On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 49/166 |
David Mumpower |
Taut thriller has weak moments but offers taut, claustrophobic drama. It reminds me more of Die Hard II than the original, though. |
Re-makes are all the rage these days, and now the process isn't only reserved for horror films. The classic John Carpenter action triller, Assault on Precinct 13, one of the best siege movies ever, is getting re-imagined whether we like it or not.
In this version of the story, several elements will be changed but the basic plot is maintained. A dilapidated jailhouse has been targeted for shutdown. New Year's Eve will be its last day of functionality before the doors are shuttered permanently. A caretaker staff of roughly a half dozen law enforcement officials is given the assignment of winding things down then turning off the lights on the way out.
Problems occur when a mobster has to be incarcerated at the fortress that day. His cohorts, sensing a vulnerability to be explored, try to bust their boss out of his shaky containment facility. What follows is a classic confrontation between villainous henchmen trying to free a meta-thug from imprisonment.
The cast signed thus far is top notch with Ethan Hawke, most recently seen mourning being dumped by Uma Thurman, playing the officer on duty when things go down. Laurence Fishburne, still wondering why he got largely shut out of the Matrix sequels, will play the kingpin. Also on board are Maria Bello, John Leguizamo and Drea de Matteo. (David Mumpower/BOP)
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