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Movies / On DVD / Assault on Precinct 13
Assault on Precinct 13

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Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)

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Reviews Counted:10

Fresh:9

Rotten:1

Average Rating:7/10

Consensus: This remake has been praised by some as an expertly made B-movie, and dismissed by others as formulaic.

Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: To survive the night, cops and criminals alike will have to unite and fight. A classic head-to-head showdown ignites in Assault on Precinct 13, an all-new update of the 1976 action thriller of the... To survive the night, cops and criminals alike will have to unite and fight. A classic head-to-head showdown ignites in Assault on Precinct 13, an all-new update of the 1976 action thriller of the same name. With only a few hours left in the calendar year, Precinct 13, one of Detroit's oldest precinct houses, is closing. Amid heavy snowfall and unsafe road conditions, only a few lawmen remain on duty for New Year's Eve. They are headed by Sergeant Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke), a good cop wrestling with bad memories of a fatal undercover op from the previous spring. Roenick and Precinct 13 have both seen better days. Early on December 31st, deep in the city, formidable crime lord Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne), is cornered by an undercover cop. Their ensuing struggle leaves the cop dead - and Bishop captured, by the Organized Crime and Racketeering squad that Marcus Duvall (Gabriel Byrne) runs. Bishop is handcuffed and herded onto a prison bus with several criminals: junkie Beck (John Leguizamo), hustler Smiley (Jeffrey "Ja Rule" Atkins), and gang member Anna (Aisha Hinds). But the battering snowstorm stops the bus well short of its high-security destination and strands it at the remote Precinct 13 - where, as night falls, the prisoners are temporarily incarcerated. This influx of prisoners irks Roenick, almost as much as visiting police psychologist Alex Sabian (Maria Bello) does. But Precinct 13's provocative secretary Iris Ferry (Drea de Matteo) and salty veteran cop Jasper "Old School" O'Shea (Brian Dennehy) won't let the increasing workload deter them from celebrating... ...until two masked gunmen break in and attack the guards from the bus. The gunmen are just barely beaten back, and everyone inside Precinct 13 realizes that more will come - to extract crime lord Bishop, but also armed and ready to shoot anyone and everyone else. The cops, looking to the reluctant Roenick for leadership, and the cons, looking to the steely Bishop for an angle, must join forces to live. Fortifying themselves with minimal weaponry and maximum courage, they will not go gently into the bad night. As they fight to the death, the thin lines between good and bad bleed together. Rogue Pictures presents A Why Not/Liaison Films/Biscayne Pictures Production. Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne. Assault on Precinct 13. John Leguizamo, Maria Bello, Jeffrey "Ja Rule" Atkins, Drea de Matteo, Matt Craven. With Brian Dennehy and Gabriel Byrne. Visual Effects Supervisor, Dennis Berardi. Casting by Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith, Kerry Barden. Costume Designers, Vicki Graef, Georgina Yarhi. Music Supervisor, John Houlihan. Music by Graeme Revell. Editor, Bill Pankow, A.C.E. Production Designer, Paul Denham Austerberry. Director of Photography, Robert Gantz. Co-Producer, James DeMonaco. Executive Producers, Don Carmody, Sebastien Kurt Lemercier, Joseph Kaufman. Produced by Pascal Caucheteux, Stephane Sperry, Jeffrey Silver. Based on the film written by John Carpenter. Screenplay by James DeMonaco. Directed by Jean-Francois Richet. A Rogue Pictures Release. -- © Rogue Pictures [More]

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, Maria Bello, Drea de Matteo

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, Maria Bello, Drea de Matteo, John Leguizamo, Aisha Hinds, Gabriel Byrne, Brian Dennehy, Currie Graham

Director: Jean-Francois Richet

Director: Jean-Francois Richet
Screenwriter: James DeMonaco
Producer: Pascal Caucheteux, Jeffrey Silver, Stephane Sperry
Composer: Graham Revell
Studio: Focus Features

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Reviews for Assault on Precinct 13

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1 - 10 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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A dark, exciting and enjoyable action-thriller for adolescent boys of all ages.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
04/09/08
Daniel Etherington
Daniel Etherington
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

At its best, though, this is witty, tense and bloody: a homage that Carpenter might appreciate.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A smart script, edgy acting and a gradual accumulation of suspense set-pieces makes for a decent popcorn high.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
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Richet introduces new twists and simmering character drama while avoiding pretensions to conserve the ferocity of the 1976 original.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
01/25/05
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This meat-and-potatoes dish of moviemaking is sufficiently tasty to satisfy auds hungry for old-fashioned rock-the-house action.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
01/25/05
Joe Leydon
Joe Leydon
Variety
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It's a good old-fashioned shoot-'em-up with a few nice twists and some very good acting.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
01/23/05
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
CNN.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Don't avoid the new Assault on Precinct 13 because it's a remake. There are plenty of other reasons.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/19/05
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
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Strong performances and a couple of new twists.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/19/05
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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A savvy and extensive reworking of John Carpenter's 1976 cult classic of the same name.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
01/18/05
Kevin Thomas
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
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Stars (the Carpenter version didn't have any) Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne provide enough gravitas to keep things involving even as some of the supporting characters fight a losing battle with caricature.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
01/13/05
Michael Rechtshaffen
Michael Rechtshaffen
Hollywood Reporter
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1 - 10 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Assault on Precinct 13

May 14, 2007: Maria Bello to Replace Rachel Weisz in "Mummy 3"
A few weeks back I expressed some skepticism that Universal would re-cast Rachel Weisz's "Mummy" role with a new actress. Looks like I was wrong. More...

May 17, 2005: Julie Delpy to Make Her Directorial Debut with "Bathory"
Actress/screenwriter Julie Delpy ("Before Sunset") will make her debut behind the camera with "Bathory," in which she'll be re-joining frequent co-star Ethan... More...

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January 29, 2005: Friday Estimates: Hide and Seek $8.1M
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