Demolition Man (1993)

 

This one is a hoot. 

It didn't quite get a large amount of recognition back when it was released, but maybe people weren't ready for action stars doing something akin to comedy. Schwarzenegger had the same problem with 'Last Action Hero', which was also a bit off kilter, just like this one. Happily though, 'Demolition Man' has garnered quite a following over the years.

Is it Stallone's best? Hell no. But it sure is fun. 

Supercop John Spartan and supercriminal Simon Phoenix have been destroying so much of late 90s Los Angeles that they both get sentenced to be cryogenically frozen after the death of about 30 hostages. Fast forwars to 2036 and Simon Phoenix gets thawed and escapes. But because the modern society is so gentle and goodie-goodie two shoes, no one on the police force is able to apprehend him. Phoenix also seems to have picked up some rather special skills during cryo instead of being rehabilitated. So now he is running rampant, the police force have no choice but to thaw the one man who can go toe to toe with him: John Spartan. After that, the plot thickens (a bit), but it's all heading to a showdown between our manly men in the end.

It's simple, straightforward and enjoyable as all heck.

Also: this one is really funny. 

Stallone is enjoying himself as the fish out of water in a society where swearing gets you fined and everything that is unhealthy is illegal. It all seems nice and clean, but then again, it might not be the ideal society, something that this film makes amply clear. You need a bit of grime to contrast the cleanliness and somewhere in the middle most people can find their niche. Stallone also gets to work off of Sandra Bullock, who is supposed to always be enthusiastic yet incredibly naive. This gets a little old rather rapidly, but Bullock is one of those actresses that oozes sympathy, so you can't be mad at her. 

But guess who is having lots of fun hamming it up to eleven and beyond? Wesley Snipes. His character is supposed to be a total psycho, but the way Snipes plays him, he is just always enjoying himself. The only trouble is that his form of entertainment involves murder and destruction, but you can tell most of the people that worked on this film were having a blast. 

And you know what? Having a good time on screen translates to having a good time in front of the screen. Really: this one is just plain fun.