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(About Our Ads) "ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13" (2005) (Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Extreme Extreme Heavy Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate Mild Extreme None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Moderate None Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Action: A group of prisoners join a small number of cops and others to battle a group of outside attackers who have them pinned down in a mostly shuttered police precinct and are trying to kill all of them. PLOT: It's a snowy New Year's Eve and Sgt. Jake Roenick (ETHAN HAWKE) is looking forward to a low-key party held in his mostly deserted Precinct 13 in a desolate warehouse section of Detroit. With all calls diverted for the night and the only expected visitor being Jake's therapist, Alex Sabian (MARIA BELLO), who's concerned about his mental well-being following a drug bust gone terribly bad months before, the partygoers include veteran Jasper O'Shea (BRIAN DENNEHY), secretary Iris Ferry (DREA DE MATTEO) and a few others. The heavy snowstorm, however, causes a police transport bus to make a stop there. Onboard are a handful of prisoners, including druggie Beck (JOHN LEGUIZAMO), counterfeiter Smiley (JEFFREY "JA RULE" ATKINS), female gang-banger Anna (AISHA HINDS) and notorious crime lord Marion Bishop (LAURENCE FISHBURNE) who just recently killed a cop under the supervision of Lt. Marcus Duvall (GABRIEL BYRNE). Jake locks them up and prepares for a quiet evening, but the arrival of even more unexpected visitors turns the evening into a nightmare. It seems that a group of heavily armed men wants Bishop and is prepared to do anything to get him and kill any eyewitnesses. With his remote precinct under siege and all communication to the outside world cut off, Jake and the others do what they can to fend off the repeated attacks by the outsiders and prevent them from getting inside. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're into action-heavy, violent films (meaning mostly teenage boys) they just might, especially if they're a fan of someone in the cast. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For strong violence and language throughout, and for some drug content. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ETHAN HAWKE plays the sergeant who's in charge of the precinct and must deal with the unexpected crisis while also coping with guilt over a botched and deadly drug bust months earlier. He ends up shooting and killing many villains, uses strong profanity, drinks and takes some prescription drugs. LAURENCE FISHBURNE plays the powerful local crime lord and cop killer who finds himself incarcerated in Jake's precinct. He agrees to help the cops battle the outsiders, but only as a means of self-preservation. He kills more people and uses strong profanity. GABRIEL BYRNE plays a corrupt cop in cahoots with Bishop who wants him dead. He smokes and uses profanity. DREA DE MATTEO plays the station's sexy secretary with a penchant for bedding "bad boys." She uses strong profanity, drinks, smokes (although she gives up the latter as her New Year's resolution) and kills some bad guys. BRIAN DENNEHY plays the veteran cop who doesn't like the idea of arming the prisoners and uses strong profanity. JOHN LEGUIZAMO plays a conspiracy-minded drug addict who's an irritant to Marion and uses strong profanity before shooting and killing various villains. JEFFREY "JA RULE" ATKINS plays an incarcerated counterfeiter who joins the fray in killing the attackers. He also uses strong profanity. MARIA BELLO plays Jake's therapist who has her own breakdown in the face of their unexpected and lethal crisis. She uses some strong profanity. AISHA HINDS plays another incarcerated criminal who claims to have done nothing wrong in the past, but finds herself fighting the villains and using strong profanity. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated action picture. Profanity consists of at least 132 "f" words, while plenty of other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Sexually explicit dialogue is present, while a woman is seen in some provocatively sexy attire. Violence consists of many people being shot and wounded or killed (with very bloody results), other attempts on lives, fighting, property damage, and a man punching a dog in the head twice to silence it. Those scenes and other moments of peril may be unsettling or suspenseful to viewers, while all of the many villains have extreme bad attitudes. Some of that action (including the gunplay) may be enticing for some kids to imitate. Various characters smoke and/or drink, while one is noted as being a drug addict and another is hooked on prescription medication. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, some of the film's camerawork is very jumpy and bouncy at times and may induce such a reaction. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE We see Jake and some other cops undercover on a drug operation. They're trying to sell what looks like cocaine to some men, one of whom tastes it and a comment is made about getting high. Upon waking up in the morning, Jake grabs a bottle of liquor on his bedside table and takes a swig. Ready for their New Year's Eve party, Iris says that they should get "f*cked up" early. After a cop asks Beck if he's been snorting (drugs) since his eyes are red, Beck asks the cop if he's been eating donuts since his eyes are glazed. Jasper carries in many bottles of liquor for the precinct's party and he, Jake and Iris then have some. Beck is noted as being a drug addict. He later asks Jake about what he's taking, and the latter comments on a certain prescription drug. Alex talks of the liquor and pills that Jake keeps in his desk drawer (as a crutch for his emotional turmoil and guilt over a previous drug bust gone bad). Jake then drinks from a small bottle of liquor. Iris and a few other people drink. BLOOD/GORE Various people who've been shot are very bloody (including a brief gunshot to the head). A bad cop holds a gun on Marion who then hits that man and jams a knife into his neck (with bloody results). We see Beck sitting on a cell toilet with his pants around his ankles, but don't see anything beyond him chatting with Marion while doing so, followed by a few slight strains. A dead cop has some blood on his clothing, while we see a very bloody belly wound on a second, severely wounded cop. We see an icicle sticking out of a man's eye socket (with bloody results). Jake has a little bit of a bloody lip following a fight. We see some blood on the floor from a dead villain. Blood comes out with each jab of what looks like a sword into a villain. Jake shoots a villain point blank in the head, with blood spraying out onto some glass. We see bloody bullet hole wounds in two dead characters' heads. Alex's face is bruised and slightly bloody following a vehicle crash. A villain executes a person by shooting them in the head (with bloody results, including blood that then spreads in the snow behind the body). A man's face is bloody following a vehicle accident. A man has some blood on his clothes. Iris has some blood on her face. Iris hits a villain who then kicks her. They struggle, with her then grabbing the guy by his throat. She then stabs something through part of the guy's face (with bloody results). Marion has some blood on his head as well as a torso wound. We see blood stream out of a dead man's head. Jake's hand is very bloody after having it pressed against his bloody wound. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE All of the various villains and criminals have bad attitudes, particularly those who kill others. A bad guy twice punches a dog on its head (quite viciously) to make it be quiet. Marion says that he doesn't believe in God since he's had many of his victims pleading to God, but that it did them no good (meaning he killed them). Various cops are in cahoots with the villains and try to kill others. Some viewers might be upset by some deadly violence that occurs in a church. Beck tells a joke to Marion regarding a Black and Puerto Rican being in a car, and then asking who'd be driving. Marion replies that it would be a cop (some viewers might not like that joke). A good cop turns sides with the villains. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" and "Blood/Gore" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. We see various bad guys approaching the precinct. We see more villains approaching the precinct and then the power goes off inside it. We see red target laser lines entering the precinct from various angles (from the villains' guns). When Jasper realizes that Jake has let the prisoners loose and armed them, he holds his gun on Marion, prompting the prisoners to grab some hostages and everyone to hold their guns on each other (nobody ends up shot). Beck thinks that a newly arrived cop might be one of the villains, thus raising fears of those inside. Alex and Anna race outside and to an SUV in an attempt to hotwire it, hoping the villains don't see them. As a vehicle drives off in an escape attempt, we see (from a distance in the dark) a person rise up in the backseat and then a flash of a gunshot to the driver's head. The vehicle then crashes into a pole. Marion briefly takes Iris as a hostage at gunpoint. The villains capture the survivors and prepare to execute them. Good cops and villains slowly make their way through some snowy woods at night, with each hunting for and trying to avoid the others. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Machine Guns/Shotguns/Knives/Various Explosives/Sword-like device: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill many people and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck you," "Where the f*ck is my backup?" "F*cked up" (drunk), "Get the f*ck up," "Shut the f*ck up," "I'm pretty f*cking perturbed about that," "Mrs. mind-f*ck," "You f*cking joke," "F*ck you up," "You f*cking animals," "Who the f*ck /are you/asked you?" "Are you f*cking kidding me?" "Not a bad f*cking idea," "F*cking psycho," "What the f*ck /is going on/are we supposed to do?" "Whatever the f*ck," "God-f*cking-damnit," "F*ck you," "Oh f*ck," "Bad ass m*therf*cker," "This sh*t is sh*t," "Sh*thead," "Cool my sh*t off," "No sh*t," "Sh*thole," "What a piece of sh*t," "I don't want to hear jack-sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "What kind of bullsh*t is that?" "Nobody gives a sh*t anymore," "Scared sh*tless," "Holy sh*t," "Our sh*t's on pause," "Pieces of sh*t," "You're a sarcastic pr*ck," "Piss," "You're pissing me off," "Losers," "Scumbag," "Ain't that a bitch," "Balls" (testicles), "Frickin,'" "Bitch" (place), "Bitch ass punk," "What the hell is going on?" "Screwed up," "They're doing a damn good job," "Schmuck," "Saving my own ass," "Little skinny white ass," "Ain't this a bitch?" "Rat bitch," "Let's haul ass," "Hurts like a bitch" and "Shut up." All of the gunplay, action and other stunts might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Various characters have tattoos, including Jake. A bad guy twice punches a dog on its head (quite viciously) to make it be quiet. After a cop asks Beck if he's been snorting (drugs) since his eyes are red, Beck asks the cop if he's been eating donuts since his eyes are glazed. JUMP SCENES When Alex opens a door, a villain suddenly shoots at her. Marion suddenly shows up beside Jake. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 132 "f" words (12 used with "mother," 3 used sexually), 69 "s" words, 3 slang terms using male genitals ("c*ck," "c*cks*cker" and "pr*ck"), 13 asses, 5 hells, 5 S.O.B.s, 2 damns, 17 uses of "G-damn," 2 each of "Jesus," "Jesus Christ" and "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "Christ," "Christ Almighty," "For Christ's sakes," "For God's sakes," "God," "Oh Christ," "Oh God" and "Swear to Christ." SEX/NUDITY The camera moves up Iris's fishnet stocking-covered leg to her butt in her very short/sexy skirt. She then talks to the men there about impulsive sex and how she had sex with a guy in a public stadium and how she liked that. She then states that she doesn't bed criminals, but rather "I f*ck bad boys." That causes one of the men to say he's going outside to "cool my sh*t off" (meaning her talk got him worked up). Iris shows a lot of cleavage at times. Throughout the film, we see Iris in her short skirt and fishnet stockings. Jake finds Alex drying her hair in his office and we see her bare back. We then see that she's still in her backless party dress and is drying her hair (from being stuck outside in the snow). As she bends over, we see can see down the front of her dress and see cleavage. Jake tells Alex, "You can't handle this sh*t cuz you want to f*ck me." She replies that if she "wanted to f*ck you," she would have done so already. Anna tells Jasper that she doesn't like his beady eyes on all of her "pieces" (meaning body parts). Iris states that, despite their current situation, she can't help thinking about sex. She adds that she usually does, but even more so now. Marion then talks about the connection between violence/fear and sex as he comes on to Iris (they're alone). He also shows her how to kill someone (by grabbing her by the neck in somewhat of a violent/sexual fashion). SMOKING Iris and Marcus each smoke twice, Alex and Jake each smoke once, and a miscellaneous villain also smokes. Iris wants a cigarette, but sticks with her New Year's resolution. TENSE FAMILY SCENES None. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Dealing with guilt. Corrupt cops. Violence against animals (a bad guy twice punches a dog on its head -- quite viciously -- to make it be quiet). The fact that Jake doesn't give up Marion to the villains to ensure the safety of those inside the precinct. Jake's decision to free and arm the prisoners (so that they can help battle the villains). VIOLENCE A bad guy twice punches a dog on its head (quite viciously) to make it be quiet. In turn, Jake (posing as a drug dealer), punches his own "dog" (another undercover cop) in the face. A bad guy is about to shoot Jake, so the cop's undercover partner shoots that guy and several people are then shot, including Jake in the leg. He then limps out to pursue the bad guys and finds another partner on the floor after he's been shot. Once outside, Jake's female partner is shot and Jake shoots that shooter in the head (in graphic fashion). Jake's two cop partners are dead following this. A bad cop holds a gun on Marion who then hits that man and jams a knife into his neck (with bloody results). Marion then leaves, but a gun battle breaks out there, and then back in the church (with at least one person being hit). While passing by on escalators, a cop punches one of Marion's goons in the face. Beck and another prisoner briefly struggle in their jail cell. Two villains shoot a cop (who later dies), with another cop shooting back at them after also being fired upon. That second cop is then hit and badly wounded (and he also later dies). When Alex opens a door, a villain suddenly shoots at her. A brick is thrown through a window (as a warning), with Jasper firing back out the window with his gun. Jake races outside into the snow where he gets into a fight with a villain, while we see the POV of a scope trained on him by a villain who's trying to get a shot at him. The two men continue to struggle, with both punching the other until Jake jams a large icicle into the man's head (we see it sticking out from the eye opening of his mask). The sniper then fires several shots at Jake, but misses. A great deal of machine gun fire riddles the precinct, causing some property damage. A concussion grenade goes off in the precinct, followed by another explosion that blows open part of a wall. Jake shoots one villain dead and injures another who manages to get away. There's a brief but intense gun battle inside the precinct where at least one person is hit. A villain prepares to shoot and kill Alex, but Smiley beats the guy with some sort of pole, followed by Beck repeatedly stabbing the guy with what looks like a sword. Marion twice hits a villain with Molotov cocktails, setting the guy on fire. Jake shoots a villain point blank in the head, with blood spraying out onto some glass. Various villains shoot at a cop who's just arrived in his SUV. He manages to get out and race inside the building. When Beck won't put down his weapon, Marion disarms him and then hits him in the neck, knocking him to the ground. A bus suddenly explodes. Two men try to escape from the precinct, but one is hit in the shoulder as the two are then pinned down in a snowy trench that briefly gives them protection from the snipers. The wounded man is then hit in the head, while the other waits for a moment and then tries to climb a fence where he's shot and killed. As a vehicle drives off in an escape attempt, we see (from a distance in the dark) a person rise up in the backseat and then a flash of a gunshot to the driver's head. The vehicle then crashes into a pole. A villain executes a person by shooting them in the head (with bloody results, including blood that then spreads in the snow behind the body). Jake throws something in anger that breaks the glass in an office door. Marion throws a person down some stairs, hits him on the head, hits him again and holds his gun on him (thinking he might be a mole). Jake then holds his gun on that person as well. Iris fires shots up through the ceiling upon hearing villains rappelling down onto the roof. Jake and Marion pour and then ignite a great deal of flammable liquid in the precinct just as another big gun battle breaks out. A good cop who's turned sides repeatedly hits Marion on the head. A concussion grenade goes off, knocking down some people, followed by another gun battle where several people are hit (and wounded or killed). Villains shoot at a fleeing SUV that then flips over and crashes on the snowy street. Iris hits a villain who then kicks her. They struggle, with her then grabbing the guy by his throat. She then stabs something through part of the guy's face (with bloody results). A villain shoots at Jake, allowing Marion to spot where the man is. Marion then shoots that man in the face, killing him. A villain shoots another person in the gut, and then pushes the barrel of his gun into the wound several times to inflict pain. A cop and villain shoot at each other, with both being hit (1 is dead, the other wounded). Reviewed January 13, 2005 / Posted January 19, 2005