Blyss's Review For:

Main Cast of Characters

Sylvester Stallone.........................John Spartan

Wesley Snipes.............................Simon Phoenix

Sandra Bullock............................Lenina Huxley

Benjamin Bratt...........................Alfredo Garcia

Nigel Hawthorne..........Dr. Raymond Cocteau

Glenn Shadix.............................Associate Bob

Denis Leary..............................Edgar Friendly

Mark Colson............Young Warden Smithers

Andre Gregory............Old Warden Smithers

Rob Schneider.......................................Erwin

1993. Rated R. Genre: Action/Sci Fi/Comedy; 110 minutes

"A scary future"

In 1996, Detective John Spartan and police try to rescue hostages from Simon Phoenix but he blows the building up. The police blame Spartan because he is known as the "Demolition Man" and they think he made a bad decision that caused people to die. Assistant Warden William Smithers is present as Spartan is subjected to the same kind of punishment as Phoenix: cryostasis. Jump to 2034. Peace is prevalent because Raymond Cocteau stepped forward and took away everything he considered bad. Society is bland and they are not even allowed to touch each other. Everything we know now in our society that is enjoyable is gone.

Officer Lenina Huxley wishes for how things used to be. She is a police officer but there is never any action. Her captain scolds her for being obsessed with the vulgar 20th century and that she should be happy with their peaceful existence. But she is soon to get her wish. Pheonix is up for a parole hearing and while he is there, he escapes and kills three people including Warden William Smithers. He has been programmed to kill and most of all, to kill one person, Edgar Friendly. Edgar Friendly runs a rebellion against this bland existence underground. He and his people are known as Scraps. Cocteau wants him gone because he and his people are a threat to their peaceful existence as they know it but no one knows that. He comes forward and wants Spartan thawed out to help catch Pheonix. But can the super violent Demolition Man survive in this strange new world and catch Phoenix?

I still love this movie no matter how many times I watch it. There is tons of action, just like any other Stallone movie. There is also comedy which takes away from any tenseness the audience may be feeling. What a strange world to live in where no one can touch and everything is psychological. And how could there be police if there is no crime? Their jobs should have been abolished. They were getting paid for nothing. Then when actual crimes start to happen, they are not ready for it. Rob Schneider's character summed it up in one sentence, "We're police officers. We're not trained to deal with this." It is really scary to think that society could ever turn out like that.

I don't know if I could actually choose a favorite scene from this movie. Sandra Bullock and Stallone were brilliant. They were both funny because they did not understand about the world in which the other one lived. I guess one of my favorite parts is when Spartan, Huxley and her partner go underground and see how the Scraps live. It was funny to see them react to Spartan drinking a beer and eating a "burger". I also have to mention Wesley Snipes. Simon Phoenix, to me, is one of his trademark roles. When I think of Snipes, I always think of this movie first. He was hilarious even through this violence. No one else could have pulled that off.

Overall, this movie was a great balance between action and comedy. It was a great cast and I really could not have asked for much more.

I rate this movie: 8

Blyss