Assault On Precinct 13

Year: 2005

Grade: B

Country: USA

Director: Richet

Review

pretty well done action thriller. it’s interesting that in the original the plot involves a gang infiltrating a police station, but in the remake it’s corrupt cops doing the raiding. at any rate, the direction was surprisingly artistic, fresh and balanced. i think that much of the film’s success is also due to the writing (not sure how much of this is due to john carpenter’s original script) which doesn’t pull punches and knows the importance of comic relief. the beginning of the film embodied very well and, as such, provided a good hook for the rest of the film. it had a gritty look, some funny moments, yet maintained an edgy feeling. there’s one pretty cool shot where hawke has his back to the camera and is walking towards a mirror. he ducks down over the sink to splash some water on his face and then comes back up to look at himself in the mirror. the interesting thing is that you don’t see the camera in the mirror and when hawke comes back up from being over the sink we see him as he would see himself – straight ahead without any edit between the time when he starts walking towards the mirror and when the scene ends.

Watched in theater