Drop Zone

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Gary Busey, Yancy Butler, Michael Jeter, Corin Nemec, Kyle Secor, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Mickey Jones
Directed by: John Badham
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
1994

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A U.S. Marshal (Wesley Snipes) joins a group of skydivers as he investigates a criminal ring infiltrating secure locations from the air.

Review:

Tim: One of the challenges I faced when watching Drop Zone is looking past the two decades since the film was released. This is one of the few action movies from the 1990s I hadn't seen, and time hasn't been kind to this film. I'm pretty good at evaluating films not from today's standards, but from the perspective and standards of when it was released. By any standards, this isn't a very good movie. Thankfully, it's not wholly unwatchable.

The basic idea of a U.S. Marshal joining a team of skydivers is interesting (it was also done in Terminal Velocity the same year). Unfortunately, the execution of this idea is sorely lacking. It was hard to take anything seriously in this film. Gary Busey might be crazy, but he didn't come across as especially terrifying in this film. His skydiving team didn't really instill fear, either, so the stakes felt very, very low. Wesley Snipes didn't do a great job in the lead role. I'm not sure why he played Pete Nissip the way he did, but at times, it was almost comedic. For example, his reaction after being thrown from the plane without a parachute was comic. It might have been funny, but would a battle hardened marshal really act that way? I likewise thought his reaction after his first successful jump was ridiculous. I'm sure the blood is pumping, but your brother was murdered and you were tracking his killers, who got away with it. I'm not sure the jubilation he showed was appropriate. It just felt like the tone of the film was completely off. I'm not sure what director John Badham was going for, but it comes across as an incredibly low stakes, mildly interesting affair.

Now, the exception to this are a few of the skydiving scenes. I've never been skydiving myself, but it has to be an incredible experience. I loved some of the shots of the skydivers, floating and tumbling through the air. There's an especially amazing sequence when one of the jumpers' parachute won't open. It's a cliche, but I was on the edge of my seat, totally invested in that sequence. When it was over, I kind of blinked and looked around, having been completely immersed in what I saw on screen. That was fantastic, but unfortunately, it was about the only time that happened in the entire film.

So, Snipes was okay but occasionally his performance failed in big ways. Busey was weird but not all that menacing. I never believed Yancy Butler's performance. Yes, she seemed tough and I liked her demeanor, but any time she opened her mouth, I didn't believe her. Michael Jeter was occasionally too over-the-top, but he mostly turned in a good performance. The whole cast felt like a bit of a letdown, like this movie was filled with the junior varsity team. That hurts the film.

I'm a big fan of 1990s action movies, but Drop Zone is a forgettable, weak movie. Outside of a few strong scenes, it's mostly a bland experience that hits the wrong notes at the wrong times. This is certainly a film you don't need to see.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: U.S. Marshals, Murder at 1600, Terminal Velocity