John Carpenter made me a fan with the one-two punch of "Assault on Precinct 13" and "Halloween". Assault is my admitted favorite, a tribute to what good acting and directing can accomplish while working within a miniscule budget. Imagine my concern with the notion of a new version. Now imagine my delight and relief: I've seen the remake and I'm pleased. The most significant difference is that the new "Assault" features more established stars (wow, what a roster!). The director and editor avoided the modern pitfall (listen up, Stephen Sommers) of allowing trick photography and outlandish special effects to overwhelm the material. Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne thrust and parry nicely like two gladiators sizing up the competition. Gabriel Byrne, John Leguizamo and Brian Dennehy contribute nicely rounded characters. Other cast members are less known to me (perhaps better known to the younger audiences), but all do the material proud. The modified screenplay, the set designs and camera work squeeze the audience into an appropriately claustrophobic situation and space. Thanks to all involved for doing a professional and entertaining job.
Review of Assault on Precinct 13
