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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.

Drop Zone is pretty much your typical action movie - at least plot wise. Wesley Snipes turns in another passenger 57ish performance, not great but competent. and Gary Busey is always competent playing a guy you always want to die no matter how bad the plot gets.

The movie however, is worth watching more than other bland action movies because firstly, the skydiving scenes are shot wonderfully. The cinematographer and the stuntpeople (unless thats Snipes in a free fall, which i doubt) are the true stars of this one. I really enjoyed watching the skydiving sequences in this movie.

plot wise, the movie kinda plods along, not a whole lot of suspense but enough of a story to keep people entertained. I think its worth watching at least once, purely for the skydiving and action sequences.

Also, besides being a fairly competent actress - one I can actually believe skydives - Yancy Butler is really hot.

A '4' is twice what this turkey deserves (a '2') but it's appropriate for a number of reasons, and the primary reason is John Badham who does an excellent job when given something to work with (WarGames, Stakeout 1 & 2, Point of No Return, Bird on a Wire, et al). But since making this flick all his movie projects have been real duds. Maybe there's a connection?

Another two reasons are Yancy Butler and Claire Stansfield who provide the requisite eye candy. Another reason is Gary Busey who always knows how to play the stereotypical slime ball and do it at least half well. And the final reason is the skydiving which is exciting.

But that's where it ends. This is otherwise a movie much like Do or Die, made with preconceptions in mind ('hey let's make a movie with lots of skydiving sequences') and no worries if the story actually makes any sense. And don't you worry about it either because it doesn't. One could elaborate here but those elaborations would be spoilers. And hey - dramatic denouement it ain't but if you don't got that...

So why a '4' instead of a '2'? Why when the lead is being done by - Wesley Snipes? Why indeed? Precisely for the above reasons - and because as a whole it's exciting and not a total waste of time. In other words it isn't Gone with the Wind but maybe you don't feel like seeing Gone with the Wind tonight anyhow.

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.

Drop Zone is an action ride from start to finish starring Wesley Snipes as a detective hunting down the men who killed his brother. No, the movie won't win any academy awards, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable action romp. The action is excellent, the girls are gorgeous, and the musical score is top notch. If you go in looking for a touching movie, don't bother. But if you just want something to enjoy for a couple hours of visual fun that requires little mental exercise, this will do quite nicely.