Streets of Fire (1984)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

How sad is this?

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

This movie is awesome. Diane Lane does great job. Dafoe is fantastic. A really good movie

Streets of Fire (1984) *** (out of 4)Pop Queen Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) returns to her crap hometown to perform a benefit concert even though her manager Billy Fish (Rick Moranis) didn't want her to. Before long she is kidnapped by Raven Shaddock (Willem Dafoe), the leader of a motorcycle gang. The police can't do anything so Ellen's ex-boyfriend Tom Cody (Michael Pare) agrees to try and save her.Walter Hill's string of hits came to a crashing halt with STREETS OF FIRE but thankfully home video was right around the corner and the film eventually found it audiences and turned into a cult favorite. The film starts off with a title card call this a rock and roll fable set sometime during the future. What you've basically got here are elements of THE WARRIORS with a pinch of THE SEARCHERS thrown in but of course it's surrounded by a 50's rock and roll vibe.STREETS OF FIRE might not be the director's best film but it's certainly a good one and one with many fun elements to it. I think a lot of credit has to go to Hill and his eye as he certainly knows how to build up an atmosphere and make you feel the locations that you're in. As with THE WARRIORS, both films were set in an unknown future but the films don't look like science fiction movies or the type of futures that they offer. Instead the director creates his own little world and he does a wonderful job at it. The costume design and set design are wonderful and add to the entertainment as well.Another major plus are the performances including some future stars. Pare is wonderful in the lead role of the mercenary who agrees to take on this gang to get his former woman back. I really loved the laid back approach that Pare brought to the film and his comic timing, when needed, was also quite good. Lane is good in her role and Moranis adds some nice comic touches as well. Amy Madigan, Dafoe, Richard Lawson, Bill Paxton, Robert Townsend and Mykeltii Williamson are also good in their supporting parts.The film also benefits from a good rock and roll soundtrack that once again helps add to the film's look and style. There are certainly some flaws with the picture but for the most part Hill has created a very fun and entertaining mix of action, music and comedy.

I honestly did enjoy the film and its soundtrack. I loved the songs "TONIGHT IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE YOUNG" and "ONE BAD STUD" because they both were just powerful, danceable and just marvelous to hear. The soundtrack reminds me a mix of "Blues Brothers" and "Rock of Ages". Now I have to say, Michael Paré and Willem Dafoe didn't have good wardrobe.I thought the brown shirt Pare had was just disgusting on him, hes not playing a farmer for god sake! As well with Defoe having no shirt on and a black thing around him, he also looked like a farmer guy rather than a greaser. Also the clothes he wore as being the bad guy, looked really too small for him!Good movie, you can't get the songs out of your head because they are just so brilliant! Watch it if you haven't seen it, its really good and has amazing stars in it!

While Walter Hill is mostly known for his 1979 cult classic "The Warriors", the director does deliver an entertaining follow-up and more rock and roll- inspired tale of a former Army vet who goes to rescue his former lover from a biker gang with the help of an oddball cast of characters. The film's acting is not the greatest, but is not horrendously unwatchable. Michael Pare is the film's hero, Tom Cody, a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks who is called back to New York by his sister when his ex- girlfriend is kidnapped by a local gang. Pare is not too convincing as the good guy as his line delivery falls flat and seems to want to be the bad boy by trying too hard to sound tough. His chemistry with fellow actors, Amy Madigan, Diane Lane and Rick Moranis range from relatively interesting with Madigan's McCoy to lackluster romance with Lane's Ellen Aim and downright dislike through the whole film with Moranis (it was publicly acknowledged by the other actors and crew that Rick Moranis was not a pleasure to work with on the film). Actress Diane Lane is sadly reduced to a minor role as singer Ellen Aim, the damsel in need of rescue. The actress is not terrible, but she is uninteresting and given little exposition as to where she is from and how she became famous, but luckily we know that Ellen and Tom's past history and why they are stand-offish with each other. Lane would be nominated for a Razzie, but didn't win and her career has given her better roles where Lane has played stronger females.Playing Ellen's manager and current lover (which is gone by the time she is rescued by Tom, McCoy and her manager), Billy Fish, is a woefully miscast Rick Moranis. The comedian is out of his element as he is mostly frustrating and annoying displaying a bad attitude throughout the film. Moranis claimed he didn't enjoy filming since he was not allowed to improvise on-set, but to be make a point the film is not a comedy, it's an action-drama. If an actor who was better suited to playing this role in an action setting, maybe the Billy Fish character would've had more substance, but it doesn't mesh with Moranis's unenthusiastic performance. Amy Madigan is a highlight of the film as the street-smart and gung-ho sidekick, McCoy. Originally written as a male character who would not been nearly as tough, when Madigan auditioned for the role of Reva Cody (losing out on the part) she did convince director Walter Hill to re-write McCoy as a female, which paid off. McCoy is a fun character that can hold her own and spouts sharp quips all with an attitude that sets her apart from the rest of the group. A special mention of a good acting debut goes out to Willem Dafoe who plays the film's villain, Raven Shaddock. While the Wisconsin-born native had minor roles in other films prior to "Streets of Fire" the future A-lister made his significant leading man debut in this action-drama. While we never get to know much about Raven or his background, Dafoe immediately makes an impression as he oozes a sinister yet charmingly vicious biker's persona. The actor is equal parts charismatic and dangerous as he calculates each move to take down the ragtag heroes and reclaim his prize after Ellen is rescued from Raven's clutches.The script is trademark for a Walter Hill film with original characters, a fun though at times silly story and a fable-like quality. While rife with clichés a plenty such as the pretty girl needs rescuing by her former boyfriend and a climactic showdown before the hero and villain, the narrative does a sense of fun and maintains a popcorn action-drama vibe that will hold interest. The cinematography of New York is not nearly as expansive as Hill shot "The Warriors" which went all over the city, but the limited locales the director uses keeps the city as a character just like his cult classic.Overall a fun action romp that will appeal to anyone.