josegonsalves-84577 The Warriors is a great film directed by Walter Hill about a group of lads embroiled with other gangs fighting for honor and turf on a strange surreal night. The film has gained critical acclaim and cult status only in recent years and was quite unsuccessful upon release. The reevaluation could be down to it being seen as a social commentary on youth and tribalism which has taken a much larger scale ever since its release. Indeed today many young people are a part of groups animatedly fighting against others with opposing agendas- which is not to say this film is only subversive. There is a lot of running and fighting and taking cover and hiding. The film flows and the violence even resembles poetry as the film progresses. The setting of the big apple in the isolation of the night lends itself perfectly to the characters and situation. The warriors is a great film not just because of its content but because of how relevant it has become.

willcarter-56155 Walter Hill is one of the most underrated filmmakers out there. It is staggering to think that he not only wrote the screenplay for Alien in 1979 but also directed another great cult film of the same year- The Warriors). This is a great film- raw, gritty and totally a product of its time. Rival gangs are shown arriving at a get together- this is a great piece of filmmaking, that opening sequence. We get to meet the characters and get to know the backstory and setup and all of this in a straightforward, no nonsense way. The warriors are the main bunch and we see them run across the deserted streets of New York trying to make sense of everything. This is one of the classic example of "all nightery films" which have to my knowledge been fantastic films.

Michael_Elliott The Warriors (1979) *** 1/2 (out of 4)Set sometime in the future, Cyrus calls all of New York City's gangs together where he suggests that they work together instead of killing each other. While giving his speech Cyrus is shot dead and a gang called The Warriors are accused of the murder. Now the gang must try to get back to their turf while battling the police as well as the other gangs coming after them.Walter Hill had already made a name for himself with HARD TIMES and THE DRIVER but there's no question that it was THE WARRIORS that really set his career off. The film was made on a rather low-budget and it turned out to be a major hit at the box office and its reputation grew over the years thanks to cable showings as well as home video. This was my first time watching the film and my biggest issues with it was the opening narration by Hill as well as the comic book elements that were added. Of course, I learned that these were all from the new "Director's Cut" so it's clear that I would have preferred the theatrical version.With that being said, there's no question that Hill hit a home run with this movie. What I loved most is how it uses the ran down New York locations. The subways play a very vital part to the story and the entire slimy city really becomes the biggest character in the film. I loved the way the film has a rather futuristic feel to it but at the same time there's nothing science fiction here. I was really impressed with how Hill accomplished this and there's no question that he makes New York City seem naked and alone.Another major plus is the terrific music score as well as the wonderful cinematography. It also helps that the cast members are so good. One of the biggest benefits is that the film really does seem real as if you're not watching a movie at all but instead you're following these group of people as if you're seeing them in a documentary. There's a very raw feel to the picture, which certainly helps with the atmosphere and overall mood of the picture.As I said, the added stuff to the picture is really lame and I'm not sure why Hill had to add these scenes. He has an introduction on the Special Edition release where he talks about it but couldn't he had just addressed his thoughts on the introduction without tampering with the movie? Either way, THE WARRIRORS has a look and feel unlike any movie like it.

a_chinn The Warriors are a red leather vest (with no shirt) wearing 1970s street gang from Coney Island who travel to Central Park where one powerful gang leader wants to unite all the gangs of New York City. Can you dig it? The plan fails immediately when someone shoots the leader and then blames The Warriors for the assassination. Our heroes then have to fight every gang between Central Park and Coney Island in order to get home. Gangs include the bat wielding Baseball Furies, the school bus riding Turnbull AC's, the all-girl Lizzies, the overall-wearing Punks, Chinatown's Savage Huns, and many, many, more awesomely costumed and colorful gangs. This film is likely one of my desert island films, as in, if I were trapped on a deserted island and could only take ten films with me, what films would they be? For such a list, you might not jump to Ingmar Bergman or other heady fare, but might rather seek pure escapist entertainment, and that is exactly what this film excels in. "The Warriors" is a film that I have lost all objectivity on. I don't know how many times I've watched it and can probably quote almost every line. I love the film's gritty, grimy 1970s pre-Giuliani NYC feel. It's not necessarily a realistic representation of the city, as was "The French Connection," but is a comic book version that is utterly enthralling. "The Warriors" was notorious at the time of it's release for incidents of gang violence breaking out in the theaters, which were attributed to the level of violence in the film. Though the violence is comparatively tame by todays standards, it none-the-less remains wildly exciting even by modern standards. Action sequences don't get much better than James Remar taking on a face-painted Baseball Fury, or the subway bathroom fight, or the shootout at the Lizzie's hideout. Producer/writer/director Walter Hill knows his way around an action sequence better than most directors and those talents are on full display here. The film has a deceptively simple story, but Hill gives the film an epic feel that I'd argue taps into Greek mythology, much like Odysseus as he faced his series of trials on his long journey home (no, really, I think it's there). Michael Beck is terrific as the leader of The Warriors (actually the Lieutenant, who's forced to take over after their leader is killed), as is the always great James Remar in his first of several appearances in Hill films. No review would be complete without mentioning David Patric Kelly as the crazed leader of The Rogues, who clinks his glass bottles together and sings his creepy chant, "Warriors, come to plaaaayyyyyyy." Look fast for Mercedes Ruehl as a policewoman in a park scene and Debra Winger on a subway in another. Taking place entirely within one night, the film never slows, has an amazing soundtrack and an even better filmscore by Barry De Vorzon, and features gorgeously photography of a gritty yet comic book version of a crime ridden NYC. "The Warriors" is an undeniable classic that in my mind cannot be improved upon. I think I now want to buy the old PS2 video game version of the movie, that featured a good number of the original cast. If you haven't seen this film, do yourself a favor and go see it immediately!