Actor Sylvester Stallone calls his movie Demolition Man and the writers behind it "way ahead of their time." The futuristic action extravaganza from director Marco Brambilla stars Stallone as loose-cannon cop John Spartan opposite Wesley Snipes as the maniacal crime lord Simon Phoenix. The characters live in a world in which crime had been all but eradicated before the pair's explosive arrival in the year 2032.
Arriving on screens in 1993, in an era where action heroes like Stallone and Schwarzenegger's box office dominance was appearing to flag following the rip-roaring '80s, Demolition Man was a significant success for the genre, opening at number 1 at the box office and revitalizing Stallone's career in the process. Written and developed by Peter M. Lenkov, Daniel Waters, and Robert Reneau, the satirical action-comedy take on the sci-fi genre captured the audience's attention, but critics weren't all as complementary to the film, with some deriding what was seen as excessive violence while saving their meager praise for the movie's aesthetic value. However, while Demolition Man may not share the Rocky or Rambo series' fame, it's clear the film still holds a firm place in Stallone's heart.
In a recent Instagram post, Stallone called for a reassessment of Demolition Man, praising the writers and director. The image posted alongside Stallone's caption carried a quote highlighting the film's virtues and espousing Demolition Man's prediction of current discussions around political correctness, racial bias, toxic masculinity, and cancel culture. With Stallone receiving over 250,000 likes on the post, it appears that many share the opinion that the deeper values of Demolition Man were indeed overlooked.
Indeed, the film has not quite retained a place in the public consciousness in the same way as sci-fi adventures of the era like Total Recall or RoboCop. It's also never been in much danger of a reboot to bring John Spartan's story to modern audiences. Still, Demolition Man has held a cult audience for nearly 30 years, and the attention received by Stallone's backing may ignite the possibility of another reboot for the legendary action star to accompany the triumphant returns of Rocky and Rambo. But as yet, no plans for a remake or reboot are in the works.
In lieu of a modern take on Demolition Man, it may be worth returning to San Angeles via a rewatch of the '90s blockbuster that many forgot. A sci-fi action-comedy with satirical social commentary about a cryogenically frozen Stallone battling a dastardly Snipes on top form certainly offers something exciting for action movie enthusiasts who may have missed it the first time around. If Demolition Man holds up as well as Stallone thinks, it's easy to see the movie developing a new audience thanks to his post.
Source: Sylvester Stallone