Assault On Precinct 13

Year: 1976

Grade: B-

Country: USA

Director: Carpenter

Review

a rare instance where the remake is better than the original. it’s not that this film is bad at all, it’s more a testament to the merits of the remake. i must admit, however, that the remake didn’t seem to have the same macro benefits as the original. that is, the carpenter version does a good job of portraying the story/characters as a foil for society, whereas the remake seems to be lacking this aspect. normally this goes far in my book, but in this case the film felt a bit dated and had some low production values that hampered the film’s overall quality. i liked the film because of the inverted societal roles – the hero is a black cop and his wingman ends up being a white criminal; there’s a bad ass chick who ends up being one of only two people who were shot and survive to the end; and of course the police station is under siege by gang members, rather than the inverse. in this way, and the brutality that is depicted, it’s an interesting film. carpenter’s soundtrack was also a highlight.