The future isn’t big enough for the both of them.|Oct. 08, 1993|United States|115 Min.|R
Genre: Action;Crime;Science;Fiction
Description: In 1996, psychopathic criminal Simon Phoenix takes a busload of hostages and hides in an abandoned building. LAPD Sergeant John Spartan, known as “The Demolition Man” for his destructive methods, launches an unauthorized assault to capture Phoenix. Despite a thermal scan showing no signs of the hostages, Spartan storms the building. Phoenix detonates explosives, destroying it, and the hostages’ bodies are later found in the rubble. Phoenix claims Spartan knew about the hostages and attacked anyway. Both men are sentenced to long terms in the “California Cryo-Penitentiary,” where convicts are cryogenically frozen and subjected to subliminal rehabilitation.
By 2032, the city of San Angeles, a utopian megapolis combining Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Barbara, is governed by Dr. Raymond Cocteau. Phoenix is thawed for a parole hearing but escapes after revealing a secret password he doesn’t recall learning. He kills his guards, the warden, and several ill-prepared police officers as he roams the city.
Lieutenant Lenina Huxley, intrigued by 20th-century culture, learns about Spartan’s past from veteran officer Zachary Lamb. Realizing Phoenix’s unpredictability requires a similar mindset, Huxley convinces her superiors to release Spartan and reinstate him. Spartan struggles to adapt to San Angeles’ sterile society, where activities like sports, alcohol, meat consumption, and even swearing are outlawed. While many view him as uncivilized, Huxley admires his skills and determination.
The film explores themes of societal control, individuality, and the clash between past and future values. Spartan must confront Phoenix in a world that has forgotten violence, leading to a battle of wits and survival.
Cast director: Louis D’Esposito
Cast actor: Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, Benjamin Bratt, Bob Gunton, Glenn Shadix, Denis Leary, Grand L. Bush, Pat Skipper
Original name: Demolition Man