You can definitaly tell it's from the 70's, it's got that unique feel. The thrills, when they come, are chilling; those mindless bums running in packs, the silencer barrage. One thing I really didn't like however was the girl character, totally worthless. In the end, I'd say it was a very decent film, but nothing special. P.S: Who the hell shoots the ice cream man (and Kim Richards)?

Incredibly cheesy and terrible dialogue with no good characters but somehow it still works. Napoleon Wilson is one of the stupidest characters I've seen in awhile but there's just so much action and it's so gritty that you can't not derive some sort of pleasure from this. And yes the soundtrack is awesome.

A strong early effort from John Carpenter, Assault on Precinct 13 finds the auteur tackling a scenario akin to George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, with just a hint of Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs. Assault is, more than anything else, an exercise in suspense, though it also hints at just how great Carpenter would become as a director in the following decade. For many, John Carpenter's career starts with Halloween, but to miss this one is to miss one of his most satisfying films.

Does not age well at all. Almost unwatchable, and this is Carpenter at his most spendthrift. Sets look like cheap sets, etc.

786

Except for the male leads, this is a poorly acted film with pacing that wastes most of the first fifteen minutes of movie. The story never seemed to make sense and kind of ended at an arbitrary point. There was a good shock value scene in there and some nice examples of laconic humor but ultimately, this is kind of a disappointing feature.

It's pretty entertaining but so uneven. I give props to the score though and a few scenes are gripping but meh, it can't save it. The cheese is there but it's not even as charming as other Carpenter movies because this movie seems lazy. It's a shame, I love the premise. I actually prefer the remake to this, which is odd.

A very effective low-budget action film from John Carpenter.

Short and sweet. The hour and a half fly by and, despite the fact that the movie is confined primarily to a single location, Carpenter manages to keep the tension high throughout. The soundtrack is also great and, while it doesn't match Carpenter's Halloween score, it's one of his better efforts.

a blast! john carpenter might be the world's greatest filmmaker.

this movie owns

I like the synth-tastic score, and the technical aspects are well done. And the movie does have a couple tense moments and sometimes manages to be fairly suspenseful. But so much of it is riddled with nonsensical actions, unanswered questions, characterization that rarely rings true and plot holes. And I love roving gangs of improbably multi-racial psychotics who seem to have no plan for profitable crime. The main premise is basically a less plausible rip-off of Night of the Living Dead.

Basic story-telling at it's best, moving along surely, but appropriately paced -- good ol' economic John Carpenter! It may get silly at times, but considering the bombastic, bang-for-your-buck mentality of today's action films, this feels quite tame, but realistic in comparison.

83.000

"Got a smoke?" lol Like an intense TV episode, and yet tongue-in-cheeky throughout. Plus we got to watch em blast lowlifes for a couple minutes, which was pretty fun. (But poor little Kim Richards might as well have had VICTIM stamped on her forehead.)

The buildup is more compelling and better directed than the actual assault itself, as Carpenter is an expert at creating a tense atmosphere. The characters are a bit lacking in development, but overall it's worth a watch.

Once again Carpenter deals with an inhuman force of evil, in human shape, to great success! The movie, a zombie-western-hold-up with obvious references to his hero Hawks and Romero, is MEGA CHEEZ! But JC sure knows how to create atmospheres to save his ass and 70s grittiness only compliments this, while another classic synth soundtrack pulsates away.. Cool! The bizarrely twisted clichés blend smoothly with his usual chaos and apocalyptic sense of loneliness, creating minor laughs and some shocks