Drop Zone

Drop Zone (1994)

** (out of 4)

Gary Busey plays (what else?) a crazy DEA agent who decides to work the other side of the law by stealing various computer files. The difference is that they basically drop out of the sky and onto planes where they get the information, which means cop Pete Nessip (Wesley Snipes) must train in skydiving to go after them.

There were some great action pictures that were released in the 1990s but DROP ZONE certainly isn't one of them. I still remember watching this in the theater and the buzz after the movie was over was everyone being really letdown. I mean, you've got a likeable action star in Snipes and a great villain in Busey yet the end result was something rather boring and certainly not exciting.

I think the biggest problem was the screenplay and the entire idea of this skydiving team doing all of this stuff. It just seemed very far-fetched that all of this could happen and there just wasn't any drama or suspense in the movie. I think the lack of suspense is due to the filmmakers wanting us to suspend our brain function a bit too much.

For the most part Snipes turns in a good performance and Busey is always fun to watch but neither man is given much to work with here. Their characters are clearly trying to draw off of some of their earlier work and there's just no fresh magic in DROP ZONE.

This movie was made at the same time as „Terminal velocity" with Charlie Sheen. Some people are complaining that one movie is a rip-off the other. To be honest I don't know who is right. I don't really care. Both movies are on the same level. Both are decent popcorn movies to kill some time. Nothing to write home about.

I have a soft spot for Gary Busey and I'm happy that he's the villain in "Drop zone" . Wesley Snipes as hero is nice , because he gives his rather generic hero some depth. You can obviously feel his pain.

The movie has some quite attractive photography and interesting music. It also gives us some insight at the skydivers community.

All in all it's not a bad way to spend a night. I give it 4/10.

<*sigh!*> Am I the only one this entire sad, weary world who notices that all these action films use the exact (and I mean exact!) same plot? Or am I just the only one who cares?

As action movies go, this one is OK, I guess. (But that's a little bit like saying "As cases of diarrhea go, this one was OK.") On the plus side, the aerial photography depicting the skydiving scenes was spectacular. There were the requisite number of explosions, chase scenes, and witty banter on the part of both the hero (Wesley Snipes) and the villain (Gary Busey), delivered archly in the expectation that one of their ripostes might become a popular catchphrase. And Yancy Butler is not too hard to look at, either.

However, if I pay $8 or $9$ to watch a film, I expect a little more than something made from a cookie cutter. Hollywood spends a great deal of time, effort and money putting together movies with extraordinary special effects, and they've become quite good at it. OK, so I'm impressed! Can't a few more of them work a little bit on story, characterization and dialogue? Is that really too much to ask?

As I watched this movie (and to be fair, I stumbled across it on television rather than paying an exorbitant ticket price at the theater; this probably made me more disposed to be tolerant) All I could think was that this is what Coleman Francis might have made had he had a bigger budget. Maybe he would have thrown in more coffee, cigarettes, booze and bad tempered swearing as well.

Although it's utterly ridiculous, I really, really enjoy this movie. Badham is a fine, if underrated action/thriller director; WarGames is great, Nick of Time is good, and his other notable movies include Stakeout, Saturday Night Fever, and The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings. He keeps Drop Zone moving quickly enough that suspended disbelief doesn't lift, which is a good thing considering that the bad guys are rogue skydivers. Seriously. Fortunately, the head bad guy is played by Gary Busey, who could make an interior decorator evil.

There's some great aerial photography, and it makes skydiving look awesome. It's extremely well-paced, the supporting cast is likable, and the script is enjoyably amusing. Snipes is one of the premier action stars of his generation, and his presence alone can elevate a movie from the mediocre to the above average. And Yancy Butler is absolutely smoking. End of story.

This movie is actually one of the more compulsively watchable to be released at the end of the action movie renaissance of the mid-'80s to mid-'90s. I'd watch it right now, even though I just saw it last night. My definition of a good movie.

The tale deals with U.S. Marshal (Wesley Snipes) who along with his brother (Malcolm Jamal Warner) are caring a convict (Michel Jeter) into a Boeing plane . Then he is abducted by a villain (Gary Busey) and underlings (Luca Bercovici and Claire Stanfield) and dropped in parachute . Snipes sets off in pursuit and is signed up in a skydiving airport instruction (managed by Yancy Butler) with the aim to resolve the issue .

It's an action-ride movie from start to finish and the intrigue is continued . This solid though predictable thriller contains dazzling airborne stunts which keeps you tied on the edge of your seat . The film mingles suspense , tension , thriller, action-packed and is very entertaining because happens several events . The final confrontation amongst the protagonist and enemies is stimulating and breathtaking . Mind-numbing and incredible storyline is redeemed by breathtaking skydiving scenes . If you can suspend you disbelief , this crime-adventure is just enjoyable and keep you entertained . The movie is fast moving and the action pace is rightly directed and for that reason the flick isn't boring , nor dreary but is bemusing . Of course , the spotlights and great climax of the film are the flight scenes , it is spellbound and overwhelming . There aren't special effects but ¨stunts¨ who make it astounding . Wesley Snipes interpretation is good , he is making an important step as an action movie hero-star (Blade) . Gary Busey plays very nice the nasty role , as usual , and Yancy Butler is enticing and enjoyable . Hans Zimmer music is fine but with too much tuning knob and little symphonic music .

The motion picture collaborated to create the ¨ skydiving genre film ¨ whose initial outing was ¨The Gypsy Moths¨(1969) by John Frankenheimer , thus has a certain remembrance to : ¨Break Point¨ (Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves) , ¨Terminal velocity¨ (with Charlie Sheen and Natassja Kinski) and ¨Cutaway¨ (Tom Berenger and Stephen Baldwin) . The motion picture was correctly directed by the veteran Joh Badham with assured and fast moving direction . Badham's breakthrough credit was the box office smash Fever Saturday night (1977) ; other hits on his resume include The Blue Thunder (1983), War games (1983), and Shortcircuit (1986). He's a nice director who achieved his greatest success in the 80s and 90s . He directed several hits (Nick of time , Skateout ,Point of No Return , Bird on a wire) , though today making TV movies (Jack Bull , Floating away) and television episodes (Crossing Jordan, Psych, Las Vegas, Standoff , Heroes). In addition , ¨Drop zone¨ film in which the action lovers will enjoy this ode to the skydiving sport, in spite of story deficiencies . Rating : Good , worthwhile watching .