UNITE AND FIGHT.

On a snowy New Year’s Eve, a precinct about to close down is forced to house a handful of prisoners; soon, they and the cops find themselves under siege. This remake of the 1976 John Carpenter classic offers a few changes to the story, but is still packed with clichés, especially Ethan Hawke’s character. What’s worse, it’s impossible to buy the basic premise, particularly the vast conspiracy that is soon revealed. Salvation to some degree arrives in the form of a fun cast and enough action to keep viewers satisfied.  

2005-U.S. 109 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Jean-Francoise Richet. Screenplay: James DeMonaco. Cast: Ethan Hawke (Jake Roenick), Laurence Fishburne (Marion Bishop), John Leguizamo (Beck), Maria Bello, Ja Rule, Drea de Matteo… Gabriel Byrne, Brian Dennehy, Titus Welliver.