Shot on location in NY back when it was still NY & not a Disneyfied dumpster fire for trendy tourists & homegrown hipsters to flock to, "Enemy Territory" captures a moment in time when NY was on the cusp of gentrification. Since the film centres on a crumbling, crime ridden & graffiti covered tenement, it's easy to imagine that many viewers from the current generation will look down upon the NY that was as a hellish place in dire need of the makeover it would recieve in the early 21st century. But for those who lived it through the 80's & 90's, a film like "Enemy Territory" is more likely to strike a nostalgic chord...
...The script itself doesn't really have much of a story, if any. But that isn't really the point of the film. "Enemy Territory" is a pure chase film of the kind which would continue into the 90's with the cult classic, "Judgement Night". But while that film was played deadly serious, "Enemy Territory" takes a more humourous approach. To call the film an Action/Comedy would be inaccurate since the Comedic aspect does not detract from the seriousness of the situation. The overall tone is simply lighter than the common Thriller despite the film being fairly violent on a regular basis. But even so it's never gratuitous...
...Caught up in the carnage is a W. A. S. P-ish insurance saleman who just so happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. His first encounter with an all-black street gang leads to a fatality & he's soon fleeing the gang until he has no choice, but to fight back. Aided by singer Ray "Ghostbusters" Parker jr (making his acting debut), "Enemy Territory" has some Buddy Movie moments, but is not exactly comparable to the same year's "Lethal Weapon". Our two protagonists are soon (albeit briefly) joined by a third in the form of the late Jan Michael Vincent playing a wheelchair bound & to be honest bigoted Vitenam veteran. It's eerily prophetic to see Vincent spouting venomous slurs whilst confined to a chair as the man himself would end up in one toward the end of his life & would become more known for his questionable remarks than his legacy in television & film. Rounding out the cast we have a very young Tony "Candyman" Todd playing the sadistic gang leader in a film stealing turn...
..."Enemy Territory" is well worth seeing out if you enjoy gangland set Thrillers or just NY cinema in general. The film strikes a perfect balance of hi-octane action & low budget amusement. The cast are all game, throwing themselves into their roles & the situation based script. Just why the film has been ignored for decades is baffling considering how many other & less deserving b-movies of yesteryear are being rediscovered today. It's the kind of film that you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who has seen it yet you'll also be hard pressed to find someone who's seen it that doesn't like it!
S. S. S.
...The script itself doesn't really have much of a story, if any. But that isn't really the point of the film. "Enemy Territory" is a pure chase film of the kind which would continue into the 90's with the cult classic, "Judgement Night". But while that film was played deadly serious, "Enemy Territory" takes a more humourous approach. To call the film an Action/Comedy would be inaccurate since the Comedic aspect does not detract from the seriousness of the situation. The overall tone is simply lighter than the common Thriller despite the film being fairly violent on a regular basis. But even so it's never gratuitous...
...Caught up in the carnage is a W. A. S. P-ish insurance saleman who just so happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. His first encounter with an all-black street gang leads to a fatality & he's soon fleeing the gang until he has no choice, but to fight back. Aided by singer Ray "Ghostbusters" Parker jr (making his acting debut), "Enemy Territory" has some Buddy Movie moments, but is not exactly comparable to the same year's "Lethal Weapon". Our two protagonists are soon (albeit briefly) joined by a third in the form of the late Jan Michael Vincent playing a wheelchair bound & to be honest bigoted Vitenam veteran. It's eerily prophetic to see Vincent spouting venomous slurs whilst confined to a chair as the man himself would end up in one toward the end of his life & would become more known for his questionable remarks than his legacy in television & film. Rounding out the cast we have a very young Tony "Candyman" Todd playing the sadistic gang leader in a film stealing turn...
..."Enemy Territory" is well worth seeing out if you enjoy gangland set Thrillers or just NY cinema in general. The film strikes a perfect balance of hi-octane action & low budget amusement. The cast are all game, throwing themselves into their roles & the situation based script. Just why the film has been ignored for decades is baffling considering how many other & less deserving b-movies of yesteryear are being rediscovered today. It's the kind of film that you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who has seen it yet you'll also be hard pressed to find someone who's seen it that doesn't like it!
S. S. S.