Demolition Man (1993)
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A high-octane, satirical sci-fi action film follows a 1990s cop thawed in a sterile, futuristic society to hunt down a dangerous criminal.
The story
In 1996 Los Angeles, a reckless police officer known as 'The Demolition Man' attempts to apprehend a psychopathic criminal, Simon Phoenix. The mission ends in disaster, and both men are sentenced to cryogenic freezing. Decades later, in the year 2032, the city has transformed into a peaceful but sterile utopia. When Phoenix escapes from his frozen state, he becomes a threat to the new order. Authorities awaken Spartan, a man from a more violent era, to use his unique experience and mindset to track down and capture the escaped criminal before he can cause further destruction in the high-tech metropolis.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1996, officer John Spartan and criminal Simon Phoenix are both cryogenically frozen after a violent confrontation. In 2032, the city of San Angeles is a sterile utopia where many behaviors are illegal. When Phoenix escapes his cryo-prison, he utilizes new technological skills to terrorize the city. Lieutenant Lenina Huxley recruits the thawed Spartan to hunt him down. Spartan finds the future's lack of freedom unsettling. The duo tracks Phoenix to a museum and later to a resistance group called the Scraps. During a confrontation, Phoenix reveals he framed Spartan for the deaths of the 1996 hostages. The conflict culminates in a battle where Spartan defeats Phoenix by freezing him solid, causing an explosion that destroys the cryo-prison. The film ends with Spartan and Huxley choosing to work together to find a balance between order and personal freedom.
- First release year
- 1993
- Runtime (minutes)
- 115
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Marco Brambilla
- Writers
- Daniel Waters · screenplay; Robert Reneau · screenplay; Peter M. Lenkov · screenplay; Peter M. Lenkov · story; Robert Reneau · story
- Cast and characters
- Sylvester Stallone · John Spartan; Wesley Snipes · Simon Phoenix; Sandra Bullock · Lenina Huxley; Nigel Hawthorne · Dr. Raymond Cocteur
- Genres
- science fiction; action; satire
- Themes
- Dystopia; Culture Clash; Technology vs. Freedom
- Tone and mood
- Satirical; Action-packed
- Setting
- A futuristic, sterile utopia called San Angeles in the year 2032, following a 1996 prologue in Los Angeles.
- Premise and plot tags
- Time Travel; Cryogenics; Police Procedural
- Source material / true-story basis
- Original screenplay
- Content notes
- Violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was considered a success for Stallone, earning a 'B' grade from audiences and a 67% approval on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Award · Best Costume Design · 20th Saturn Awards · Nomination; Saturn Award · Best Special Effects · 20th Saturn Awards · Nomination; Saturn Award · Best Science Fiction Film · 20th Saturn Awards · Nomination; MTV Movie Award · Best Villain · 1994 MTV Movie Awards · Nomination; Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Supporting Actress · 14th Golden Raspberry Awards · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The script was influenced by the 'Sleeper' and 'Brave New World'.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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