Paul Magne Haakonsen For some reason I never got around to watching "Assault on Precinct 13" until ten years after it was released. Why? Well, I can't claim to be overly much a fan of Ethan Hawke or Lawrence Fishburne. And it wasn't until I saw it shown on TV that I actually sat down to watch this movie.There are some pretty good talents on the cast list aside from Ethan Hawke and Lawrence Fishburne; talents that include John Leguizamo, Brian Dennehy and Gabriel Byrne. I actually didn't know that John Leguizamo was in this movie before seeing him, and he alone would make it worthwhile watching.There certainly was a lot of violence throughout the movie, which does spice up the enjoyment of the movie quite a lot.And while the story was leaning towards being fairly shallow and simplistic, then some good acting performances and the action did more than weigh up for the lack of storyline.All in all, an alright crime action movie. It doesn't put your mind on any challenge, but it is still an enjoyable movie.

Leofwine_draca Everybody knows that remakes are never much cop – very rarely do they improve on the often classic originals. ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 isn't better than the John Carpenter film from the '70s, but it IS a decent remake. This is because it updates and changes the original film in positive ways that make it different enough to be worth watching. That, and the fact that it's a very good little thriller in itself.The gang in the Carpenter movie was scary because it was random. There was no motive, just the fact that they were out to kill people for the fun of it. That's gone in this movie; the gang here has a definite motive that leads them into a life-or-death struggle for survival. There's a big twist which I won't reveal, but the fact that the gang are all armoured and possessing high-power weapons makes them even more of a threat than in the original movie. I loved it. Key scenes from the Carpenter movie are revisited, but turned around on their head to seem fresh and new.The worst thing about the film is probably the script, which relies far too heavily on profanity for effect. This is a big no-no, in my opinion, and reveals a dearth of imagination in James De Monaco's screenplay. Still, French director Jean-Francois Richet makes a decent fist of it, investing his film with plenty of suspense and tension, and the action scenes are all very well handled. I was frequently on the edge of my seat, and I haven't been able to say that about many recent action films from Hollywood. The only bit I didn't like was a bit ripped off from DIE HARD 2 where an icicle is used to dispatch a bad guy.ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 also benefits from an ensemble cast who make the best of what the script gives them. Ethan Hawke, who I never have liked – and still don't like much – works hard in the lead hero role. His work doesn't quite pay off and make him charismatic, but I think he does a good job, for what it's worth. Laurence Fishburne's still trading on his 'king of cool' image that he gained from THE MATRIX trilogy, so he doesn't have to do much work here, but he's one of the actors holding it all together. Gabriel Byrne is underused, as is Brian Dennehy, although it's nice to see the latter actor back on screen in a role reminiscent of his one from FIRST BLOD. Elsewhere we have John Leguizamo (CARLITO'S WAY) having fun as an on-the-edge addict, Maria Bello a little out of place, Ja Rule better than he was in HALF PAST DEAD, Kim Coates playing a jerk yet again, and Drea de Matteo as a lowlife. What's more to say?

Faris Ahmad Raza This remake Assault on precinct 13 serves as a good action movie. I have not really seen the original one, but when I watched this out it surely made me feel that I got my money's worth, as I was looking for a movie with Thrill and Action. Ethan Hawke playing a good cop does justice to the movie and Laurance Fishburne with great acting skills playing a mobster with a serious look on his face tells you that he means business! This film is Bloody And Ballsy!It's set on the New Year's Eve and it takes loads of blood, bodies and action till the movie ends until sunrise! So watch it for yourself I'm sure the action lovers will have a fairly good time.

g-bodyl Assault on Precinct 13, which is the remake of John Carpenter's 1976 version of the same name is an entertaining action film with credible performances, cool action scenes, a nice story, and just gives you a fun time. It's not going to win any awards, but this is how you make a "B" film. I haven't seen the original so I can't compare, but this movie stands well on it's own.This film is about a cop named Jake and a few others who are about to shut down their station for good on New Year's, but when a gang of violent prisoners including a guy named Bishop arrive, they are attacked by an outside gang and these prisoners and cops must gang up together in order to survive the night.The acting is nothing special, but it's nothing bad either. Each actor gives a solid, credible performance. Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne are two respected actors and I liked them in these roles often squaring off against each other.Overall, this is a solid action film. For a mid-January release, this movie is quite good. I don't know if fans of the original will like this, but action junkies will totally dig it. It's a good old-fashioned shoot-em-up. I rate this film 8/10.