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Demolition Man

Demolition Man (1993)

tomatometer

44

Average Rating: 4.4/10
Critic Reviews: 9
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 5

No consensus yet.

audience

60

liked it
Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 188,607

My Rating

Movie Info

The plot of this action film begins in 1996, with Los Angeles in a violence-crazed conflagration. One of the LAPD's most notorious cops, John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone), known as "the demolition man," is in hot pursuit of blonde-haired psychopath Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes), who is so nasty he even kills sometimes just because he feels cranky. John captures Simon, but not before Simon kills innocent hostages. John is blamed for the deaths of the hostages, and both he and Simon are

Sep 30, 1997

Warner Home Video

All Critics (35) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (22) | Rotten (13) | DVD (4)

Ultimately the script's often sharp social satire is drowned out by the noise and confusion. It is also undercut by casting virtually all the psychopathically murderous criminals as minority-group members.

July 25, 2010 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | Comment
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Nearly all the SF premises are accorded the status of Andrew Dice Clay one-liners -- which means that they, along with the characters, keep changing from one scene to the next.

April 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A noisy, soulless, self-conscious pastiche that mixes elements of sci-fi, action-adventure and romance, then pours on a layer of comedy replete with Hollywood in-jokes.

April 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
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Demolition Man is a significant artifact of our time or, at least, of this week.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
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Demolition Man is sleek and empty as well as brutal and pointless. It feels computer engineered, untouched by human hands. A real pod movie.

May 12, 2001 Comment
Rolling Stone
Top Critic IconTop Critic

In the end, that's all this film is: flames, flying bullets, and special effects. It could be worse, I suppose, but as long as people go into this film with their eyes open, there shouldn't be any surprises.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: ReelViews | Comment
ReelViews
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Doesn't quite go far enough, instead settling for cheap gags and cheap thrills, but it tickles fairly well for a couple of hours of crashes and fireballs. [Blu-ray]

September 5, 2011 Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | Comment

...a sporadically amusing yet pervasively underwhelming bit of early '90s cheese...

August 13, 2011 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | Comment
Reel Film Reviews

The pleasant surprise about Demolition Man is that both the script, and Stallone, are funny; the film blends big-budget action and tongue-in-cheek humor in the way that Last Action Hero tried, and failed, to do.

July 25, 2010 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

This futuristic comedy depends on your opinion of Stallone and his unapologetic popcorn-pleasing action no-brainers. To be fair, this one is one of his better ones.

April 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | Comment
Empire Magazine

An inspired mix of high-octane action and futuristic satire.

April 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment

cool as ice

April 24, 2008 Comment

Forget your preconceptions, but not your brain cells and sense of irony.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

Not a bad mid-90s sci fi flick - and with a young Sandra Bullock in spandex to boot!

August 12, 2005 Comment
7M Pictures

Stallone and Snipes are a great double-act

March 10, 2005 Comment
Moviehole

Featuring intense action, exceptional special effects, and a healthy sense of humor, it is the film Last Action Hero wanted--and failed--to be.

January 2, 2004 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | Comment
TheMovieReport.com
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Demolition Man

really fun if not silly action flick.

January 18, 2007
sanjurosamurai
danny d

Super Reviewer

Zachary Lamb: Simon Phoenix is an old fashioned criminal. We need an old fashioned cop. "The future isn't big enough for the both of them."Demolition Man is one of those weird movies that I can't decide whether I like or not. Parts at me shaking my head in disgust, mostly when the characters talked, but in the end I

December 14, 2011
blkbomb
Melvin White

Super Reviewer

    1. Simon Phoenix: This is the best day of my life!
    – Submitted by Baurushan J (2 months ago)
    1. Simon Phoenix: You're dead Spartan.
    2. Sergeant John Spartan: Speak for yourself!
    – Submitted by Baurushan J (2 months ago)
    1. Simon Phoenix: Where the god damn guns? [violation ticket appears] Fuck You! [violation ticket appears]
    – Submitted by Baurushan J (2 months ago)
    1. Sergeant John Spartan: WHAT THE HELL!? [violation ticket appears]
    – Submitted by Baurushan J (2 months ago)
    1. Sergeant John Spartan: So much for the seashells!
    – Submitted by Baurushan J (2 months ago)

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