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Michael Beck, James Remar, David Patrick Kelly, Thomas G. Waites, Dorsey Wright ... see more see more... , Deborah Van Valkenburgh , Mercedes Ruehl , Brian Tyler , David Harris , Tom McKitterick , Marcelino Sánchez , Terry Michos , Roger Hill , Johnny Barnes , Steve Chambers , Doran Clark , Laura Delano , Hubert J. Edwards , André Engel , Marvin Foster , Michael Garfield , Gregory Cleghorne , Paul Greco , Eddie Earl Hatch , Irwin Keyes , Sonny Landham , Lisa Maurer , George Lee Miles , Jaime Perry , Rob Ryder , Jeff Scott , Larry Silvestri , J.W. Smith , John Snyder , Lynne Thigpen , Joel Weiss , Billy Anagnos , Craig R. Baxley , Gary Baxley , Leon Delaney , Frank Ferrara , Harry Madsen , Vic Magnotta , Brian Taylor , Carrotte , Tommy Huff , Mike James , Don Ritchie , Donna Ritchie , Jerry Hewitt , Konrad Sheehan , Victoria Vanderkloot , Steve James , William Williams , Harold Miller , John Gibson , Jeffrey Michael

Walter Hill's hip, super-stylized action film unfurls in a dystopian near-future, when various gangs control New York City. Each gang sports a unique moniker ('The Warriors,' 'The Baseball Furies,' 'T... read more read more...he Rogues'), with a costume underscoring its "theme"; each, in turn, is also responsible for one geographic area. Hill sets up the landscape as a massive, violent playground - replete with bridges, vacant subway tunnels, parks, abandoned buildings and the like, all ripe for exploration and adventure. As the tale opens, the titular Coney Island has traveled to the Bronx to attend a city-wide meeting of all gangs; at that event, however, the psychotic leader of a rival gang, The Rogues (David Patrick Kelly of Dreamscape) assassinates the head of the city's foremost gang, but The Warriors are pegged as culpable. This sends the gang fleeing through the labyrinthine city. With every thug in Manhattan in vicious, homicidal pursuit, they must also overcome all obstacles in their way. Throughout, Hill keeps the onscreen violence absurd, exaggerated and unrealistic, downplaying death to an extreme degree; despite this fact, the film sparked a massive amount of controversy and an ugly backlash for allegedly inciting violence and destruction in several theaters where it initially played. James Remar, Michael Beck and Deborah Van Valkenburgh lead the ensemble cast. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Flixster Users

86% liked it

69,161 ratings

Critics

94% liked it

31 critics

R, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: Walter Hill

Release Date: February 9, 1979

Keywords: action, cult, gang, 70's

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DVD Release Date: January 16, 2001

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Stats: 7,015 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (7,015)

  • brooklynspo
    December 30, 2007
    brooklynspo
    Welcome Back Kotter meets A Clockwork Orange
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    October 12, 2011
    DragonEyeMorrison
    Come out to plaaaaaaaaay....
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 24, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Walter Hill's The Warriors is a masterpiece.The film has a feel and atmosphere to it that you can't ignore.. Set in a Dystopian futuresque New York City, The Warriors tells the story of the Warriors gang who are framed for the murder of the most powerful gang leader in New York a... read moret a truce meeting to unite all the New York gangs. The Warriors must return to their safe haven of Coney Island while being surrounded by 20,000 angry and united gang members. Walter Hill's direction is phenomenal and The cast give terrific performances. The standout performance here however was David Patrick Kelly as Luther, he simply was menacing and his taunt at the end, "Warriors come out to pla-ay" was brilliant, it made the film even better. The Warriors is an awesome action film with a great cast. I found the film to be quite original, and due to it's style of film, I thought it added a certain quality to the film that breaks new ground. The Warriors is a superb film and is by far the best film directed by Walter Hill. The film is always suspenseful, and thrilling. The fact that we don't know what will happen to The Warriors leaves you guessing Till the end. The Warriors is an exciting film with top notch action, thrills and awesome acting. Walter Hill keeps the film going strong with small breaks of which the audience can catch their breath, and wonder what will happen next. The Warriors is one of the best action films of the 70's, and since it was released at the end of the decade, the film closes the book on an era of terrific and sometimes rediculous, but always thrilling and exciting action films. The Warriors is an astounding accomplishement and remains one of the best action films ever filmed. Truly original.
  • fb732260458
    May 14, 2011
    fb732260458
    The movie may have a massive cult following, and it may have inspired a sense of youthful rebellion for a generation... and that's all great. But nothing excuses the film for its disappointing lack of energy, disastrously poor acting, and just plain uninspired set-pieces. Apart f... read morerom the slick comic-book effects, the movie is a middling affair. It's not violent, not kinetic, not dark nor emotionally moving. Just... bland, especially when one has to sit through 90 minutes of watching some skinny teenagers pretend to be tough guys and stand around subway stations. As a side note - the cast should seriously consider some major future dental work.
  • hobster1
    January 30, 2011
    hobster1
    A powerful gang leader at a city wide peace summit is shot and the Warriors are wrongfully accused. Now they must make it back to their home turf in one piece. Story based on a 1965 novel by Sol Yurick is vivid and consistently engaging, a model of how to edit an action thriller... read more. Highly stylized vision of NYC gangs is a perfect marriage of tough inner city drama and 70s disco-era style. The production design's concept of the near future possesses the realistic look of gritty NYC streets but the multi-racial gang members appearance more closely resembles something out of West Side Story than actual thugs. Indeed every group sports colorful attire that represent their faction with visual flair. The urban drama's infamous reputation for sparking violence in theaters at the time, seems perplexing today. The onscreen brutality is cartoonish as death is downplayed at each opportunity. With two exceptions, there are virtually no guns as the violence is physical combat. For example, one altercation versus the Furies (they wear baseball uniforms) is fought swinging bats much in the same way an ancient battle would be with swords. The costumes, music, and acting are somewhat dated, but enjoyable fun. The plot is skillfully kept simple and the pacing is enthusiastically brisk. It's easy to see why in subsequent decades, the film has become a cult classic.
  • theunknownhobo
    January 20, 2011
    theunknownhobo
    Not many people had heard about this movie until the video game of the same name appeared in the noughties. I must say that I have always been a fan of the movie and now that it has the video game coupled along with it, it is even more compelling. The accuracy with which the two ... read moremimick each other make my love for the movie the Warriors almost a franchise for the entirity of the title rather than just the movie. It is one of those literal cases of seen the film, played the game, bought the t-shirt and lived the dream.
  • ajv2688
    January 7, 2011
    ajv2688
    I didn't really like the fact that this movie had so many main characters, it made it hard to focus on the story, I think, but other than that it's a good movie. It has a great style, and it has a very modern and urban feeling. A good movie.
  • phubbs1
    September 7, 2010
    phubbs1
    First time seeing this well known cult and first impressions were a kind of violent 'West Side Story' without song hehe but I admit I did enjoy this and its now wicked retro styles and imagery. Although the plot is cool and just a nice excuse for some gang fisticuffs, which is fi... read morene, the film is now pretty dated (I was only 1yr old hen it came out) and the makeup and outfits really are alittle comical at times with some gang members and their 'Kiss' look ;) even though it does look kinda funny I still love how the gangs all have the same colourful outfits, they must have shopped together.
    Along with the now amusing look of the film the dialog is also very cute these days too haha its not a bad thing as its still a good film but due to its age there is a funny feel to the film which does take the edge off (Baseball Fury's, Garamercy Riffs, Boppers, Lizzie's, Punks, Turnball A.C.'s, Rogues and The Orphans etc....hehe like little leagues for baseball or American football), this was an adult rated flick with much bad press on release back in 79.

    Good casting make the film allot better than it should of been I think, it could quite easily of turned out to be a B-movie of epic proportions but the cast really do well all the way. From Remar's tough, fight first ask no questions later, Beck's good lookin sensible leader to Kelly's crazy pint sized cowardly baddie gang leader and all the Warriors gang members, really well worked accept Remar and Beck were the only two that did come across as tough.

    'WE got the streets sucka's! Can you dig it?'
  • Deano78
    August 12, 2010
    Deano78
    Ok maybe I missed something? Not quite sure about the cult status for this. It's a decent film with a young cast, and probably quite different at the time it was made. However it has a very simple plot, less fighting than I expected and a bit repetitive. I liked the almost comic ... read more"uniforms" for the different gangs, some of the fight scenes are pretty good, but overall I was expecting a lot more.
  • cosmo313
    August 6, 2010
    cosmo313
    I realize that the filmmakers weren't trying to make a completely serious or realistic film, but at the same time, it's hard to deny the debt this film owes to history and mythology. It's one of those stories you can either take at face value, read deeper meanings into it, or bot... read moreh. Reagrdless, you can still enjoy it and be entertained.

    I've got a bias towards this gilm that I need to state upfront. I like 70s crime and action movies. Gritty location photography is awesome, especially urban location photogpraphy. I liked the atmosphere of paranoia and tension surrounding things. It reminded me a lot of Assault of Precinct 13 (the original), as well as later films (that I saw before I saw this one) such as Escape From New York and Judgement Night.

    As Imentioned above, you can read as little or as much into this as you want, and it would be totally fine to do so. By reading into it, this film can rise above its place as a well-made B-Movie, and it can becomes something more, something a scholar could use for some sort of study or something, such as cinematic representations of gang warfare and race relations.

    While not great the acting is actually pretty decent. Michael Swan is great, and David Patrick Kelly is the definite scene stealer. I don't know what it is, but seeing a black guy with a fro wearing NAtive American garb brought a smile to my face. Yet again this is something that could be analyzed to death. This wasn't quite as gritty or violent as I thought it might be, but I didn't actually ind too much. As uch as I appreciate visceral socking violence, I much prefer subtlety and more downplayed mayhem.

    I better stop before I ramble too much more. Bottom line, if you haven't seen this yet, you probably should. It's a definite cult classic that deserves all the praise it gets.

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Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz
October 26, 2010
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Cartoonishly violent, insanely moody and pointless. Full Review

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
October 12, 2010
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

A cult film that deserves its reputation. Full Review

Clint Morris
February 3, 2009
Clint Morris, Brag Magazine

The Warriors Rule! One of the best action-thrillers of the 70s!

Walter Chaw
September 6, 2007
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

Yeah, it's really good. Full Review

John J. Puccio
July 5, 2007
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis

The only trouble is that I half expected them to break out into song and dance any minute a la West Side Story. Full Review

Thomas Delapa
January 9, 2007
Thomas Delapa, Boulder Weekly

OK, it's not Greek tragedy, but it is based (loosely) on Xenophon, so there. Full Review

Brian Mckay
May 31, 2006
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com

Visually stunning and emotionally gripping, THE WARRIORS is a classic that, after a quarter-century, has finally recieved the loving finishing touches that it so rightly deserves Full Review

Cole Smithey
November 21, 2005
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

See it once, and you'll want to see it again.

Chuck O'Leary
October 21, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, FulvueDrive-in.com

Tight, terse and tough. The great Walter Hill once again proves he has few equals when staging intense confrontations. Full Review

Eric Henderson
October 18, 2005
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine

Just what is the fanboys' beef with the new DVD "Director's Cut" of The Warriors, anyway? Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Luther: I'm having a good time!
    • Luther: There he is! That's him! That's... the Warrior! He shot Cyrus!
    • Vermin: What about me? I got the big one.
    • Ajax: I'll shove that bat up your ass and turn you into a popsicle,
    • Ajax: Bunch of chicken shit crap.
    • Gramercy Riffs: You Warriors are good. Real good.
    • Swan: The best.
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The Warriors Trivia

  • In The Warriors, which one isn't a gang?  Answer »
  • Which gang shot Cyrus and framed the Warriors in the movie 'The Warriors'?  Answer »
  • what dose luther shout in the warriors as he hits the bottles on his fingers together.  Answer »
  • what 70's move has the Quote saying "Warriors come out to play"  Answer »
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