John Carpenter's original "Assault on Precinct 13" was a film that should have been left alone. This remake, directed by Jean Francois Richet, is not without its merits, but in the end, it leaves us wishing it was better.
We are given the situation that four prisoners, one of them a powerful drug dealer, are being taken from a court building to a holding facility. Because of the bad weather, it's decided, at the last minute, to have these guys taken to the old Precinct 13, which is closing.
What appears to be a simple job of locking up these bad guys, turn out to be one of the most violent situations seen in movies in 2005. At first, we are led to believe the black SUVs following the transport bus are people that are trying to free Marion Bishop, the powerful criminal that doesn't want to be in jail. We keep thinking it makes sense, until we realize, these people that are trying to storm the precinct, want Bishop, because he is a dangerous man who will testify in court against them. These people are higher ups in the Detroit's police department.
The film is highly entertaining and will keep anyone involved following all what's being seen. The violence is too much to watch, at times. Ultimately, Roenick, the young police sergeant, emerges as the one that deals a heavy blow to the people that are trying to kill him.
Ethan Hawke does good work with his take of Roenick. Equally effective, Laurence Fishburne, who plays the bad guy, Marion Bishop. Gabriel Byrne, Maria Bello, Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo, Drea DeMatteo, and the rest of the cast make a valuable contribution to the success of the movie.
Fans of this film genre will probably compare this remake against the original one, and while this one is not as satisfying, it will not bore anyone.
We are given the situation that four prisoners, one of them a powerful drug dealer, are being taken from a court building to a holding facility. Because of the bad weather, it's decided, at the last minute, to have these guys taken to the old Precinct 13, which is closing.
What appears to be a simple job of locking up these bad guys, turn out to be one of the most violent situations seen in movies in 2005. At first, we are led to believe the black SUVs following the transport bus are people that are trying to free Marion Bishop, the powerful criminal that doesn't want to be in jail. We keep thinking it makes sense, until we realize, these people that are trying to storm the precinct, want Bishop, because he is a dangerous man who will testify in court against them. These people are higher ups in the Detroit's police department.
The film is highly entertaining and will keep anyone involved following all what's being seen. The violence is too much to watch, at times. Ultimately, Roenick, the young police sergeant, emerges as the one that deals a heavy blow to the people that are trying to kill him.
Ethan Hawke does good work with his take of Roenick. Equally effective, Laurence Fishburne, who plays the bad guy, Marion Bishop. Gabriel Byrne, Maria Bello, Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo, Drea DeMatteo, and the rest of the cast make a valuable contribution to the success of the movie.
Fans of this film genre will probably compare this remake against the original one, and while this one is not as satisfying, it will not bore anyone.