RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Features
  • | Columns
  • | Guides
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
News
Assault On Precinct 13 is the Tad Hamilton of 2005. What should be a forgettable genre release turns into a surprisingly watchable guilty pleasure
by Mike Sage | March 06, 2005
Discuss Article
starring Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne and Maria Bello; directed by Jean-FranÁois Richet

Jean-FranÁois Richet ensures his action remake assaults your senses to the point of senselessness with sharp twists, warped humor and gunshot gore galore.

Assault On Precinct 13 is the Tad Hamilton of 2005. What should be a forgettable genre release turns into a surprisingly watchable guilty pleasure sure to hold your smile longer than any Oscar bait could ever hope for.

Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne are charismatic playing the larger-than-life leads while the rest of the ensemble has plenty to work with in terms of a memorably deranged body count and token fillers.

What begins as the farewell New Year's Eve party at the dilapidated Precinct 13 is about to take a Hollywood turn for the worst. When a seemingly maximum security bus transporting one Marion Bishop, apparent cop killer and unhinged gangleader and a bunch of violent do-no-gooders, turns over in a horrific snowstorm, you guess it. The only place for our poor villains to shack up is nearby Precinct 13, despite the fact it's closing down for good because, among other things, none of the alarms actually work.

If you haven't figured it out by the title, next thing we know a scary infiltration is on our hands and lots of deaths are to be had with plenty of close-ups of the fatal bullet holes.

The potpourri roster of employees is no less awesome than it is implausible. Ethan Hawke is Jake Roenick, a moody, self-conscious anti-hero whose bad decisions led to the death of his team, a guilt-ridden conscience and denial-driven sessions with a mega-hot psychiatrist by the name of Dr. Alex Sabian (Maria Bello).

Of course, the storm snows in the cure doctor, especially because Jake loves to flirt with her, and even better because it allows for an awesome role-reversal when calm, rational, authoritative doc becomes whimpering pussycat, begging for Jake's assistance and uh, affections.

Then there is the wise and by-the-books old-timer Jasper O'Shea (who better than Brian Dennehy?) who'll have none of the uniting-to-come with any criminal scum.

My personal favourite is Iris "The Secretary" Ferry (Drea de Matteo), a sexaholic receptionist copper who looks great in short skirts when operating any firearm and is apparently having a hard time with her New Year's resolution to stop smoking. Hundreds of invaders with death on their minds tends to create a stressful environment.

Assault On Precinct 13 works so well because it never loses sight of the fact that is a situational thriller.

The story has its kinks, for sure, and the set-up is gargantuan-sized ludicrous but once the action begins, you'll be on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what happens next.

What's especially nice is that major studios actually allow the textured villains to taste the bloodier dark side with scruple-free kills of shocking targets. That's right, like a good horror movie, no one is really safe. In fact the producers are always looking for that opportune moment to give you the gut-punch with a hair-raising twist.

It may be cheesy at times but Assault On Precinct 13 is a sensory blast.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Mike Sage, a regular contributor to the www.rottentomatoes.com movie site, reviews films each Wednesday. Feedback and suggestions can be sent to him at sagemichael@hotmail.com
Bookmark and Share
Comments Reply
Read More Comments
Post Your Comment
You must be registered to post comments. Login or Register.

Related Links

Assault on Precinct 13
  • Pictures
  • Posters
  • News
  • Forum

Related Articles

  • Maria Bello to Replace Rachel Weisz in "Mummy 3" (33)
  • Julie Delpy to Make Her Directorial Debut with "Bathory" (2)
  • Hide and Seek Scared Up $22M (0)
  • Friday Estimates: Hide and Seek $8.1M (0)
  • Are We There Yet Topples Coach Carter for Top Spot (1)

Most Discussed

  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more! (96)
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies (63)
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records (42)
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura (39)
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films (39)
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D? (28)
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman (27)
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK (24)
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle (21)
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List! (13)

Latest News

  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List! (13)
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK (24)
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman (27)
  • Sundance Announces Out-of-Competition Films Screening At 2010 Festival (1)
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films (39)
  • Awards Tour: Independent Film Spirit Noms Here! (6)
  • Awards Tour: Annie Nominations, Up and Coraline lead (7)
  • 2010 Sundance Film Festival Lineup Announced (10)
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura (39)
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies (63)

Latest Interviews

  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist (17)
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview (11)
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary (21)
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview (8)
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview (15)
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus (22)
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview (9)
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film (28)
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel (28)
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute (14)

Latest Features

  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films (39)
  • Ban Them All! 10 Infamously Controversial Movies (103)
  • 5 Facts About The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (98)
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer (24)
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist (17)
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary (21)
  • Five Favourite Films with Ang Lee (35)
  • 10 Movies That Changed The (End Of The) World (36)
  • Ho-ho-horror! 10 Scary Christmas Movies (39)
  • 12 Facts About 2012 (135)

Sponsored Links

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.