Review of Demolition Man (1993) by Hawk _ — 21 Jul 2015

In 1996, LAPD Sgt. John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) also known as "Demolition Man" leads a Special Operations unit on an unauthorized mission to rescue hostages taken by the psychopathic career criminal Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) and his henchmen. After a thermal scan reveals no sign of the hostages, Spartan enters Phoenix's stronghold, and engages Phoenix's men and captures Phoenix himself, who before his arrest has detonated several barrels of C4, destroying the building. The hostages' bodies are found in the rubble, Phoenix "pleads his regard", and Spartan is charged with their deaths. Both men are frozen in the "California Cryo-Penitentiary" (Spartan for 70 years, with parole eligibility in 50) and exposed to subconscious rehabilitation techniques. In 2032, 22 years after a "Great Earthquake" destroyed the city, the former cities of Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara have merged into the pseudo-utopian San Angeles, under the pseudo-pacifist guidance and control of an envangelistic Dr. Raymond Cocteau (Nigel Hawthorne). Weapons and vices are outlawed, human behavior is regulated, citizens carry implanted transceivers, and in the resulting absence of any violent crime, the San Angeles Police (SAPD) has lost any ability to handle violent behavior of any kind. Phoenix is awakened for a parole hearing, kills the warden, armed guards, and several peace officers, demonstrating superhuman abilities and martial arts skills. Veteran officer Zachary Lamb suggests that Spartan be revived and reinstated to the force to help them capture Phoenix. Lieutenant Lenina Huxley (Sandra Bullock) is assigned to assist Spartan in his transition, despite the reluctance of Chief George Earle, who takes an immediate dislike to him. The revived Spartan has trouble adapting to life in the future. Most of Huxley's fellow officers perceive Spartan as thuggish and uncivilized. He finds the culture, the bans and the peaceful society repulsing (constantly getting fines over excessive swearing), and is at odds with Earle, who finds him to be a barbaric, heretic "caveman". In the meantime, the white-robed Dr. Cocteau has recruited Phoenix to kill Edgar Friendly (Denis Leary), the ragtag leader of the "Scraps"-resistance fighters living in the ruins beneath San Angeles, whom Cocteau sees as the threat to the narcotized society he has created. Spartan needs to find Phoenix and apprehend him...

"Demolition Man" is an action-packed social sci-fi satire with a tongue-in-cheek structure, plot and dialogue. Similar to "Total Recall" (1990) and "Starship Troopers" (1997). In a way it´s a very 90s type of film when you re-see it now. The camera angles, the action and the general vibe. But, there´s also an interesting plot with two mortal enemies trying to fight each other and find their way in a futuristic "Brave New World" sort of society that is more of a dictatorship directed by one man. The production design, cinematography and effects are quite ok for being 1993 while Stallone is Stallone and Snipes is Snipes. I love the satire on how the new society is structured and there´s plenty of scenes that Sandra Bullock "steals" with her character´s eagerness to be 20th century bound. There´s a lot of layers in that part of the movie and without that this would´ve been something much more ordinary in the action/sci-fi genre. And in the midst of all these satiric layers we get an ok action movie with Snipes doing one of his more iconic action roles with inspiration of Rutger Hauer´s character Roy Batty in "Blade Runner" for sure.