The Warriors

1979 gang movie

Rating: 14/20

Plot: During a big gang get-together at a New York City park, a charismatic gang member is murdered. The titular gang is blamed. Without any weapons but their spunk, they have to return to Coney Island, preferably alive, while moving through hostile territories.

So prior to this, was the whole live-action-freeze-frame-turning-into-a-comic-book-page been done before? I liked it here even though I feel like I've seen it too much lately in other movies. I liked the variety of gangs but kind of wished there were more of them as they were more colorful than the rather boring Warriors. I can imagine the conversations they have about their gangs' themes. "Ok, so you want to go with leather vests and no shirts--headbands optional? Sounds good to me? Anybody object?" I liked the clown baseball players, the mimes, and The Orphans led by either a retarded David Schwimmer or a David Schwimmer who was beaten repeatedly with a Ralph Macchio. And then there was a scene with a long guy wearing overalls and roller skates in the subway, and wondered, "Can he technically be considered 'a gang' all by himself?" before seeing that he had some friends. David Patrick Kelly plays the main villain a little too goofily, but that little "Come out the play" bottle trick is a nice musical number. I wish the fight scenes were a little more realistic or at least choreographed. I guess there's a chaos to them that does create a sort of realism. But I don't know. A lot of the fighting looks so much like play fighting. I did like a scene where a guy in overalls gets punched, hurls himself into a wall melodramatically, has a baseball bat broken across his stomach, and then falls awkwardly onto a trash can. This is an entertaining little B-movie apparently loosely based on a historical Greek battle legend which I think means you could probably show it in school.

5 comments:

  1. I liked this one slightly more than you. Maybe a point or two higher. I thought the same thing that you did, when watching this, that the other gangs are far more interesting and entertaining than The Warriors, themselves, but of course you have to make The Warriors the most normal so you can relate to them. The fight scenes are very stagey, more like the fights in West Side Story than gritty gang fights. I saw this on video in like 1980 or 1981, I had never really been to New York, so this was what I thought it was like for quite a few years afterwards. I'm still disappointed in the lack of clown faced, baseball bat wielding toughs, but thats what movies will do for you. I liked David Patrick Kellys Luther a lot more than you. His over the top way of being a dirtbag is just great. Interestingly enough, Kelly plays an equally sleazy character named Luther in another Walter Hill film, 48 Hours. I always thought that was interesting. Like Walter Hill thought David Patrick Kelly could only play guys named Luther.

    A 16 for me. I am always entertained when it comes on.

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  2. The little kid in me that loves movies will never forget the moment the gang in baseball uniforms appears. I was just thrilled by the pure weirdness of it all. That combined with "Can you dig it?", and "Warriors, come out to play" make this a unique movie, even with it's many flaws Also a 16.

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  3. my friend went to Fordham in the Bronx and he claims one night he and a buddy ate some mushrooms and retraced The Warriors journey to Coney Island.

    I love this flick. Used to be on tv all the time when I was in Jr. High.

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  4. Barry--You're probably right about David Patrick Kelly. It's definitely a memorable performance. He doesn't even get all that much screen time here, but he really stands out. Other than the main gang guy who is shot while giving that speech, there isn't exactly a lot of personality with the characters. Luther's got personality and nuttiness that makes him memorable.

    Mute baseball clowns. If any of them spoke, it would have ruined the effect, I think. And yeah, Cory, that's the highlight of this movie for me, too.

    Larry--their story is much better if they were dressed identically. Or met David Schwimmer.

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  5. i drank half the cup of kool aid on this one. i love the post apocalyptic feel of this.
    i also thought the guy looked like david schwimmer. :) i felt a little bad for the orphans losing the too close for comfort chick and all.
    you are right a few more of the colorful gangs wouldnt have made this too long.
    i want to join the rogues.

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