There have been several films that have seen an unexpected surge in popularity during the current pandemic era, but one of the most surprising has been Demolition Man. The '90s film is a silly action film that didn't make much of an impact when it was released but now has renewed interest.
While the film's depiction of the future does have some interesting connections to the current world, the one aspect of the film that draws the most attention is Wesley Snipes' performance in the film; which some consider his best ever. Here are some reasons Demolition Man is Wesley Snipes' best film and some of his other films that may be better.
10 Demolition Man: The Premise
Demolition Man's premise is the kind of thing that could have only been made in the 90s era of action movies. The movie starts in the near future in which dangerous criminals are cryogenically frozen.
Snipes plays the 20th Century's most notorious madman, Simon Phoenix, who is awoken in the future which is now tame and without crime. As Phoenix causes mayhem in this new future, the hopeless police unfreeze the cop who arrested him in the first place, played by Sylvester Stallone. It is a premise just silly enough to make for a wildly fun movie.
9 Better: Passenger 57 (1992)
Though Snipes did not start out as the action star in movies, his career started to go in that direction as he proved to be a charismatic star in the genre. His most memorable action hero movie was the fun hostage thriller Passenger 57.
Snipes plays an airline security expert who finds himself on a plane taken over by terrorists. Snipes brings a spark of humor to the role, never taking it too seriously, but proves to be a very effective hero as well.
8 Demolition Man: The Look
Everything about Snipes' appearance in Demolition Man screams for attention, right down to his wild look. Sporting a hairdo that seems to defy gravity, Simon Phoenix has bleach blonde hair making him stand out even more in a crowd.
Reportedly, it was Snipes' look in this film that first inspired basketball superstar Dennis Rodman to dye his own hair. The look just adds to the wild energy Snipes has in the film and seems to show how much fun he's having.
7 Better: Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
Though Snipes has been out of the spotlight in more recent years, he is still delivering great performances. In fact, Snipes gave one of his most entertaining performances just last year in a supporting role in Dolemite Is My Name.
The charming and hilarious comedy stars Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore, a real-life stand-up comedian who was responsible for the cult film Dolemite. Snipes steals many scenes as D'Urville Martin, the film's director who wants no part of the amateur production.
6 Demolition Man: Sylvester Stallone
It's easy to forget the kind of excitement there would have been in the 90s at the prospect of Wesley Snipes and Sylvester Stallone going head-to-head in an action movie. And it does make for a memorable pairing of two superstars.
With Stallone as the lead, Snipes is able to give such an over-the-top performance as he is sharing the screen with an action legend. Stallone also benefits from Snipes' performance as it makes for such a memorable villain for him to battle.
5 Better: White Men Can't Jump (1992)
With all the intimidating action movie roles Snipes is known for, it's easy to forget that he is a great comedic actor. While Demolition Man provides an outlet for his wild comedic side, White Man Can't Jump allows him to play a more grounded comedic role.
Snipes partners with Woody Harrelson in the film about a pair of street basketball players who join forces to win money in a tournament. The two leads have amazing chemistry and the basketball sequences are genuinely exciting to watch.
4 Demolition Man: The Villain
Demolition Man was not the first time Snipes played the villain, but it was the most entertaining of his bad guy performances. Simon Phoenix is meant to be the ultimate figure of mayhem who is unleashed on a world that is not used to violence of any kind.
Though there is a lot of humor and silliness to the role, Phoenix is also an unsettling character. He is akin to Heath Ledger's version of the Joker, as he has no real motivation but simply wants to spread chaos wherever he goes.
3 Better: New Jack City (1991)
Another great villain role from Snipes is in the underrated crime film New Jack City. Snipes plays a vicious crime lord named Nino Brown who runs the cocaine trade in New York City. As Nino rises to power, he becomes more unhinged and dangerous.
The movie is an entertaining crime saga that is really brought to life by Snipes' performance. He is funny and terrifying all in a single scene. While Phoenix is a fun villain to watch, Nino is the more unsettling bad guy.
2 Demolition Man: Snipes Unleashed
It's interesting to consider how much less fun Demolition Man would have been if not for Snipes' performance. Even with the wild premise and many action sequences, it's impossible to focus on anything else besides Snipes as Phoenix.
It seems clear the Snipes was given permission to do whatever he wanted with the role and he goes crazy with the freedom. It is one of the most over-the-top performances you are likely to ever see as he resembles a cartoon character more than an actual human.
1 Better: Blade II (2002)
Though Snipes was already a star at the time, the Blade franchise elevated him to another level. Snipes plays the titular vampire-hunting superhero in three films. And while the first film is a great introduction to the character, Blade II is the rare sequel that improves on the original.
With Guillermo Del Toro at the helm, Blade II is a more effective action movie as well as adding fun new characters and a real horror element to the story. Snipes continues to be great in the lead role and delivers another badass performance.
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