Assault on Precinct 13 (2005 film)
Encyclopedia
Assault on Precinct 13 is a 2005 action thriller film directed by Jean-François Richet
, starring Ethan Hawke
and Laurence Fishburne
. The cast also includes John Leguizamo
, Maria Bello
, Ja Rule
and Drea de Matteo
. It is a loose remake
of John Carpenter
's 1976 film of the same name
, with an updated plot.
, including Sergeant
Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke
), veteran officer Jasper (Brian Dennehy
), secretary Iris (Drea de Matteo
), and psychiatrist Alex (Maria Bello
). Roenick is haunted by a botched undercover operation from eight months before that resulted in the death of the other two members of his team.
Meanwhile, crime lord Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne
) is arrested after a confrontation results in the death of an undercover officer. Bishop is put on a prison bus with three other criminals: addict Beck (John Leguizamo
), petty crook Anna (Aisha Hinds
), and counterfeiter Smiley (Ja Rule
). A raging snowstorm and treacherous road conditions force the bus driver to make a detour to Precinct 13, where the prisoners are to be held until the storm is over.
New Year's celebrations at the precinct are soon cut short, however, as an intrusion by masked gunmen results in the death of one of the prison guards, and fatally injures the other. The officers soon find they are surrounded by unknown assailants, preparing to lay siege to the precinct. Cellular phone reception has been jammed, as well as any radio communication. After one of the attackers throws a brick into the precinct with "Bishop" written on it, Jasper claims they are Bishop's men, here to extract him.
This is proven to be false, however, after Roenick kills one of the attackers in another assault and reclaims the man's wallet, which contained his police badge
. Bishop then reveals the attackers are actually policemen, led by corrupt Captain Marcus Duvall (Gabriel Byrne
). Previously, Bishop and Duvall were partners in crime, but Duvall got greedy. Now he and his men, including Mike Kahane (Currie Graham
), are to kill Bishop before he can testify at trial, saving all officers involved a hefty prison sentence. However, now that everyone inside precinct 13 knows of the true plot instead of just Bishop, they are all a liability and must be eliminated.
Heavily outnumbered by a growing police force made up of street cops, sniper
s, and elite SWAT
troopers, Roenick makes the decision to free and arm the prisoners to help them hold out until dawn. Although the officers do not trust the criminals, and vice-versa, Roenick and Bishop reach an agreement to cooperate in order to stand a chance to survive the night. With their combined efforts, they manage to repel further attacks by the police forces, and reclaim their weapons.
Soon Precinct 13 is joined by another officer, off-duty cop Capra. After driving erratically enough to evade the snipers, he scurries into the building completely confused and panicked. The attending officers welcome him with open arms, but Beck accuses him of being a plant. Fearing he may start at shootout, Bishop subdues Beck to calm him down and settles the conflict.
Smiley also thinks that Capra is a plant, so he and Beck decide to risk the police force outside for a shot at freedom, and plan an escape over a nearby fence.
As the prison bus explodes and they notice Smiley and Beck escaping, they decide to use this as a distraction and also plan an escape, making use of Capra's car in order for a couple people to flee the precinct and call for help while the police are busy with Beck and Smiley.
Anna, who can hotwire
a car, volunteers to go. Alex also goes along. Beck and Smiley make it to the perimeter fence before they are killed by snipers. Anna and Alex appear to have made it, before a cop hidden in the backseat shoots and kills Anna, causing the car to crash and Alex to be captured.
Alex is brought before Duvall, who asks her how many are in the precinct. Defiant, she replies "a hundred", and she is executed by Duvall after complimenting her on her bravery.
With only Roenick, Bishop, Jasper, Capra, and Iris left, the precinct stands little chance of withstanding further assaults. Bishop discovers the handcuffs that were holding the back door locked are removed. He concludes that someone inside is helping the police and accuses Capra, but before anything can be done, the police begin to lay siege to the precinct with SWAT reinforcements from the rooftop.
Jasper miraculously remembers an old sewage entrance beneath the precinct, and Roenick and Bishop set the precinct on fire to slow their pursuers. The survivors escape along an abandoned sewer passageway, but even as they find themselves on a deserted street they are suddenly surrounded by the corrupt policemen. Jasper reveals himself to have been the traitor all along, and the officers led by Duvall prepare to execute the remaining survivors.
Bishop sneaks a flash grenade into Jasper's jacket, and in the ensuing distraction the survivors disarm the officers and escape. Iris and Capra attempt to escape in the officers' car, while Roenick and Bishop flee into the forest. Duvall and another officer pursue Roenick, while Kahane goes after the car. The car flips and Capra is heavily injured, but Iris manages to stab Kahane with his own knife.
In the forest, Roenick is suddenly confronted by Bishop, who offers to cooperate in order to kill Duvall. As the corrupt officers have night vision
and Roenick and Bishop do not, Roenick volunteers to draw their fire so Bishop can see the muzzle flashes from their weapons, and dispose of them while they are distracted. The plan works, and Bishop kills the accompanying officer, but he is then shot in the stomach by Duvall who orders Bishop to lure Roenick into a trap. Roenick arrives and guns down Duvall, but is shot in the side and injured also.
After considering their cooperation throughout the night, Bishop decides to spare Roenick, who vows that he will find and arrest him someday. After Bishop limps away, officers led by Iris arrive. An officer asks Roenick if anyone else is in the forest, and after looking around for a moment he replies "no". The last shot is of an injured Roenick and Iris making their way to the ambulance, where Iris states she did not even recognize the battle-hardened Roenick of the night, and he replies, "get used to it."
and a metascore of 54 on Metacritic
. According to Box office Mojo
, it generated $35 million at worldwide box office on a budget of $30 million.
Jean-François Richet
Jean-Francois Richet is a French screenwriter, director, and producer, born on July 2, 1966 in Paris. He grew up in Meaux, a suburb east of Paris.-Selected filmography:* État des lieux - named at the César Awards 1996 in the Best Debut category....
, starring Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke
Ethan Green Hawke is an American actor, writer and director. He made his feature film debut in 1985 with the science fiction movie Explorers, before making a supporting appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society which is considered his breakthrough role...
and Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
. The cast also includes John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo
Jonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
, Maria Bello
Maria Bello
Maria Elena Bello is an American actress and singer known for her appearances in the movies Coyote Ugly, The Jane Austen Book Club, Permanent Midnight, Thank You for Smoking, A History of Violence, Payback, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. For television she is known for her role as Dr...
, Ja Rule
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...
and Drea de Matteo
Drea de Matteo
Drea de Matteo is an American television actress, perhaps best known for her roles Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey, as Angie Bolen on ABC's Desperate Housewives, and as Adriana La Cerva on the acclaimed HBO TV series The Sopranos, a role for which she won the Primetime Emmy...
. It is a loose remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
's 1976 film of the same name
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976 film)
Assault on Precinct 13 is a 1976 American action-thriller film written and directed by John Carpenter. It stars Austin Stoker as a police officer who defends a defunct precinct against an attack by a relentless criminal gang, along with Darwin Joston as a convicted murderer who helps him. Laurie...
, with an updated plot.
Plot
With only a few hours until the new year, Detroit's oldest police station, Precinct 13, is about to close forever. Only a skeleton crew of officers are on duty for New Year's EveNew Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, including Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke
Ethan Green Hawke is an American actor, writer and director. He made his feature film debut in 1985 with the science fiction movie Explorers, before making a supporting appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society which is considered his breakthrough role...
), veteran officer Jasper (Brian Dennehy
Brian Dennehy
Brian Mannion Dennehy is an American actor of film, stage and screen.-Early years:Dennehy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Hannah and Edward Dennehy, who was a wire service editor for the Associated Press; he has two brothers, Michael and Edward. Dennehy is of Irish ancestry and was...
), secretary Iris (Drea de Matteo
Drea de Matteo
Drea de Matteo is an American television actress, perhaps best known for her roles Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey, as Angie Bolen on ABC's Desperate Housewives, and as Adriana La Cerva on the acclaimed HBO TV series The Sopranos, a role for which she won the Primetime Emmy...
), and psychiatrist Alex (Maria Bello
Maria Bello
Maria Elena Bello is an American actress and singer known for her appearances in the movies Coyote Ugly, The Jane Austen Book Club, Permanent Midnight, Thank You for Smoking, A History of Violence, Payback, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. For television she is known for her role as Dr...
). Roenick is haunted by a botched undercover operation from eight months before that resulted in the death of the other two members of his team.
Meanwhile, crime lord Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
) is arrested after a confrontation results in the death of an undercover officer. Bishop is put on a prison bus with three other criminals: addict Beck (John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo
Jonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
), petty crook Anna (Aisha Hinds
Aisha Hinds
Aisha Hinds is an American television and film actress, known for her recurring roles on the TV shows Dollhouse, HawthoRNe, Invasion, True Blood, and Detroit 1-8-7.-Films:* Assault on Precinct 13...
), and counterfeiter Smiley (Ja Rule
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...
). A raging snowstorm and treacherous road conditions force the bus driver to make a detour to Precinct 13, where the prisoners are to be held until the storm is over.
New Year's celebrations at the precinct are soon cut short, however, as an intrusion by masked gunmen results in the death of one of the prison guards, and fatally injures the other. The officers soon find they are surrounded by unknown assailants, preparing to lay siege to the precinct. Cellular phone reception has been jammed, as well as any radio communication. After one of the attackers throws a brick into the precinct with "Bishop" written on it, Jasper claims they are Bishop's men, here to extract him.
This is proven to be false, however, after Roenick kills one of the attackers in another assault and reclaims the man's wallet, which contained his police badge
Badge
A badge is a device or fashion accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath , a sign of legitimate employment or student status, or as a simple...
. Bishop then reveals the attackers are actually policemen, led by corrupt Captain Marcus Duvall (Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined Londo's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen debut came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the...
). Previously, Bishop and Duvall were partners in crime, but Duvall got greedy. Now he and his men, including Mike Kahane (Currie Graham
Currie Graham
Currie Graham is a Canadian stage, film and television actor. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City....
), are to kill Bishop before he can testify at trial, saving all officers involved a hefty prison sentence. However, now that everyone inside precinct 13 knows of the true plot instead of just Bishop, they are all a liability and must be eliminated.
Heavily outnumbered by a growing police force made up of street cops, sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
s, and elite SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
troopers, Roenick makes the decision to free and arm the prisoners to help them hold out until dawn. Although the officers do not trust the criminals, and vice-versa, Roenick and Bishop reach an agreement to cooperate in order to stand a chance to survive the night. With their combined efforts, they manage to repel further attacks by the police forces, and reclaim their weapons.
Soon Precinct 13 is joined by another officer, off-duty cop Capra. After driving erratically enough to evade the snipers, he scurries into the building completely confused and panicked. The attending officers welcome him with open arms, but Beck accuses him of being a plant. Fearing he may start at shootout, Bishop subdues Beck to calm him down and settles the conflict.
Smiley also thinks that Capra is a plant, so he and Beck decide to risk the police force outside for a shot at freedom, and plan an escape over a nearby fence.
As the prison bus explodes and they notice Smiley and Beck escaping, they decide to use this as a distraction and also plan an escape, making use of Capra's car in order for a couple people to flee the precinct and call for help while the police are busy with Beck and Smiley.
Anna, who can hotwire
Hotwiring
Hot-wiring is the process of bypassing an automobile's ignition interlock and thus starting it without the key. A vehicle owner or thief may implement this process.-Methods:...
a car, volunteers to go. Alex also goes along. Beck and Smiley make it to the perimeter fence before they are killed by snipers. Anna and Alex appear to have made it, before a cop hidden in the backseat shoots and kills Anna, causing the car to crash and Alex to be captured.
Alex is brought before Duvall, who asks her how many are in the precinct. Defiant, she replies "a hundred", and she is executed by Duvall after complimenting her on her bravery.
With only Roenick, Bishop, Jasper, Capra, and Iris left, the precinct stands little chance of withstanding further assaults. Bishop discovers the handcuffs that were holding the back door locked are removed. He concludes that someone inside is helping the police and accuses Capra, but before anything can be done, the police begin to lay siege to the precinct with SWAT reinforcements from the rooftop.
Jasper miraculously remembers an old sewage entrance beneath the precinct, and Roenick and Bishop set the precinct on fire to slow their pursuers. The survivors escape along an abandoned sewer passageway, but even as they find themselves on a deserted street they are suddenly surrounded by the corrupt policemen. Jasper reveals himself to have been the traitor all along, and the officers led by Duvall prepare to execute the remaining survivors.
Bishop sneaks a flash grenade into Jasper's jacket, and in the ensuing distraction the survivors disarm the officers and escape. Iris and Capra attempt to escape in the officers' car, while Roenick and Bishop flee into the forest. Duvall and another officer pursue Roenick, while Kahane goes after the car. The car flips and Capra is heavily injured, but Iris manages to stab Kahane with his own knife.
In the forest, Roenick is suddenly confronted by Bishop, who offers to cooperate in order to kill Duvall. As the corrupt officers have night vision
Night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range...
and Roenick and Bishop do not, Roenick volunteers to draw their fire so Bishop can see the muzzle flashes from their weapons, and dispose of them while they are distracted. The plan works, and Bishop kills the accompanying officer, but he is then shot in the stomach by Duvall who orders Bishop to lure Roenick into a trap. Roenick arrives and guns down Duvall, but is shot in the side and injured also.
After considering their cooperation throughout the night, Bishop decides to spare Roenick, who vows that he will find and arrest him someday. After Bishop limps away, officers led by Iris arrive. An officer asks Roenick if anyone else is in the forest, and after looking around for a moment he replies "no". The last shot is of an injured Roenick and Iris making their way to the ambulance, where Iris states she did not even recognize the battle-hardened Roenick of the night, and he replies, "get used to it."
Cast
- Ethan HawkeEthan HawkeEthan Green Hawke is an American actor, writer and director. He made his feature film debut in 1985 with the science fiction movie Explorers, before making a supporting appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society which is considered his breakthrough role...
as Sgt. Jake Roenick - Laurence FishburneLaurence FishburneLaurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
as Marion Bishop - Gabriel ByrneGabriel ByrneGabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined Londo's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen debut came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the...
as Capt. Marcus Duvall - Maria BelloMaria BelloMaria Elena Bello is an American actress and singer known for her appearances in the movies Coyote Ugly, The Jane Austen Book Club, Permanent Midnight, Thank You for Smoking, A History of Violence, Payback, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. For television she is known for her role as Dr...
as Dr. Alex Sabian - Drea de MatteoDrea de MatteoDrea de Matteo is an American television actress, perhaps best known for her roles Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey, as Angie Bolen on ABC's Desperate Housewives, and as Adriana La Cerva on the acclaimed HBO TV series The Sopranos, a role for which she won the Primetime Emmy...
as Iris Ferry - John LeguizamoJohn LeguizamoJonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
as Beck - Brian DennehyBrian DennehyBrian Mannion Dennehy is an American actor of film, stage and screen.-Early years:Dennehy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Hannah and Edward Dennehy, who was a wire service editor for the Associated Press; he has two brothers, Michael and Edward. Dennehy is of Irish ancestry and was...
as Sgt. Jasper O'Shea - Ja RuleJa RuleJeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...
as Smiley - Currie GrahamCurrie GrahamCurrie Graham is a Canadian stage, film and television actor. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City....
as Mike Kahane - Aisha HindsAisha HindsAisha Hinds is an American television and film actress, known for her recurring roles on the TV shows Dollhouse, HawthoRNe, Invasion, True Blood, and Detroit 1-8-7.-Films:* Assault on Precinct 13...
as Anna - Matt CravenMatt Craven-Life and career:Craven was born Matthew John Crnkovich in Port Colborne, Ontario, the son of Joanne Leslie, a hairdresser, and Nick Crnkovich. He has an older sister, Deborah...
as Officer Kevin Capra - Fulvio CecereFulvio Cecere-Early life:Born to Italian parents, he attended Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, but after one year he realized that acting, not law, was his true calling. He took acting classes at UCLA and starred in a wide array of television and feature film parts over the next few years...
as Ray Portnow - Peter BryantPeter BryantPeter Bryant was the fourth producer of the BBC science fiction programme Doctor Who. He was born in London....
as Lt. Holloway - Kim CoatesKim CoatesKim Coates is a Canadian-American actor who has worked in both Canadian and American movies and television series. He has worked on Broadway portraying Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire and in the lead role of Macbeth performed at the Stratford Theatre...
as Officer Rosen - Hugh DillonHugh DillonHugh Dillon is a Canadian musician and actor.-Music career:Dillon was the lead singer for the Kingston hard rock band The Headstones from 1987 until 2003...
as Tony - Tig Fong as Danny Barbero
- Jasmin GeljoJasmin GeljoJasmin Geljo is a Bosnian actor. He is best known for his roles on Cube Zero as Ryjkin and in the films Land of the Dead, Assault on Precinct 13 and The Sentinel.-Biography:...
as Marko - Jessica Greco as Coral
- Dorian HarewoodDorian HarewoodW. Dorian Harewood is an American actor. He first garnered attention for his portrayal of Simon Haley in the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.-Career:...
as Gil
Reception
Assault on Precinct 13 has received mixed or average critic reviews, with a 60% positive rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
and a metascore of 54 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. According to Box office Mojo
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through...
, it generated $35 million at worldwide box office on a budget of $30 million.
See also
- List of American films of 2005
- Assault on Precinct 13Assault on Precinct 13 (1976 film)Assault on Precinct 13 is a 1976 American action-thriller film written and directed by John Carpenter. It stars Austin Stoker as a police officer who defends a defunct precinct against an attack by a relentless criminal gang, along with Darwin Joston as a convicted murderer who helps him. Laurie...
- the 1976 original - The Nest (Nid de guêpes) - French film influenced by original