40
The New York Times by Dana Stevens
The main thing this "Assault" lacks is a point. Mr. Carpenter's film still resonates with the political paranoia and social unease of the era. Mr. Carpenter's cynical refusal to distinguish clearly between good guys and bad guys feels freshly unsettling, while Mr. Richet's "modernization" looks like something we've seen a hundred times before.
30
Slate by David Edelstein
Lousy remake.
70
Village Voice by J. Hoberman
A surprisingly credible action flick.
75
ReelViews by James Berardinelli
For what it is, Assault on Precinct 13 delivers. It's not great art, but, for B-movie fans and those looking for a mid-winter jolt of energy, it's good fun.
70
Variety by Joe Leydon
In an era when similar genre pics increasingly resemble videogames, musicvideos or glossy commercials, the blunt, brawny simplicity of helmer Jean-Francois Richet's storytelling style seems positively novel.
70
New York Magazine (Vulture) by Ken Tucker
It's simply an astringent action flick that uses the wounded sensitivity of Ethan Hawke and Fishburne's witty hauteur to give the shoot-'em-up scenes some juice.
80
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas
Smart, satisfying action entertainment that is also a perceptive work of considerable artistry.
70
The Hollywood Reporter by Michael Rechtshaffen
The 1976 John Carpenter original has been reworked enough to give the urban thriller a distinct flavor of its own, and stars Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne provide enough gravitas to keep things involving.
50
The A.V. Club by Nathan Rabin
Retains every hooky, marketable, and superficially attractive element from its source material while losing everything that made it special.
70
Time by Richard Corliss
The differences between the two Assaults--the new one's pretty good, the old one near great--are of tone, style and perspective.