Review of Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) by Haythum O — 17 Aug 2008

The original "Assault on Precinct 13" was John Carpenter's first movie; so naturally, it could have been a lot better. How? Well, better actors would have been nice, as would a more tightly focused first half (i.e., one that didn't take forty minutes to establish that bad guys where storming the precinct), and oh yes, bad guys that actually had a motive.

The 2005 version fixes almost everything that bothered me about the original -- it even fixed a few things that didn't bother me. We get better actors (two Oscar-nominees), a more tightly focused first half (the assault starts in less than thirty minutes), more ominous atmosphere (snow storms always look cooler than summer showers), and of course, better action. About the only things that I missed were Carpenter's kick-ass music and his trademark style. As rough and unpolished as the 1976 "Assault" was, only John Carpenter could have made it; this movie feels like it could have been made by anyone.