Review of Demolition Man (1993) by Helen L — 08 Feb 2015

This is one of my favorite Stallone action flicks and I think it deserves more respect. Written by the man behind "Heathers" this is witty and rather subversive action film, satirizing the action film cliches that Stallone had a major hand in perpetuation.

At the same time, this film was produced by Joel Silver and is very much a big budget action flick. The story set up is ripe for satire, taking a stereotypical 80s action film hero (Sly) and villain (Wesley Snipes) and then kitten them against one another in a peaceful utopian future where violence is a thing of the past and something you can only find in museums.

Snipes is in a "cryo prison," where prisoners are frozen in ice, but manages to escape during his parol hearing. The utopian future knows nothing about this type of criminal, so they unthaw the the cop, Sly, who originally put Snipes away back in the day.

The film could easily have been a fairly straight sci-fi action flick, but the filmmakers take every opportunity they can to ridicule Joel Silver style of action films (mocking tough guy quips, twisting action film cliches, and generally making Stallone look like a buffoon any chance they get).

Still, the film also celebrates and revels in it's brutish action and action film tropes, so even thoough it's spoofing the genre, it also delivers the goods and also the cliches. There's the hard nosed future police captain, Bob Gunton, who scolds Sly throughout the film.

Syl is also paired with the an mix matched partner, played by Sandra Bullock. For me, this is the type of light comic role that Bullock is best at. Probably this film or her part in "A Thing Called Love" are my favorite roles she's played.

Wesley Snipes is a typical over-the-top action film villain, who unfortunately borders on the annoying. However, you also get Nigle Hawthorne as the shady leader of the future utopia, who apparently only took this part to prove he had screen charisma so the filmmakers of "The Madness of King George" would let him reprise his stage role at the title king.

You also get Benjamin Bratt, Denis Leary, Bill Cobbs, Jack Black as a "Wasteland Scrap," Jesse Ventura CryoCon and even Adrienne Barbeau doing the voice of the Main Frame Computer. I looked up director Marco Brambilla to see what else he'd done and his only other feature film is an Alicia Silverstone comedy and a TV mini-series.

He's apparently a video collage and installation artist, so maybe film production wasn't his bag, but it's too bad because his clearly had a strong (and witty) visual sense and was also able to craft some exciting action sequences.

Overall, I think this is a underrated Stallone action flick and I'll give Sly props for being willing to poke fun at himself in this role.