Flashback Review: The Warriors

I went through my DVD collection to find a good movie for my first official review on this blog. I thought I'd go with something a bit older, not very well-known but has a following, and is very unique or one-of-a-kind. So here's my pick:

The Warriors


Taking place sometime in the 70's, the movie starts with a huge gathering of various New York City city gangs, including The Warriors from Coney Island. As the leader of the most powerful gang in the city preaches about taking it over, he is shot by a group of rogues called...the Rogues (pretty creative). Unfortunately, the Warriors are blamed for it, and have to make their way out of the city back to their home turf, avoiding every gang looking to bash their skulls in.

"The Warriors" turns into a chase movie right off the bat, and keeps the pace up very well, even during the breaks the gang gets (which usually lands them in worse trouble, or never works out their way either). The movie even throws in some deep, dramatic scenes; such as when the gang sees a group of teenagers coming from a high school prom. These little moments give the movie some appeal, and show that it's not just a thoughtless film. Although no actors stand out immensely, the personalities of the Warriors gang are the highlights, as their characters deal with their situations differently. The best scene the movie has to offer is a battle in the men's room at a subway station between the Warriors and the Punks (some of which are on roller skates). For its time, the brawl is creative with its use of surroundings and choreography.

The flaws the movie suffers from are the general faults of having a low budget. The movie lacks flow, cutting too quick between scenes and forcing you to adjust in a hurry from one event to the other. The ending also seems forced and hurried, and what should've been expected was cut down to a bare minimum. Lastly, some minor characters who could've been stronger are given no opportunity to do so (i.e. the new leader of the Riffs, who doesn't impress).

The movie has developed a cult following solely because there is not another movie similar enough. "Gangs of New York" touched on the beginnings of New York gangs, but this film shows us an era not really touched on in regards to this subject. The movie is also more for a viewer looking for something fun (an odd word to describe it, but I'll stick with it), than for a viewer who wants to think.

Overall, the movies strengths outweigh its weaknesses, making it entertaining to those even remotely interested in it. If you want to see something different than those mafia movies, yet with the same feel, go with "The Warriors." Oh, and F.Y.I.- a remake has been planned, and with a good budget, for once a remake will be better than the original.

So now that you've read this review, I've got one question for you-

Can You Dig IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!