Assault on Precinct 13

I haven't seen Carpenter's original version but the remake seems like a very solid modern action crime/thriller with an interesting cast. Ethan Hawke may never be recognized as a great young actor by the vast majority of moviegoers but in my opinion he hasn't made a serious flop in his career so far.

The rest of the cast did equally well if not better at times. A special praise goes to Laurence Fishburne who gave the best performance in the movie.Overall the film has enough to offer to be considered worthy of a second view but it still lacks a few factors that could boost it further from the mass of similar movies.

...... 3/5 ......

I saw this remake last night and must say that it was an extremely enjoyable two hours right from the get-go. The opening of the story is one of the best I've seen in years, and throughout the acting is solid which wasn't surprising with this cast, but the dialogue was great all the way through, which you don't usually get in films anymore, and the action and building of tension was done very well by the director, his choreographers, and the composers. Top notch performance from Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, John Leguizamo, and Brian Dennehy. Very solid leading lady turn for Drea DeMatteo, as well as from Maria Bello. And the casting of Gabriel Bryne as the villain is genius although I would have liked to have seen him do a bit more on screen with Hawke and Fishburne. Overall, a solid 9 out of 10 for giving me some things in a film that I'll remember simply because there unexpected and done really well. Go see this film if you like good action filled thrillers, I promise as a filmmaker myself, it won't disappoint.

This is a remake of a remake and yet still packs a punch. I've seen the original "Rio Bravo" several times, including when it first came out. It was masterfully done and was one of the Duke's best movies from the 1950's. I saw John Carpenter's "Assault on Precinct 13" when it first came out in 1976 and remember it as being one of Carpenter's best movies. Now we have another version with basically the same characters including the drunk, originally played by Dean Martin, who is tested by the struggle for survival and eventually passes with flying colors. When I first heard the Christmas music in the movie, it took me a moment to grasp the reason for the Dean Martin selection until I realized it was the producer's way of paying homage to the crooner's performance in "Rio Bravo." This would be more entertaining for those who have not seen the originals. This remake follows the originals to the point of spoiling some of the surprises intended. I won't go into detail on this since it would then spoil the surprises for those who have not seen the originals. The story is there; the action is there; and the entertainment is there, especially for those who are seeing it for the first time.

The picture deals with an assassin (Laurence Fishburne) along with a group of delinquents (J.A Rule , John Leguizamo) are led to prison by security policemen (Kim Coates and Dorian Harewood) and during a snowstorm find shelter in a sleepy police station and almost locked out due to demolition . Precinct is commanded by a sergeant (Ethan Hawke) and there are an old police (Brian Dennehy) , a secretary (Drea De Matteo) and a psychologist (Maria Bello). Police station in ghetto district 13 is suddenly under siege and itself surrounded by violent gangmen heavily super-armed with technological weapons and helicopter . The opponents attackers sworn revenge about the murderer now inside the precinct 13 .

Film captures the special excitement or mood of paranoia that those under siege live for the night . Psychosis abounds when the policeman and prisoners are attacked from all sides and can see no way out making desperate tryings to flee . Film has maximum tension , noisy action , emotion and thriller from the subsequents attempts by the violent stalkers to enter in the station and the besieged to survive or getaway for prevention of the seemingly inevitable final . From the initiation of the movie to the end action-packed and suspense is unstopped . A very exciting storyline by James De Monaco though much-copied and superb casting make this one of the best thrillers made in that year . The picture is an adaptation of the semi-acclaimed John Carpenter film with the same title what also was a rendition of Howard Hawks's ¨Rio Bravo¨ and the remakes the ¨Dorado¨ and ¨Rio Lobo¨ ,that were developed in a besieged jail defended by a tough John Wayne and helped by a misfit bunch . Flick will appeal to action movies lovers . Rating : Above average.

Now, before you criticize me, I have never seen the original John Carpenter version of this film. Being a huge fan, I really should see it, and after seeing this remake, I will definitely track down the original to see if it is as good as this film. I had a blast!

New Years in Detroit, a cold winter's morning as Precinct 13 prepares to close it's doors and move to a new building. There are only three people in the building on New Year's Eve, and as a storm draws closer, a criminal being transported to a maximum security center is re-routed to the deserted precinct. Only, there are some other people that would like to get closer to the villain.

Very exciting story and excellent acting by both Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishbourne take this action over the edge. Some people may find the film ultra violent, but violence on the big screen never bothered me, so I enjoyed it quite a lot! Definitely worth a look for action fans, and fans of the original who are curious. However, those that are disturbed by violent images, would like to steer clear of this film.