Director: Marco Brambilla
Writers: Peter M. Lenkov, Robert Reneau, Daniel Waters
Photography: Alex Thomson
Music: Elliot Goldenthal
Editor: Stuart Baird
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, Benjamin Bratt, Bob Gunton, Denis Leary, Jack Black, Jesse Ventura, Adrienne Barbeau
Demolition Man belongs with that genre of jokey science fiction action shows that includes RoboCop and Total Recall: come for the stunts and fistfights, stay for the laughs and scratchy high concepts. It’s not Schwarzenegger in the starring role in this case (or Peter Weller either), but Sylvester Stallone. And he’s not your dad’s Rocky but a triangular-shaped specimen from his neck to lean waist, in supremely good shape and inclined (or director Marco Brambilla, otherwise unknown to me, is inclined) to show off the impressive pecs and overall physique. He is well supported by a manic Wesley Snipes, a very funny Sandra Bullock, a strange Benjamin Bratt, and a handful or more of hey-that-guys from the ‘80s and ‘90s. I’m here for Demolition Man, a little against my will, because it seems to understand the sweet spot of action, humor, and science fiction—and I wasn’t prepared for that. In fact, I was astonished to see that Halliwell’s gives it two stars whereas Searching for Bobby Fischer, for example, does not even get one, and I thought maybe it deserved at least that.
Demolition Man is set in 2032, in a justice system that freezes the guilty for the duration of their sentences and then feeds them subliminal training based on their aptitudes so they will have a skill when they awake for parole or release. Detective John Spartan (Stallone) has been trained for knitting and sewing. He’s in for accidentally letting 30 hostages die. Oops, as he might say. The 21st century of this movie has turned into a paradise for hippie lovers of peace, harmony, and political correctness, a panacea of woke we would say nowadays. Everything bad, including swearing, smoking, drinking, and eating meat, has been outlawed. But when supervillain Simon Phoenix (Snipes in a blonde dye-job and high Joker hysterics) breaks out of his ice cube they have to get real (as one does) and turn to Spartan, who’s not a bad cop but a good cop who is brutal, if you can exactly tell the difference. Just go with it.
Demolition Man belongs with that genre of jokey science fiction action shows that includes RoboCop and Total Recall: come for the stunts and fistfights, stay for the laughs and scratchy high concepts. It’s not Schwarzenegger in the starring role in this case (or Peter Weller either), but Sylvester Stallone. And he’s not your dad’s Rocky but a triangular-shaped specimen from his neck to lean waist, in supremely good shape and inclined (or director Marco Brambilla, otherwise unknown to me, is inclined) to show off the impressive pecs and overall physique. He is well supported by a manic Wesley Snipes, a very funny Sandra Bullock, a strange Benjamin Bratt, and a handful or more of hey-that-guys from the ‘80s and ‘90s. I’m here for Demolition Man, a little against my will, because it seems to understand the sweet spot of action, humor, and science fiction—and I wasn’t prepared for that. In fact, I was astonished to see that Halliwell’s gives it two stars whereas Searching for Bobby Fischer, for example, does not even get one, and I thought maybe it deserved at least that.
Demolition Man is set in 2032, in a justice system that freezes the guilty for the duration of their sentences and then feeds them subliminal training based on their aptitudes so they will have a skill when they awake for parole or release. Detective John Spartan (Stallone) has been trained for knitting and sewing. He’s in for accidentally letting 30 hostages die. Oops, as he might say. The 21st century of this movie has turned into a paradise for hippie lovers of peace, harmony, and political correctness, a panacea of woke we would say nowadays. Everything bad, including swearing, smoking, drinking, and eating meat, has been outlawed. But when supervillain Simon Phoenix (Snipes in a blonde dye-job and high Joker hysterics) breaks out of his ice cube they have to get real (as one does) and turn to Spartan, who’s not a bad cop but a good cop who is brutal, if you can exactly tell the difference. Just go with it.
Lt. Lenina Huxley (Bullock) is bored with the mellow peace and love culture and thrilled by Spartan’s swaggering macho. She’s read all about him in the history books. Stallone and Snipes are formally the stars of this show, but really Bullock steals it right out from under them, along with a distracting Benjamin Bratt, who’s a straight guy playing a gay guy visibly desperate to convince us it’s all a joke and just part of the role. He’s more of an interesting sideshow for anyone familiar with his other work, notably on the Law & Order TV show. Bullock by contrast brings all her winning charm to this script, which regularly humiliates her character but she’s a good sport about it. Being a good sport might be Bullock’s secret weapon in a long and often interesting career. Here, for example, she wants to talk tough but she often gets it wrong and Spartan has to correct her with an air of infinite patience. “He’s finally matched his meat,” Huxley says to Spartan admiringly at one point. “You really licked his ass.” Or, preparing for battle, she says, “Let’s go blow this guy.” “Away!” says the ever-lip-curling Spartan. “Blow this guy away!”
I don’t know. Maybe you have to be there. Or maybe, like me, your expectations are already set to zero and the humor is a happy surprise (in which case I am unfortunately raising expectations for you. Forget what I said). My favorite joke is that, in the future, the oldies stations play ad jingles from the ‘60s and ‘70s—Alka-Seltzer (“plop plop fizz fizz”), Armour Hot Dogs (“what kind of kids eat Armour hot dogs?”), Jolly Green Giant canned vegetables at a lounge show, Pepsi-Cola, Ken-L Ration, even the Love Boat theme. And these folks absolutely love them, calling for the radio to be turned up when they come on and lustily singing along. This specifically applies to Huxley and Alfredo Garcia (Bratt). Yes, they named him Alfredo Garcia. Late in the movie he is seen making like a bandolier.
Another exchange between Spartan and Huxley speaks to where this movie is coming from in 1993. After another fight where Spartan and Huxley have prevailed, Spartan asks her, “Where did you learn to kick like that?” She replies (of course!), “Jackie Chan movies.” The Hong Kong action pictures were upon us. Trivia reports that Jackie Chan was offered the Simon Phoenix role, but declined because he didn’t think it would be good for his career to play a villain. I have to admit I am there for Demolition Man basically for the jokes. If you like, there is also a lot of gunplay and hand-to-hand combat and a big car chase scene as part of a big finish. I might like that side of it more if I was seeing it on a much bigger screen with many more people than just me and my cats. It’s possible. But I would probably still be there mainly for the jokes.
I don’t know. Maybe you have to be there. Or maybe, like me, your expectations are already set to zero and the humor is a happy surprise (in which case I am unfortunately raising expectations for you. Forget what I said). My favorite joke is that, in the future, the oldies stations play ad jingles from the ‘60s and ‘70s—Alka-Seltzer (“plop plop fizz fizz”), Armour Hot Dogs (“what kind of kids eat Armour hot dogs?”), Jolly Green Giant canned vegetables at a lounge show, Pepsi-Cola, Ken-L Ration, even the Love Boat theme. And these folks absolutely love them, calling for the radio to be turned up when they come on and lustily singing along. This specifically applies to Huxley and Alfredo Garcia (Bratt). Yes, they named him Alfredo Garcia. Late in the movie he is seen making like a bandolier.
Another exchange between Spartan and Huxley speaks to where this movie is coming from in 1993. After another fight where Spartan and Huxley have prevailed, Spartan asks her, “Where did you learn to kick like that?” She replies (of course!), “Jackie Chan movies.” The Hong Kong action pictures were upon us. Trivia reports that Jackie Chan was offered the Simon Phoenix role, but declined because he didn’t think it would be good for his career to play a villain. I have to admit I am there for Demolition Man basically for the jokes. If you like, there is also a lot of gunplay and hand-to-hand combat and a big car chase scene as part of a big finish. I might like that side of it more if I was seeing it on a much bigger screen with many more people than just me and my cats. It’s possible. But I would probably still be there mainly for the jokes.
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