Officer Rosen: Your eyes are red. You been smokin’ crack?
Beck: Your eyes are glazed. You been eatin’ donuts?
A remake, especially of a classic (or cult classic) is tricky. You’ll have a tough time winning over the purists – too similar and it is considered a cheap rehash. . . too different and it is looked upon as not paying proper tribute to the original, meaning that you’ve really got a lose/lose situation (in regards to your core audience). One remake that deserves a second look is the 2005 Jean-François Richet (Mesrine Part 1 & 2; Blood Father) action crime film Assault on Precinct 13.
Based upon the John Carpenter film of the same name (the filmmaker carrying with him a group of diehard fans that are hard to please), James DeMonaco (the scribe of The Purge franchise) takes over the gargantuan task of modernizing this iconic cult classic. Rooted in a very similar situation (but changing enough to make it feel quite fresh), as in its predecessor, the Precinct is closing in one short day – in this case, on January 1st.
A still of Sgt. Jasper O’Shea, played by Brian Dennehy – who passed away on April 15th, 2020
As it is New Year’s Eve, it is more party time than working time. . . especially since the impending closure means that there is a limited amount of work to do, and only a skeleton staff is left in the aged building – specifically, former Marine turned Sergeant, Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke), close to retired, Sgt. Jasper O’Shea (Brian Dennehy – who we sadly learned passed away a few days ago), and spunky secretary Iris Ferry (Drea de Matteo). Yet Roenick, despite this, is not in a good frame of mind. . . haunted by the memories of an undercover operation gone wrong (seen in the pre-title sequence – with hyper-stylized editing to put you in the mind set of this most difficult job), his use of alcohol and prescription drugs has forced him to take a paper pushing desk job at this soon to be defunct precinct. . . his psychiatrist, Dr. Alex Sabian (Maria Bello), has dropped in to check on him.
Yet, instead of a night of Auld Lang Syne boozing and ball drop partying, the ragtag crew get the word that due to an intense snowstorm, an infamous prisoner, Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne) – who has just been captured by Capt. Marcus Duvall (Gabriel Byrne), is being brought to the Precinct until morning. Three other prisoners are in the process of being transported: fast-talking tweaker Beck (John Leguizamo), the always referring to himself in the third person Smiley (Ja Rule), and the claiming she is innocent Anna (Aisha Hinds). . . with only two guards to take care of them, Lt. Holloway (Peter Bryant) and Officer Rosen (Kim Coates), it could end up being a long night.
Soon, an unknown elite group of assassins are surrounding the building. . . the first thought being that Bishop’s men have come to break him out. Yet, when they target both police and prisoners, that theory goes out the window. Outnumbered, and without a way to contact the outside world, this group of three cops, four prisoners, a doctor and a secretary, must attempt to work together to survive the night – hoping that somewhere along the way they will be able to devise an escape plan.
Funnily enough, John Carpenter based his story on Rio Bravo (even though these two films are set in a very different time and setting). . . making it, in a weird way, a remake itself (which, I guess, makes this a remake of a remake). Saying that, astute film making comes from the team deciding to use a number of Dean Martin songs – a co-star of Rio Bravo who also sung that film’s theme song, while this premise, like Carpenter’s version, has that classic western set-up – a group of people, good and bad, must ban together to defeat some greater evil coming from the outside (making for a wonderful, claustrophobic shoot-em-up).
If you were only allowed to use one term to describe Carpenter’s vision, it would most likely be ‘gritty’, and while this remake has that aspect as well, it is also more polished. With a budget of thirty million, Richet combines a certain realism with sharp visuals and striking cinematography (from his go-to DOP Robert Gantz) to create a glossy, often violent palette. Pitting the ultra modern tactics and weapons of the outside group (so cool seeing those laser sights punctuate the dark Precinct) against the whatever-they-can-find ragtag team – tommy guns, swords, Molotov cocktails. . . basically, whatever is left in the evidence locker, it is a classic underdog premise – allowing for the audience to root for this eclectic group of cops and criminals (a dysfunctional team that must attempt to bond despite their vast differences and future ulterior motives).
Perhaps the most likeable aspect of this film is its excellent cast. Leguizamo is a scene stealer as the over the top, conspiracy spouting, looking-for-Bishop’s-approval, druggie. Fishburne, oozing charisma, has excellent chemistry with de Matteo – a little flirting going on there, and Hawke – both putting their ‘shit’ on hold until a later, less busy time. Plus, he makes everything look like a glorious street fight. And, to return to Hawke once more, as the centre of this piece, his arc is the most entertaining. . . a mentally fragile cop who, in this very tense situation, looks to make amends with his past and save the day. Then there is Dennehy, who is clearly having a lot of fun with the role – a more cynical cop who has the least amount of trust in the (so-called?) bad guys. Bello, playing a doctor meant to help people improve their problems, intriguingly has her own issues that are not immediately apparent.
A rare worthy remake, Assault on Precinct 13 captures that B movie essence with an A-style gloss. Featuring a solid story, excellent visuals, a cast you can root for, and some unexpected twists along the way, this promptly paced action flick should keep you on the edge of your seat. So, barricade yourself inside and watch this assault firsthand – you’ll soon learn whether Bishop can take king for checkmate.