Assault on Precinct 13
On New Year's Eve, inside a police station that's about to be closed for good, officer Jake Roenick (Hawke) must cobble together a force made up cops and criminals to save themselves from a mob looking to looking to kill mobster Marion Bishop (Fishburne).
Member Reviews
A joy to behold: a taut, aesthetic blast of violence. - moviemonger
A fun little action movie. I don’t think anyone believes that they were re-inventing the wheel with this film (it is, in fact, yet another remake), but if you’re going to create a genre flick, do it right, keep the audience interested, slap some diverse characters in there, a little tension, some action, some chicks, gore…and you’ll pass the test. This film integrated all of those elements, along with a decent lead character, played by Ethan Hawke, struggling with his own shit, to give it all that little extra “oomph”. I have to admit that I’ve always been a sucker for “snow movies” as well, and this film takes the cake in that category with almost every single frame of the dark Detroit night jam-packed with snowflakes the size of my big ass (this is even more effective when you’re actually walking into the theater from a snowstorm yourself). The film sets itself up nicely with an invigorating opening sequence, a few Christmas tunes here and there, introductions to all of the goodies and the baddies (and there are a hell of a lot of ‘em, let me tell you), so that once the actual “assault” gets going, you got a little invested in these folks, and you could give half a shit about some of the gunplay going down. All that said, let’s not forget that this film is a B-movie at its core, so many of the situations do get a little far-fetched with an ultra-expert team of top-notch folks on the outside, having a ton of trouble getting into a building that’s not necessarily guarded all that well. The film’s editing is also a little overdone, with some of the action stuff going by too fast. The film also tacks on a couple of twists, a few moments of tension, some nice interplay between Hawke and Fishburne with moral dilemmas abounding, as well as some touches about honor and loyalty, to keep even those looking for a little extra, at bay. On the whole check it out, if you’re looking for a decent way to entertain yourself for a little over hour and a halfWell-rounded cast make up for film's flaws - Filmgal
Assault on Precinct 13 is your average cop action flick. What makes it stand out is the cast- however odd their presence in this film seems.
As a remake, this version spices up the original which now seems a bit dated. General storyline is as the title suggests- an assault on the under-staffed and aging Precinct 13 on New Years Eve. The main part of the story is just who exactly is behind this attack and is where the heart of the film lies. The police officers, prisoners, and civilians- made up of rookie and retired cops, petty thieves and a mob kingpin, a secretery and a doctor- join to battle to the forces from outside the precinct with lots of firepower and explosives.
There's not much new here or anything outstanding to report. The film is often predictable and with a lesser cast would play more like a cheesy remake, but this time, it's a worthy popcorn flick.
For a decent action flick it's worth the spot on your Ziplist. Younger viewers should be cautioned as there is A LOT of foul language and sexual references that could offend some.
If you enjoyed this film, you might want to check out John Carpenter's original version, and the similarily themed but less explosion-centered The Negotiator.Precinct offers solid, undemanding action - Baboonvideo
ZIP-WORTHY IF: You can look past the ludicrousness to enjoy a well-constructed B-movie.
REVIEW: The argument that flawed films are the best candidates for being remade scores another point with Assault on Precinct 13, a revamp of a 1976 John Carpenter film that improves upon the original with stronger performances and a more fleshed out screenplay (though perhaps less plausibility given our time of rampant communication technology).
Ethan Hawke, better here than he was in his Oscar-nominated role in Training Day (2001), plays Jake Roenick, a police sergeant reduced to desk duty (and not too happy about it) after an on-the-job injury. Jake and a veteran cop (Brian Dennehy) are holding fort at an isolated police precinct in Detroit on New Year's Eve, just before place is about to be closed down. When masked gunmen set their sights on the station, targeting crime kingpin Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne) and everyone else inside, criminals and cops must join forces to stand their ground.
Directed by Jean-Francois Richet, Assault plays tribute to the original effort but it finds the right balance between action and byplay between the characters to allow for genuine reactions when certain characters don't meet their predicted fates. Assault is ultimately too improbable, but it certainly deserves credit as a decent B-movie.
Member Reviews
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A joy to behold: a taut, aesthetic blast of violence. - moviemonger
A fun little action movie. I don’t think anyone believes that they were re-inventing the wheel with this film (it is, in fact, yet another remake), but if you’re going to create a genre flick, do it right, keep the audience interested, slap some diverse characters ...Well-rounded cast make up for film's flaws - Filmgal
Assault on Precinct 13 is your average cop action flick. What makes it stand out is the cast- however odd their presence in this film seems.
As a remake, this version spices up the original which now seems a bit dated. General storyline is as the ...Precinct offers solid, undemanding action - Baboonvideo
ZIP-WORTHY IF: You can look past the ludicrousness to enjoy a well-constructed B-movie.
REVIEW: The argument that flawed films are the best candidates for being remade scores another point with Assault on Precinct 13, a revamp of a 1976 John Carpenter ...