14/01
Karina Montgomery
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina

Typical summer popcorn fare.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
CNN.com

Denzel Washington, the great crowd-pleaser who will likely make The Siege number one in the first weekend's box office, is easily the big reason to see the movie.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
01/01/00
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

The first hour is riveting, with a couple of particularly tense scenes. But things go hideously awry from there as the ham-fisted messages begin to dominate.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

[Benning] is the only fresh, compelling character in the film.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Susan Stark
Susan Stark
Detroit News

The Siege is constantly heavy-handed, not entertaining or insightful, and just goes to prove that not even the best actors can save a film that lacks a satisfactory screenplay.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

There's a lot of high drama, and Zwick pushes the Big Moments a little too hard -- but solid performances and plenty of shattering explosions conspire to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
01/01/00
E! Online

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Erik Childress
Erik Childress
eFilmCritic.com

The Siege may well be based on a huge 'what if?' premise, but it's smart, taut and knows exactly what the hell it's doing. And it does it well.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bob McCabe
Bob McCabe
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
05/22/03
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
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