Assault on Precinct 13 Review
by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)February 14th, 2005
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13
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On a snowy New Years Eve, Sgt. Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke, "Before Sunset") and his administrator Iris (Drea de Matteo, TV's "Joey") are packing away the contents of their old building which is slated for closure before indulging in some hard partying. Just as they and retiring cop Jasper 'Old School' O'Shea (Brian Dennehy, "Stolen Summer") begin to enjoy the evening, however, a prison bus is diverted to their jurisdiction because of the storm. One of the four prisoners, drug lord Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne, "Mystic River"), is a high profile bad guy whose presence brings on an "Assault on Precinct 13."
Screenwriter James DeMonaco ("The Negotiator") updates John Carpenter's 1976 tale (itself a reworking of "Rio Bravo") of L.A. gang wars with a deeply compromised Detroit police department where a largely anonymous corrupt vice squad is pitted against a decent, but now drug addicted cop hiding behind a desk job eight months after losing his colleagues in a bust gone bad. French director Jean-François Richet ("All About Love") delivers a solid genre picture of gritty mayhem and spirited characterizations that can be forgiven a see-through third act 'surprise.'
The film opens with Jake's troubled backstory, then jumps ahead to his flirtatious stonewalling of police psychiatrist Alex Sabian (Maria Bello, "The Cooler"), who is trying to get him to admit to a deep-routed fear of field decision making. Hours later when two cops arrive with the prisoners, Jake informs them in no uncertain terms that they will retain responsibility, but a breach is made in the basement jail that leaves one of the officers dead. Everyone assumes that Bishop's men are attacking in order to spring him until Bishop informs Jake that it is Vice Squad head Marcus Duvall (Gabriel Byrne, "Vanity Fair") who wants him dead before Bishop's testimony reveals the crooked cops he's been in business with.
With communications cut off, Jake realizes their only hope is to band together and arm the prisoners, a decision that doesn't sit well with 'Old School.'
DeMonaco gives each character a trait to hang his hat on, then moves them around his chessboard, pairing and repairing temporary allegiances. Richet has cinematographer Robert Gantz ("Mindhunters") use shaky hand held for scenes of confrontation, but stabilizes for closeup character establishment. While Richet's staging of the shootings are grisly to the point of exploitation video games, few of the deaths don't have an emotional impact due to the time spent forming the victims. If only the writer and director had spent more time fleshing out Duvall's cover story for his multi-pronged attack on the old barracks.
Ethan Hawke does a fine job as the jumpy Sergeant who's in self-denial. The initial back story provides a neat contrast of his former cockiness and Hawke is convincing as an undercover dealer. Fishburne maintains a cool practicality throughout, making for an interesting partnership with the less assured Hawke. De Matteo, tarted up as usual in a mini, fishnets and her 'party boots,' provides a pivot point between the two. 'I don't bed criminals, I %&($ bad boys,' Iris tells an admiring cop. Her midnight dousing of a cigarette in Jake's held out cup is an amusing foreshadowing of the trouble that lies ahead. She's also a counterpoint to Alex, who ends up back at the precinct in sequins and heals ostensibly because her car broke. Bello's shrink ends up confronting her own fears and, in the end, the actress has created a very sympathetic character. John Leguizamo
("Empire") provides both comic relief and tension as Beck, a junkie who cottons on to Jake's habit. Ja Rule ("Scary Movie 3") is low level con artist Smiley. Aisha Hinds is the lone female prisoner, protesting her innocence but displaying guts and street smarts. Dennehy and Byrne give the least shadings to their characters, the former an irascible conservative, the latter a dead-eyed terminator.
"Assault on Precinct 13" is a solid B picture sure to be a crowd pleaser.
B
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