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Assault On Precinct 13 (2005) - 3 1/2 stars

The remake of “Assault On Precinct 13” is a rare picture because it is one of the few remakes to actually be better than the original. I found the original boring and unimaginative while the remake is entertaining. There are some welcomed changes to the storyline; the movie is also helped by a much more polished look and feel.

In this version, a closing L.A. precinct comes under attack from corrupt police that want to stop a gangster (Laurence Fishburne “The Matrix”) from testifying against them. Outnumbered and outgunned, Seargent Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke “Training Day”) and his colleagues are forced to team-up with criminals if they hope to survive the night.

Ethan Hawke does a great job as Roenick. The opening scene shows him working undercover, pretending to be a drug dealer in an operation that goes awry. Since then, he has a had a desk job before being forced to defend himself in this siege situation. Laurence Fishburne is acceptable as Bishop. Gabriel Byrne (“The Usual Suspects”) plays the corrupt Captain Duvall and he does a good job. The other characters are all fine and I was surprised by what happens to the police psychiatrist character, who is played by Maria Bello (“Payback”); there are some clever twists and turns with the characters.

2005’s version of “Assault On Precinct 13” is better than the original in just about every single way because the action sequences are engaging, the characters are more interesting, the performances are better, the storyline is more captivating. This is not a great movie, yet I think it does a good job considering how dull the original was. The “Assault Precinct 13” remake is a smart action thriller that is worth watching so if you have only seen the original or you have not seen either version, check this one out.

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