Assault on Precinct 13
Rogue Pictures | Release Date: January 19, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
54
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
14
Negative:
5
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Smart, satisfying action entertainment that is also a perceptive work of considerable artistry. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
For what it is, Assault on Precinct 13 delivers. It's not great art, but, for B-movie fans and those looking for a mid-winter jolt of energy, it's good fun. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
This remake is considerably different and, for once, the changes have not hurt the film. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
For those with a high tolerance for violence, Asssault on Precinct 13 is a thriller that actually thrills. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Matches a dingy urban setting with a compelling situation and throws in an ensemble of interesting characters who become even more interesting under stress. This emphasis on character -- in a sense, the movie's underlying humanity -- is what especially links it to the 1970s. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
All classic and airtight, and handled by Richet with economy and a sturdy clarity of action; he doesn't go overboard with manic action scenes. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Stephen Cole
One of this enlightened B-movie's many pleasures is French director Jean-François Richet's handling of atmosphere and setting. Shot almost entirely at night in a blinding snowstorm, the crime drama is an intriguing remodelling of a classic film noir. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
The movie rips and roars. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Smart, entertaining update. Read full review
75
PremiereAaron Hillis
Strikingly shot with some wicked hand-held virtuousity, Assault is rivetingly suspenseful in how it toys with the morals of good guys flip-flopping to the dark side (and vice versa). Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
The 1976 John Carpenter original has been reworked enough to give the urban thriller a distinct flavor of its own, and stars Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne provide enough gravitas to keep things involving. Read full review
70
VarietyJoe Leydon
In an era when similar genre pics increasingly resemble videogames, musicvideos or glossy commercials, the blunt, brawny simplicity of helmer Jean-Francois Richet's storytelling style seems positively novel. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Ken Tucker
It's simply an astringent action flick that uses the wounded sensitivity of Ethan Hawke and Fishburne's witty hauteur to give the shoot-'em-up scenes some juice. Read full review
70
TimeRichard Corliss
The differences between the two Assaults--the new one's pretty good, the old one near great--are of tone, style and perspective. Read full review
70
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
A surprisingly credible action flick. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Less suspenseful than the original but more ethically nuanced, politically pointed, and violent. Read full review
70
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
It doesn’t surpass the original, but neither does it disgrace its lineage. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
It's no classic, but you don't need to be a cultist to get in on the tawdry fun.
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
Serviceable, occasionally compelling but often formulaic. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
In a preamble that sets up Hawke's character, the jittery hand-held camera and grainy palette establish the look and feel of a '70s movie, thus paying homage to the Carpenter version, which, frankly, had more suspense. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
A slicked up, perfectly watchable update of a movie that was just about perfect on its own bleakly seedy terms. Read full review
60
EmpireStaff (Not credited)
A smart script, edgy acting and a gradual accumulation of suspense set-pieces makes for a decent popcorn high. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Volatile yet fairly lunkheaded. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Retains every hooky, marketable, and superficially attractive element from its source material while losing everything that made it special. Read full review
50
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
It's a run-of-the-mill action film that falls short of the 1976 original - and, for that matter, the 1959 western "Rio Bravo," which inspired the first film. The characters run out of energy and personality long before they run out of bullets. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Disappointing for a number of reasons. For one thing, it's silly. For another, it's not always silly enough to be diverting. Read full review
50
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
The big shift between Carpenter's B-movie and filmmaker Jean-François Richet's comic book-style remake is that instead of a troop of bloodthirsty gang members encircling the precinct, the bad guys here all look like good guys. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Excitably puppyish homage. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter Travers
By playing it safe, the new Precinct leaves the audience sorry and restores thirteen to its place as the unluckiest number. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
It's all energetically filmed, but I miss the cool, modest clarity of the first version. Bigger isn't always better, even at the movies. Read full review
50
Washington PostDesson Thomson
It's good for a silly laugh, this stuff. And maybe this movie will draw renewed attention to Carpenter's eminently better movie. Read full review
40
The New York TimesDana Stevens
The main thing this "Assault" lacks is a point. Mr. Carpenter's film still resonates with the political paranoia and social unease of the era. Mr. Carpenter's cynical refusal to distinguish clearly between good guys and bad guys feels freshly unsettling, while Mr. Richet's "modernization" looks like something we've seen a hundred times before. Read full review
40
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Still breaks the first and only commandment of remakes: Thou shall at the very least do justice to the original, or thou shall not be made at all. Read full review
40
Dallas ObserverRobert Wilonsky
Aims to be loud, dumb fun, only it takes itself too seriously to offer anything approaching a good time. Read full review
38
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Whatever spark the newer Precinct 13 has comes from its supporting players. Read full review
33
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
Hampered from the start by the numbingly formulaic additions by screenwriter James DeMonaco ("The Negotiator"). Toss in needlessly fussy visuals and a climax that is hilariously out of whack, and you've got an excellent excuse to stay home and watch the original. Read full review
30
SlateDavid Edelstein
Lousy remake. Read full review
30
SalonStephanie Zacharek
Pulp needs a pulse -- without one, it's DOA. No matter how hard some of its actors work to resuscitate it, Assault on Precinct 13 is as lifeless as a corpse on a slab. Read full review
30
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
It's never wise to try to one-up a classic. Read full review
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