I'm still trying to recover from this action film's relentless suspense.
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
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Reviews Counted:160
Fresh:97
Rotten:63
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: This remake has been praised by some as an expertly made B-movie, and dismissed by others as formulaic.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong violence and language throughout, and for some drug content.
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Jan 19, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $19,976,073
Synopsis: To survive the night, cops and criminals alike will have to unite and fight. A classic head-to-head showdown ignites in Assault on Precinct 13, an all-new update of the 1976 action thriller of the... To survive the night, cops and criminals alike will have to unite and fight. A classic head-to-head showdown ignites in Assault on Precinct 13, an all-new update of the 1976 action thriller of the same name. With only a few hours left in the calendar year, Precinct 13, one of Detroit's oldest precinct houses, is closing. Amid heavy snowfall and unsafe road conditions, only a few lawmen remain on duty for New Year's Eve. They are headed by Sergeant Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke), a good cop wrestling with bad memories of a fatal undercover op from the previous spring. Roenick and Precinct 13 have both seen better days. Early on December 31st, deep in the city, formidable crime lord Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne), is cornered by an undercover cop. Their ensuing struggle leaves the cop dead - and Bishop captured, by the Organized Crime and Racketeering squad that Marcus Duvall (Gabriel Byrne) runs. Bishop is handcuffed and herded onto a prison bus with several criminals: junkie Beck (John Leguizamo), hustler Smiley (Jeffrey "Ja Rule" Atkins), and gang member Anna (Aisha Hinds). But the battering snowstorm stops the bus well short of its high-security destination and strands it at the remote Precinct 13 - where, as night falls, the prisoners are temporarily incarcerated. This influx of prisoners irks Roenick, almost as much as visiting police psychologist Alex Sabian (Maria Bello) does. But Precinct 13's provocative secretary Iris Ferry (Drea de Matteo) and salty veteran cop Jasper "Old School" O'Shea (Brian Dennehy) won't let the increasing workload deter them from celebrating... ...until two masked gunmen break in and attack the guards from the bus. The gunmen are just barely beaten back, and everyone inside Precinct 13 realizes that more will come - to extract crime lord Bishop, but also armed and ready to shoot anyone and everyone else. The cops, looking to the reluctant Roenick for leadership, and the cons, looking to the steely Bishop for an angle, must join forces to live. Fortifying themselves with minimal weaponry and maximum courage, they will not go gently into the bad night. As they fight to the death, the thin lines between good and bad bleed together. Rogue Pictures presents A Why Not/Liaison Films/Biscayne Pictures Production. Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne. Assault on Precinct 13. John Leguizamo, Maria Bello, Jeffrey "Ja Rule" Atkins, Drea de Matteo, Matt Craven. With Brian Dennehy and Gabriel Byrne. Visual Effects Supervisor, Dennis Berardi. Casting by Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith, Kerry Barden. Costume Designers, Vicki Graef, Georgina Yarhi. Music Supervisor, John Houlihan. Music by Graeme Revell. Editor, Bill Pankow, A.C.E. Production Designer, Paul Denham Austerberry. Director of Photography, Robert Gantz. Co-Producer, James DeMonaco. Executive Producers, Don Carmody, Sebastien Kurt Lemercier, Joseph Kaufman. Produced by Pascal Caucheteux, Stephane Sperry, Jeffrey Silver. Based on the film written by John Carpenter. Screenplay by James DeMonaco. Directed by Jean-Francois Richet. A Rogue Pictures Release. -- © Rogue Pictures [More]
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, Maria Bello, Drea de Matteo
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, Maria Bello, Drea de Matteo, John Leguizamo, Aisha Hinds, Gabriel Byrne, Brian Dennehy, Currie Graham
Director: Jean-Francois Richet
Director: Jean-Francois Richet
Screenwriter: James DeMonaco
Producer: Pascal Caucheteux, Jeffrey Silver, Stephane Sperry
Composer: Graham Revell
Studio: Focus Features
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Release:
Jun 21, 2009
DVD Features:
- Region [unknown]
- Snap Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.40
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround English
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround French
- DTS 5.1 Surround English
- Subtitles: English, SDH, French, Spanish
Additional Release Material:
- Deleted Scenes
- Audio Commentary: Director Jean-Francois Richet, Writer James DeMonaco and Producer Jeffrey Silver
Featurette:
- 1. Armed and Dangerous
- 2. Behind Precinct Walls
- 3. Plan of Attack
- 4. The Assault Team
- 5. Caught in the Crosshairs
Reviews for Assault on Precinct 13
James De Monaco’s strenuously hipster script reaches for black comedy but never comes close.
It's all energetically filmed, but I miss the cool, modest clarity of the first version. Bigger isn't always better, even at the movies.
makes optimum use of a well-selected cast, all of whom put considerable energy, quirkiness and even humor into should have been two-dimensional roles.
I’m not sure why they remade this movie. All I know is that I’m glad there’s a decent actioner for grownups amidst the January junk.
I’m not sure why they remade this movie. All I know is that I’m glad there’s a decent actioner for grownups amidst the January junk.
The film has an appropriately dark and gritty look, but it suffers from some glaring problems.
Don't avoid the new Assault on Precinct 13 because it's a remake. There are plenty of other reasons.
A testament to how a talented cast can persuade us to believe in dicey situations.
You've got to smile at a movie that puts two key female characters in high heels and skimpy dresses and brazenly insists that it makes perfect sense that they be dressed that way for a shootout in the middle of a snowstorm.
Breaks the first and only commandment of remakes: Thou shall at the very least do justice to the original, or thou shall not be made at all.
It's an assault on the senses with plot holes an armored tank could drive through.
Fans should appreciate the remake for what it is: a breathless little revisit to that old precinct house, expertly performed.
Richet has managed to keep the suspense tight and action hard-hitting while adding considerable texture to the story and getting the most out of a strong supporting cast that includes Gabriel Byrne, Maria Bello, Brian Dennehy and John Leguizamo.
Matches a dingy urban setting with a compelling situation and throws in an ensemble of interesting characters who become even more interesting under stress.
A gritty, violent, fast-paced action film, bolstered by a more appealing and experienced cast than is usually found in such movies.
The movie is a loud, vulgar, sub-credible blunt instrument that beats on you for about two hours.
A studiously cheesy remake of John Carpenter's 1976 cult fave shoot-'em-up.
This one holds as much genuine suspense as Hollywood can manage these days.
Latest News for Assault on Precinct 13
May 14, 2007:
Maria Bello to Replace Rachel Weisz in "Mummy 3"
A few weeks back I expressed some skepticism that Universal would re-cast Rachel Weisz's "Mummy" role with a new actress. Looks like I was wrong. More...
May 17, 2005:
Julie Delpy to Make Her Directorial Debut with "Bathory"
Actress/screenwriter Julie Delpy ("Before Sunset") will make her debut behind the camera with "Bathory," in which she'll be re-joining frequent co-star Ethan... More...
January 31, 2005:
Hide and Seek Scared Up $22M
The versatile Robert Deniro scored another hit with this weekend's horror release Hide and Seek, which scared up an estimated $22M over the weekend. Along with Meet The Fockers,... More...
January 29, 2005:
Friday Estimates: Hide and Seek $8.1M
According to Showbizdata, the versatile Robert Deniro scored another hit with this weekend's horror release Hide and Seek, which grossed $8.1M on Friday. It will likely gross... More...
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