TRESPASS
A film review by Ken Johnson
Copyright 1993 Ken Johnson
105 min., R, Action, 1992
Director: Walter Hill
Cast: Bill Paxton, Ice-T, William Sadler, Ice Cube, Art Evans,
Bruce A. Evans
While fighting a fire, firemen Bill Paxton and William Sadler are given a treasure map by a man who then commits suicide. The map shows a floor of an abandoned factory in East St. Louis. Bill Paxton and William Sadler go to the factory to search for the treasure. While they are searching, drug dealer Ice-T and his gang show up and Paxton and Sadler witness a murder. Paxton and Sadler end up trapped in one of the rooms at the factory with Ice-T's brother as a hostage. They try to find a way out, while Ice-T tries to get his brother back.
Being a fan of Ice-T (both the music and acting there of) and director Walter Hill, I went out to see TRESPASS at the first chance I got. This is more of a young adult film, than an adult film, but that is not to say that all adults will dislike it. I did enjoy watching TRESPASS, and recommend it if you tend to enjoy Walter Hill's films. On a scale of zero to five, I give TRESPASS a five. TRESPASS is rated R for violence and explicit language.
This is certainly a time for music artists to start acting. Whitney Huston has a film out, THE BODYGUARD; Phil Collins was just recently in HOOK; rap artists Ice-T and Ice Cube are continuing their film careers in TRESPASS. TRESPASS was originally scheduled to be released during the summer under the title THE LOOTERS, but the timing was too close to the L.A. riots. TRESPASS is written excellently. It is exciting and the action sequences are great. The soundtrack for the film is great. The music fits the film perfectly.
There are several levels to the characters, some are good (Bill Paxton, William Sadler) and others are bad (Ice-T, Ice Cube). But within those levels, there is still more, Bill Paxton is a good guy, whereas William Sadler is a semi-good good guy. The same is shown with Ice-T and Ice Cube, Ice Cube is definitely a bad guy, but Ice-T is a semi-bad bad guy.
I have enjoyed Ice-T's acting career so far (NEW JACK CITY, RICOCHET) and I think that he is a powerful screen presence. He has played the good guy (NEW JACK CITY) and now he plays the semi-bad guy (the same as he did in RICOCHET, I believe). He does an excellent job in this film, and he alone makes the film worth going to see. Ice Cube (BOYZ N THE HOOD) is very good as one of the bad guys. William Sadler and Bill Paxton were great as the firemen. The two people who I enjoyed the most in this film were Ice-T and the person who played the black man who was living in the factory.
-------- Ken Johnson blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu
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