Hey folks, Valkor here. Thanks to the folks at Warner Home, I
was able to get my hands on a very cool and now classic film that
was all the rage of 1993. I remember when “Falling Down”
was released it made people say “YEA!! That’s what
I’m talkin about!” It got me pretty much up amped
and very excited to see the film, and when I saw it… well
I mean I didn’t get what I expected, but I did get a very
entertaining film. Today the film is being released on DVD in
a special Deluxe Edition commemorating the film and the actor
who played the main character, Michael Douglas. Now, some 16 years
later, what do I think of the film? Read on.
The story of “Falling Down” revolves around Bill Foster, a former defense worker, who gets stuck in gridlock, on one of the hottest days in L.A. He ultimately snaps, abandons his car and sets off onto the city streets trying to go “home”. Where “home” is? Well we learn about that as the film progresses. But what happens to Bill along the way is the main point of this film. Basically he’s pissed at the way society is shaping up, like Bodegas overcharging, fast-food restaurants not giving the customer what they want, gangs taking over the city streets and Neo Nazis; basically he’s mad as hell and he’s not gonna take it anymore. But… and this is a big but, he simply wants to go home to see his estranged wife and daughter. Yup all that chaos and all he really wants to do is see his little girl. There’s also a side story of the cop, Martin Prendergast (Robert Duvall), who’s on his last day before retirement and just before he leaves, sets out to find this “white shirt and tie” guy that’s causing all this trouble, which ultimately leads him to Bill and his meeting with his wife and daughter.
This is a film that gives you one thing and then turns around and gives you something more. You couldn’t have seen that plot coming from the trailer, commercial, or print ads. But trust me, I ain’t complaining.
The Good
I freaking loved this movie and everything about it! Yea the plot takes on a totally different spin than what was advertised, but it’s still wonderfully entertaining. Michael Douglas does an amazing job as Bill Foster, but then I don’t think there’s a film I didn’t like with him in it. But this film especially is one of my personal favs. Another personal fav is Robert Duvall as Prendergast, who adds a nice comedic spin to the tale. Plus you always wonder “will Prendergast make it through his last day?” The film was digitally remastered and it looks brand spankin new. No compression or artifacts here; plus the audio is amazing. Sure most everything happens at the center channel, but the vocals stand out and the background audio shines through.
The Bad
The fact that this was directed by Joel Schumacher, who still has "Batman Forever" and "Batman and Robin" taint on him.
The Ugly
N/A
The film also has a nice commentary by Douglas and Schumacher. Plus it’s great to know that this film is being released to commemorate Douglas on his receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute (AFI). You wanna know why he is the best? Then pick up “Falling Down” on May 26th. It’s a powerful and dramatic film that’s sure to entertain. Out of TOV 5 stars, I give Falling Down 5 stars and it’s been Valkor tested and TOV approved.