Today’s quick review: Assault on Precinct 13. The last night of operation for a decommissioned Los Angeles police station turns into a bloodbath when a gunfight between a bereaved father (Martin West) and a local gang spills over into the station. Lt. Ethan Bishop (Austin Stoker) rallies a ragtag group of survivors to repel the attack, including prisoners Wilson (Darwin Joston) and Wells (Tony Burton) and Leigh (Laurie Zimmer), the station secretary.
Assault on Precinct 13 is an action movie written and directed by John Carpenter. The story follows a group of police officers, prisoners, and staff as they weather an hours-long siege from a murderous street gang. The survivors must put aside their differences and come to the aid of the man the gang is after, a stranger none of them have ever met. The movie is nicely scoped and cleanly executed, but what it has to offer won’t satisfy everyone.
Assault on Precinct 13 plays out something like a zombie movie. The gang members throw themselves at the station with no regard for their own safety, creating an endless shooting gallery for the survivors. What keeps the action from getting stale is the clever tactices the gang members use to cover their tracks, cutting the survivors off from backup and wearing away at their manpower and ammunition.
The movie supplements its action with elegant storytelling. The story explores two central themes: the unlikely alliance between cops and prisoners, and the decision to protect the life of a perfect stranger, even at the cost of one’s own. Assault on Precinct 13 does not bother with detailed character arcs or subplots. Instead, it focuses on the main plot and builds up its characters through small interactions and moments of sacrifice.
How much you get out of Assault on Precinct 13 will depend on your taste in action. For the right viewer, it is a streamlined movie that explores a couple of well-chosen themes and never strays from the conflict it sets up. For a viewer more used to modern action movies, its plot and character development can seem sparse. Check it out if you are a fan of straightforward action, crisp storytelling, or John Carpenter’s style of direction.
For an updated take on the same basic premise, try the Assault on Precinct 13 remake starring Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne. For a more exaggerated portrait of dystopian crime from the same director, try Escape from New York. For a deeper look at simmering violence under a facade of civility, try Falling Down or Taxi Driver.
[7.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074156/). I give it a 7.0 for focused and cleanly executed action.