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The Warriors
(1979) - Directed by Walter Hill
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Hood Film / Action-Adventure
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"You warriors are good. Real good."



I wasn't planning on watching this today, but family wanted to watch something, and while looking through we found The Warriors. I mentioned that it was on my to-do list, and that is was known for its cheese. Expecting an incredibly cheesy time, we turned it on. Now I'm already familiar with a few of the works of Walter Hill: The Driver, Geronimo, 48 Hours and Wild Bill. The thing is I found his best stuff overrated, but I had very high hopes for The Warriors.

Right before the 80's, this incredibly 80's movie that may give you Ninja Turtle nostalgia flashbacks centers around one of many gangs attending a get together hosted by an influential gang leader, only for him to by shot by Luther, leader of the Rogues. Quick to accuse the Warriors, the cops come and the gangs scatter in the ensuing chaos. With the Warriors far away from home, they must fight their way through multiple territories to make it back to their home turf on Coney Island.

Well, right from the get-go we get all these gangs in some of the stupidest "uniforms" imaginable. We get people who look like magicians, mimes, Alice Cooper's baseball team, chicks just having a chick gang for no reason other than to be chicks, rollerskaters dressed in striped shirts and overalls (and somehow missing pinwheel hats), and of course, Black Darth Vader. The costumes alone make this movie hilarious to watch.

But aside from the cheese and street-thug spirit which is shoved in the audience's face, our plot and characters aren't very well developed. In fact, I don't even remember most of their names, or even if their names were addressed for that matter. That was a leading criticism for Dragonheart and for good reason, because if you don't know the name, you relate less. Our titular gang doesn't do much except from run from other gangs and occasionally kick-ass in ways that are hardly spectacular. And our leading villain has no reason for doing anything other than his sadism. Let's not forget that he is a shit actor. He is one of the most annoying villains I've ever seen on-screen.

The Warriors may be a nostalgic cult classic, but merits are merits and mistakes are mistakes. There are pretty much an equal amount of both here. Hill's skillful direction and sense of atmosphere can't really save The Warriors from all of its flaws, but it's certainly not unwatchable. Just underdone. I guess I have yet another brutally overrated Walter Hill film with charm appeal.

= 63/100


Walter Hill's Score

The Driver: 78
48 Hours: 71
The Warriors: 63
Geronimo: 61
Wild Bill: 53

Average: 65.2 / 5