Today’s quick review: Assault on Precinct 13. Left in charge of a Detroit police station on its last day of operation, Sgt. Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke) gets more than he bargained for when a prison transport carrying Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne), the city’s most feared killer, stops at the station to ride out a winter storm. The situation soon erupts into violence when Bishop’s enemies attack the understaffed station to try to kill him.
Assault on Precinct 13 is an action movie that pits a handful of cops and prisoners against a well-armed assault team determined to get at Bishop. The movie is a bread-and-butter action flick that combines a tense situation with a few twists and turns and plenty of gunplay. The movie runs into trouble when it goes for drama, but it gets the basics of the genre right: the plot works well, the action is competent, and there’s just enough star power.
The movie’s best asset is Laurence Fishburne. His steely performance as Marion Bishop sells the character and justifies the great lengths his enemies are willing to go to to eliminate him. His presence also shifts the dynamic from a simple defense led by Sgt. Roenick to a complex situation that Jake cannot fully control. Combined with the other characters’ competing objectives, this gives the movie plenty of raw material to work with for its plot.
However, the rest of the cast comes up short. Ethan Hawke makes for a fine, heroic protagonist, but the film keeps trying saddle him with drama that never quite clicks. His de facto love interest, a police psychiatrist (Maria Bello) who can’t cope with the situation, is a swing and a miss. The rest of the supporting cast does alright, including John Leguizamo as a drug-addled prisoner, but they aren’t enough to support the film’s dramatic aspirations.
Give Assault on Precinct 13 a shot when you’re in the mood for popcorn action. The movie has just enough in the way of plot and spectacle to make good on its premise, while a few missteps keep it from accomplishing more. For a crime thriller about crooked cops, try 16 Blocks. For a flashier action movie about a prison transport gone wrong, try Con Air. For a tense budget crime drama that makes similar use of Laurence Fishburne, try Standoff.
6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for good action fundamentals without the skill needed to go beyond them. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398712
The Negotiator
Today’s quick review: The Negotiator. Hostage negotiator Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) becomes the target of a cover-up when he’s framed for the murder of his partner, who was investigating corruption within the force. Out of options and unsure who to trust, Danny takes one of his accusers hostage, sparking a tense standoff between him and his former colleagues that only fellow negotiator Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey) can hope to resolve.
The Negotiator is a crime thriller about a hostage negotiator who finds himself on the other side of a hostage standoff. The Negotiator backs this premise with a rock-solid plot, an effective pair of leads, and strong fundamentals. Roman’s attempts to take control of a rigged situation give the movie plenty of tension to work with, while Sabian acts as a release valve, the one officer present who wants to see Roman walk out of the situation alive.
Much of The Negotiator’s appeal comes from its two leads. Samuel L. Jackson puts his talents to good use as Danny Roman, an honest man forced to extreme measures to clear his name. His skill as a negotiator and mastery of police protocol let him control the situation he’s gotten himself into, using a number of clever ploys to stay ahead of the police. At the same thime, the tall odds stacked against him keep the film from becoming too one-sided.
He’s balanced perfectly by Kevin Spacey as Chris Sabian, a negotiator who Danny trusts not to be involved in the conspiracy. Sabian takes a gentler approach than Roman but backs his words with the same strength and cunning. His neutrality makes him Roman’s closest ally, but not one that can be easily controlled. The three-way conflict between Roman, Sabian, and the rest of the police force fuels the film’s tense, complex standoff.
The Negotiator is an excellent pick for fans of the crime or action genres. It has just enough of an original premise to set it apart without straying too far from teh basics, while its leads and the quality of its writing let it deliver on its promises. For another thriller about corrupt cops, try 16 Blocks or The Departed. For a hostage standoff of similar quality, try Inside Man. For a bleaker take on a similar premise, try Hostage.
7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for solid action, an engrossing plot, and a great pair of leads.