the last great John Carpenter movie

Rating: Null/10 (23 April 2002)

If the critics of the day had treated this movie with the utmost respect it deserved, who knows where John Carpenter would have ended up?
As it is, he remains respected for his independence and commitment but is handicapped by revisiting material beneath - or corrosive of - his ability. It's a bloody tragedy that Carpenter can't take his writing more seriously now, but some of us are still hanging in there for his big comeback picture.
The film lays out Carpenter's cynical take on the world like no other, and none of his other films - not even Escape From New York - has a downbeat ending that makes as much sense as this one. Wonderful, all-male ensemble cast. As for the music, the soundtrack is brilliant, but somewhat surprising is the amount of Morricone's music that didn't make it onto the screen (check out the precious CD instead which has no Carpenter on it) in favour of Carpenter's own additions.
One of the all-time best, and one to keep fans loyal through thick and thin.