Mark's Review: The Warriors

The year is 1979, all the gangs of New York, no not THOSE gang’s of New York, have gathered 9 ambassadors to meet as Cyrus delivers his message that New York is theirs, they just have to unify. Sure enough, SOMEONE has to ruin it… by shooting Cyrus. The Rogues did it (not a spoiler) but the Warriors get pinned (also, not a spoiler)… that was literally all I knew about this movie going into it.

The main gang which Cyrus belonged to, The Riffs, send out a message via the chief from Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego, who was moonlighting as a DJ at the time, that the Warriors are wanted dead or alive. Now the Warriors are trapped in the city, many much miles away from their home (Coney Island) with every gang looking for them.

Well, the movie basically follows these guys as they try to high-tail it back to CI and run into different problems being it the Baseball Furies, The Orphans, or the Cops. While the writing is dry, and the acting is…interesting, the movie charmed me. Swan (leader of the Warriors) has this dry DRY acting which actually works perfectly. Never really showing emotion, and personifying “strong silent type”.

I’ve heard rumors of a remake… which… makes me nervous. I kept thinking, I’d like to see what could be done with better writing, and maybe just better effects. But if they try to modernize it and set it in the present… it will fail…badly. Part of the awesome of this movie is the stylization of the time it all takes place, and how NYC is shown as gritty and like a war ground just for these gangs.

Anyway, definitely check it out.