Assault on Precinct 13
By: Patrick Vu | Category: DVD Archive | 05/28/05 | 06:49 PM
Sgt. Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke) is a burnt out undercover detective still feeling the effects of a bust gone terribly wrong. He has yet to get over losing both members of his team and has been content to hide behind desk assignment ever since. Joined by veteran officer, Jasper O'Shea (Bran Dennehy), and buxom secretary, Iris Ferry (Drea De Matteo), the three spend the last night of the year closing up shop before moving into their new digs. Meanwhile, Marian Bishop and the other inmates are on their way for a temporary layover until the weather subsides. Upon arrival, they are immediately locked up in their cells as the officers countdown the new year together.
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| Assault on Precinct 13 |
| Starring: Ethan Hawke, Lawrence Fishburne, Gabriel Byrne, Drea De Matteo, Brian Dennehy, Ja Rule, John Leguizamo, Maria Bello, and Aisha Hinds |
| Director: Jean-François Richet |
| BUYOR RENT IT NOW! |
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Spoiler Alert
Now, things really start to lose control as Bishop's men are waiting outside anxious to spring their boss out of lockdown. What's interesting is that these men seem too specialized to be mere gang bangers. Their attack strategy is sharp and fairly thought through. Turns out, the gang bangers aren't of Bishop's crew at all, but a group of police officers out to quiet a man that could potentially reveal their crooked ways. Bishop and the officers had a deal where both benefitted greatly. In exchange for police immunity, Bishop freely handed over profits from his many questionable business dealings. However, the cops got greedy and demanded more with violence where one of the officers ended up dead by the hand of Bishop. In order to not risk the truth coming out after Bishop's arrest and to also avenge a murdered cop's death, Bishop becomes their prime target and as well as anyone else who gets in their way. Those stuck in the precinct must now join forces if they are to fend for their lives against a heavily equipped and determined grouped of officers gone bad.
A remake of John Carpenter's 1976 film of the same name, Assault on Precinct 13 left much to be desired...like some excitement to keep my eyes open. Precinct doesn't introduce us to anything new, which isn't necessarily always a bad thing. The problem is that you're not interested in the characters or the story. You don't really care whether Bishop survives because he is after all a criminal whom you know won't ever change his ways. Lawrence Fishurne seems to have gotten too comfortable playing Morpheus from The Matrix and resurrects his trademark character for Precinct. This time around, his chosen one isn't Neo, but Ethan Hawkes' Jake Roenick who doesn't add much more life to the film than Kee-nu did for The Matrix. The redeeming points of the film are the undervalued inmates (John Leguizamo, Ja-Rule, and Aisha Hinds) that unfortunately get caught in the middle of the mess...and I'm not talking about the gunfire of the film.
Assault on Precinct 13 is definitely an unlucky number for the old police station as well as for those involved with the film. Filled with talent, Assault of Precinct 13 under utilizes the resources it was given and has us struggling to stay awake. Check it out for yourself.
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Grade: C |
Genre: Drama/Action
