Rating: 
Summary: I LOVE THIS FILM TOO MUCH!
Review: I first saw this movie during my formative teen years, and it has affected my sense of style and taste in music and movies ever since. Though I would not go overboard in saying that it is a "very good" movie, but it is a "great" movie.It has been said that this is the '50's movie set in the '80's Walter Hill always wanted to make, and he succeeds in catching that feeling. The people are clad in '50's garb, the cars are glorious pieces of Detroit steel or Studebakers, the biker gang lives the dream of Link Wray's music and the threat of Brando's "Wild Ones," the music is at times fast and urgent, like youth racing to an exciting finish, or moody and atmospheric, catching tension, sorrow, and romance. The production value is first-rate, every rain puddle in place, glorious neon colors, and a literally "ripping" scene disolve. Hill has created a complete world here. The story takes place in a city that is so huge a wanderer (such as Amy Madigan's or Michael Pare's characters) can pass through a "district" the way an old west drifter would pass through a town (not the only similarity to westerns this movie has). One can drive all night, passing through several of these districts, each with their own distinctive character, without finding the end of it. There is a run-down residential area, a nightlife strip, a spooky industrial area, even a southern style district with racist cops! The character of these districts is expressed everywhere, from the production design to the music to the costumes, so you can really catch the flavor of it. I felt that the costumes especially should be commended (hello, academy), not only because they were well produced and looked good, but also each costume expressed the character of the people wearing them and the district they resided in. The main action of the movie follows the pattern of a less serious version of "The Warriors": our heroes must find their way home against great odds. They must take trains, steal cars, fight cops, and hide from their pursuers. Instead of the run-down griminess of a city on the edge of collapse, however, there is the sense of urgent vibrancy of a thriving culture. Loving this movie so much, I have accumulated way too much trivia about it. The name of the biker bar, "Torchies" is used in "48 hrs" "The Driver," and "Brewster's Millions." The stripper in the bar is played by Jennifer Beales' double from "Flashdance." She was also in a rock video in the early '80's. The racist cop from the Ardmore is the Action News reporter from "Brewster's..." The train conductor was the DJ in "The Warriors." Robert Townsend can be seen as one of the doo-wop combo, but does not have a single line, unless you count him lip-psynching the songs. They used such light-sensitive film in making the movie that some of the neon was too bright and they had to paint it in. The music, as has been said before, is great. Ry Cooder (a frequent Hill colaborator) does all the incidental music covering such works as "Get out of Denver" and "Rumble," as well as creating some original pieces. It's a shame none of it wound up on the soundtrack album. The Blasters hit their high-water mark of mainstream popularity with their performance at Torchies (this was my first exposure to them and they have been my favorite band ever since). The Jim Steinman anthems, though not his best, are very appropriate for the theme of misspent youth that the movie has. I don't understand what The Fixx was doing on the closing credits, but it's a good song. About the acting: it seems acting skills are in inverse proportion to matinee-idol attractiveness, but that's OK, because the beautifully attractive leads don't have to do much (and Diane Lane is more beautiful here than in any other movie before or since). The less attractive secondaries get the good banter , and the stoic cop and the evil villain play their roles to the hilt. Sure the plot is predictable, corny, even. So is the dialogue. That's part of what makes it so cool! Corniness comes from tradition and universality, so what makes it distinctive is the style, and what style! And its worth noting that the final showdown is one of the most exciting fights in cinema, and has a unique and thrilling esthetic. So pop a brew, pour that tequila, get some chips & salsa, cuddle with your honey, and crank up your stereo big-screen TV (hopefully you've got a widescreen version too). This is fun, thrilling, and great, and if you're not smooching by the end, get another honey!
Rating:
Summary: A visual treat from the oral tradition.
Review: Gosh, this is great looking - the atmosphere, the neon, the pompadours, the cast, the bikers, the Blasters, the retro cars. The music is first rate as well. Nobody dies, there is no bloodshed (except a bloody nose from fisticuffs). As another reviewer aptly put it, the story is straight out of Greek antiquity - and it merged with a midcentury comic book. The only trouble is the lines are delivered so lamely, which is hard to imagine, given the professional cast (Walter Hill never was good at commanding dialogue from his cast in any of his movies). Also - the retro look goes strangely 1980s when the cast ends up in what must've been an MTV version of Spanish Harlem. No matter. See this. It is a good testament to the power of storytelling.
Rating: 
Summary: If Homer were Alive Now, This would be "The Iliad."
Review: Most people don't realize that this film is really a modern-day Iliad: Helen (Diane Ladd) is kidnapped by the Trojan Prince Paris (Dafoe) and has to be rescued by Ulysses (Michael Pare). If Homer were alive today, this would be his Rock n'Roll Spartans vs the Trojans war epic.
Rating:
Summary: UNDOUBTEDLY, THE GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME.
Review: WHAT MORE CAN I SAY? "STREETS OF FIRE" RULES. DIANE LANE LOOKS INCREDIBLE. CITIZEN CANE HAS NOTHING ON THIS.
Rating:
Summary: great movie but...
Review: This is a great movie but the DVD I have is so dark you can't see the characters half the time and it is not in Dolby 5.1. I may have gotten a bad copy. Anyone else experience this.
Rating:
Summary: A great fable
Review: I loved this movie. The music was great and the camera work was very well done. I have read the other reviews and I am struck by how seriously some people have taken this movie. The acting, the story, etc. were perfect for the type of movie it is - a "rock and roll fable." One reviewer even called it "unoriginal." I thought was very creative. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that Diane Ladd was not really singing.
Rating:
Summary: A great time
Review: I first saw this one around '87 or so, when it was out in rentals. Since then, I've watched it anytime I had the chance, and bought the video when I found it. Was amazed to find the soundtrack on CD since I couldn't even find it on tape anymore. As I've told friends who asked me about it, it can be summed up very short. "Bad acting, cliched dialog, predictable plot, decent action, great music, awesome movie!" This one is made for just kicking back and escaping to somewhere else for a while.
Rating:
Summary: A movie to see again and again
Review: This is a great movie! I own it in VHS and DVD and have seen it probably 50 times. The music is great and it fits seamlessly with the action. Okay, so the plot isn't anything new and the acting maybe leaves a little bit to be desired, but it's still a great movie experience, with some classic lines like "Everywhere I go, there's always an asshole". Amy Madigan's character is worth the price of the DVD. You'll want to crank up the sound. Nancy gives it a definite thumbs up and so did Siskel and Ebert when it was first released.
Rating: 
Summary: Even Jim Steinman cannot save a mediocre film
Review: Of all the standard, gang-related movies out there, Streets of Fire may have the most impressive ending ever. After suffering through over 80 minutes of predictable mediocrity, the audience is suddenly presented, all in the last ten minutes of the movie time, with a sudden revelation from the roguish main character about his views on love and existence, and this revelation just happens to be one of the most philosophically thoughtful ideas ever put in such a film. But the one-two punch in the face of the viewers, who may have been half-asleep throughout all the movie before that, does not end there. As amazing as the final monologue sounds coming from the mouth of such a protagonist, it is nothing compared to the tour-de-force that follows it in close succession, for while Jim Steinman's introductory song Nowhere Fast sounds merely adequate in this performance (buy Meat Loaf's Bad Attitude for a proper treatment of the song), his final musical number Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young is definitely among the songwriter's best masterpieces and one of the most fascinating pieces created in the genre of modern rock. Even after a totally predictable and annoying plot, the ending of the movie may produce an impression that it's a conclusion to one of the most important works of art in the world today! Unfortunately, after the film is over and the initial feeling of amazement with the ending wears off, you are most likely to remember that overall, Streets of Fire is still a hastily written, moderately inspired but extremely unoriginal film, and nothing can change that. The movie is definitely worth a rental, but there are few reasons why you may want to have a copy of it. If you like the music (which is uneven, despite Steinman's contribution), buy the soundtrack instead.
Rating:
Summary: A Mindblowing Piece of Work
Review: This film is dazzling visually, stylized, with strong characters and a fast-paced storyline. Well acted and nervy. All of which is true, but what really carries this film along is it's powerful musical soundtrack. The musical soundtrack for STREETS OF FIRE really works with the story. I saw this film fifteen years ago and became a big fan because of the music. Who can forget "I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU," or, most especially, the powerful and phenomenal, "TONIGHT IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE YOUNG" This is a fantastic film. Get it for your library!
|
