Sniping at Sly

I guess seeing Stallone in The Expendables  got us to queue up Demolition Man - that and Mr. Peel's review. Shout out to Mr. Peel - he is the king of late 20th C. movies - especially 1970-1990. He writes about the trivial, the sublime, the flawed masterpiece and the guilty pleasure. And sometimes, he makes me want to see a movie against my better judgment. 

In a dystopian 1998 future LA, supercop John Spartan (Stallone) tangles with supervillain Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes). When he goes to far, he is given the same punishment as Snipes - being cryogenically frozen for 40 years. Snipes wakes up in a peaceful utopia, where violence is unknown and strong language is subject to a fine. Perfect, he thinks, this culture will be no match for his evil.

When he starts his rampage, future cop Sandra Bullock figures that they need to fight fire with fire, so they defrost the legendary crimefighter, Stallone.

Mostly, this is just a goofy sci-fi comedy, like Woody Allen's Sleeper - there is even an orgasmatron. It's also an action film, of course, with the requisite fights and explosions, but it always seems eager to get back to the gags and social commentary. Can you believe, for instance, that in 1993, they predicted the Schwartzenegger presidency? They may have gotten the year wrong, but still.

I actually don't mind Stallone when he isn't trying to be serious - his comic timing is not bad. I like Bullock in this role - chipper, bright and very naive. Snipes has to wear some heinous outfits - Osh Kosh B'Gosh overalls with a blond fade - but is undeniably cool.

So cool, that we had to watch Blade 2 on instant view. I really don't have much to say about it, except there was a lot of action, blood, and special effects make up. Also, Kris Kristofferson as the Obi Wan character. Still, we got our Wesley Snipes fix, and without any Sly.

In conclusion, Sly rocks the beret in Demolition Man. It had to be said.