Demolition Man: The Stallone Action Classic Celebrates 30 Years (Limited Edition Blu-ray)

The Film:

Three-time Oscar nominee Sylvester Stallone may be most well-known for his beloved hits "Rocky" & "Rambo" and their various sequels in the '70s, '80s, and beyond (and, of course, "The Expendables" in more recent years), but the action star also had some rather well-liked films (by fans at least) in the '90s. They weren't always box office hits, and not particularly embraced by critics, but for those looking for something exciting and usually at least a little silly, films like "Cliffhanger," "Judge Dredd," and "Daylight" were right up their alley.

One of his most popular films of this period was a bizarre little flick called "Demolition Man," which was another entry that critics rejected, but fans seemed to embrace for its fun blend of action & humor that has them still talking about it to this very day. To celebrate the film's recent 30th anniversary, Arrow Films is unleashing a new Limited Edition Blu-ray, with a remastered transfer and lots of new extras, so let's dive in and see what made this particular Stallone actioner such a special one.

The film starts in 1996 Los Angeles with Officer John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) attempting to rescue 30 hostages from the clutches of deranged criminal Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes). He manages to capture Phoenix, but the building he was hiding in is destroyed, with the bodies of the hostages being found shortly after. Phoenix makes the absurd claim that Spartan knew they were there and still attacked, causing them both to be sentenced to terms in cryostasis.

In 2032, Los Angeles has merged with San Diego and Santa Barbara to become "San Angeles," with the city having become a peaceful utopia under the guidance of Dr. Raymond Cocteau (Nigel Hawthorne). Phoenix is brought out of stasis for a parole hearing, but manages to escape. The bewildered police, who aren't used to dealing with such violent behavior, decide that they need someone from that time period to help hunt him down, leading them to thaw out Spartan. Things have certainly changed a lot since he was last on the beat, but with 20th-century enthusiast Officer Lenina Huxley (Sandra Bullock), he sets out to once again attempt to bring Phoenix to justice.

"Demolition Man" is another one of those films that no one's really going to mistake for being great cinema. It's filled with action, it's remarkably goofy, and several of the performances are a little over-the-top, but in its own special way, that's what makes it rather enjoyable to watch. It's a movie that you probably wouldn't say is outright "good," but with it having a high level of entertainment value, you can't really say it's bad either. To categorize it, it's simply best to say that the film is a guilty pleasure, one that fans have been enjoying for over 30 years now.

It's filled with a number of classic moments, including a multitude that involve Spartan's acclimation to a society that has radically changed over the course of his 36-year sleep. Cursing has become a ticketable offense, cars can drive themselves, crime has pretty much been eliminated, and instead of toilet paper, there are now three mysterious, never-explained seashells in the bathroom. This re-integration makes for a particularly amusing running gag that goes along perfectly with his interactions with these polar-opposite peaceful citizens, whose subdued performances also play wonderfully against Wesley Snipes' maniacal turn as Simon Phoenix. This ultimately gives the film a fascinating balance of character personalities, which adds quite a lot to its humor and helps balance out its more thrill-oriented sections.

At the end of these two hours, you'll likely find that you've had fun watching the exciting action & laughing at its silly jokes, situations, and intriguing portrayals of these characters. Again, it's not something that's going to be mistaken as high-class cinema, but like many of Stallone's works over the course of his long career, it was never meant to be. It's the kind of film that's simply meant to entertainment & amuse, which it does admirably. Critics may have been rather dismissive of it, but fans were pretty quick to embrace it and have been doing so ever since, which is exactly why we're still talking about it three decades later.

Video/Audio:

"Demolition Man" comes to limited edition Blu-ray in a 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of outstanding quality. The film has been given a new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative, approved by director Marco Brambilla himself, and looks sharper & clearer than ever before. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio & Dolby Atmos tracks are marvelous, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Arrow Films has done a wonderful job in both areas for this new edition of the action classic.

Special Features:

Audio commentary by director Marco Brambilla and screenwriter Daniel Waters

Audio commentary by film historian Mike White of the Projection Booth podcast

Audio commentary by Marco Brambilla and producer Joel Silver

Demolition Design (14 Minutes)

Cryo Action (6 Minutes)

Biggs' Body Shoppe (6 Minutes)

Tacos and Hockey Pucks (10 Minutes)

Somewhere Over the Rambo (17 Minutes)

The Blu-ray comes with a fantastic selection of extras, including three commentary tracks (two new and one archival) and just under an hour of featurettes that mainly feature interviews with some of the crew, such as production designer David L. Snyder and stunt coordinator Charles Percini. Definitely plenty of great material here for fans to dig into.

Conclusion:

"Demolition Man" has been charming & entertaining fans for over 30 years with its exciting action, silly sense of humor, and over-the-top performances, all of which make it easy to see why the film has endured for so long. Arrow Films' new Limited Edition Blu-ray comes with everything fans could want, including the film in an outstanding remastered transfer and several new extras that delve into the making of the film, making this an easy recommendation to add to your personal collection.

Score: 3.5/5

Available on Limited Edition Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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