Was this one of Brambilla’s fears about the future that we’d one day be a bunch of robe-wearing wimps who are simultaneously offended and terrified by the thought of eating crisps? Well, apart from the robe bit, it could be argued that we’re already at that point, with social media acting as a soapbox for people to announce the latest thing they’re upset about. It’s basically Guildford.īut this has all come at a cost: human behaviour is now heavily controlled in a hyper-sensitive society, where anything deemed ‘bad’ has actually been made illegal. When Spartan and Phoenix are prematurely defrosted in the year 2032, they find themselves in a reformed world, a seemingly utopian “San Angeles” – Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara were merged together after the “Great Earthquake” of 2010 – where disease has been eradicated and crime is virtually non-existent. But when both characters are held responsible for the deaths of dozens of hostages and sent straight to cryo-prison, the film suddenly becomes a political parody of what tomorrow might bring. Opening in a near-apocalyptic Los Angeles in 1996, ravaged by crime, disorder and, presumably, Bill Clinton’s administration, the film wastes absolutely no time in getting to the action, as Sly’s expertly-named John Spartan dukes it out with Snipes’ Simon Phoenix in a set piece fit for a finale. 25 years after its theatrical release, it’s also proven itself to be eerily prescient, predicting far more about the future than director Marco Brambilla possibly could have imagined. And when Sandra Bullock delivers a Jackie Chan-inspired kick to a nameless goon’s head, I actually stand up and take off my shirt.īut there is so much more to Demolition Man than just gland-stimulating action. When Sly does his first of many slow motion runs from whatever is exploding behind him, I sweat profusely and stroke my dog’s head so firmly he meows. I make sure I watch Demolition Man at least three times a month, and with each viewing I appreciate it even more. Admittedly, there are some strong contenders – Commando, Predator, the original Total Recall and Terminator 2 obviously spring to mind – but how can anything compete with a film in which Sylvester Stallone fights a dungaree-clad Wesley Snipes in the future? Demolition Man is the greatest action film ever made.
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