DROP ZONE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 4.9
Date Released: 12/9/94 Running Length: 1:49 Rated: R (Violence, language)
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Gary Busey, Yancy Butler, Michael Jeter,
Corin Nemec
Director: John Badham
Producers: Wallis Nicita and Lauren Lloyd
Screenplay: Peter Barsocchini and John Bishop
Cinematography: Roy H. Wagner
Music: Hans Zimmer
Released by Paramount Pictures
Despite its enormously entertaining action sequences and generally high level of energy, DROP ZONE has a major draw back: it doesn't make sense. This is a classic example of a script apparently constructed as an afterthought to accommodate the skydiving, fight, and chase scenes. The plot, to put it frankly, is complete rubbish, with far too much time devoted to fruitless attempts at explaining and developing it.
Most recently, skydiving was used to drive TERMINAL VELOCITY, and, while no one is going to nominate DROP ZONE for an award, it's a more enjoyable way to spend ninety-plus minutes--assuming you're for some reason forced to choose between the two. Then again, no matter what the arena, Wesley Snipes can act rings around Charlie Sheen, and John Badham (WARGAMES) is a somewhat more accomplished director than VELOCITY's Deran Sarafian.
One rather unique--not to mention refreshing--element of this film is that the male protagonist, Pete Nessip (Snipes), and the female lead, Jessie Crossman (Yancy Butler), never become romantically involved. As the so-called story moves along, you keep expecting this to happen, but it never does. Then again, perhaps the script pages developing the relationship got lost along with the half screenplay that never made it into the movie. Talk about disjointed....
For a moment, shortly into DROP ZONE, it's possible to wonder if you've somehow stumbled into PASSENGER 57. There's Snipes on a plane again, and something involving bullets and blood is about to happen. This time, however, he's not alone. His brother Terry (Malcolm Jamal- Warner, looking absolutely nothing like he did on TV) is with him. The pair are federal marshals transporting a computer super hacker from one prison to another. Enter Ty Moncrieff (Gary Busey) and his gang of 38,000-feet jailbreakers, who grab the Nessips' prisoner and parachute out a hole blown into the side of the plane. Terry ends up dead, and a bitter Pete, forced to hand over his gun and badge, must pursue revenge on his own--with the first stop on the trail leading him to skydiving instructor Crossman.
There's nothing original or interesting about Gary Busey's character--this is the kind of role he's done so often that he could probably sleepwalk his way through it, chomping on scenery all the way. Snipes isn't exactly breaking new ground, either, but he at least seems to be putting a little more effort into the part--and he's got a flashier wardrobe.
Just because DROP ZONE won't put you to sleep doesn't mean that it's worth seeing. Even as a pure popcorn picture, it lacks a certain minimum level of coherence. In a year featuring such high-voltage nail-biters as SPEED and TRUE LIES, DROP ZONE arrives with an audible "thud."
The above represents the opinions of the author, and not necessarily those of Bellcore or any organization within Bellcore.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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