Back in 1993, when Demolition Man was released, many laughed at the perceived future of society. You had monitors everywhere policing foul language, a complete ban on weapons of defense, and ‘no-touch’ intimacy. Let us not forget the three seashells… replacing toilet tissue in the bathroom.
Only the last part is comical, but then again, you never know; over thirty years since Demolition Man was in theaters, we are more on track toward a San Angeles-type world than ever before. Looking deeper inside, much like Demolition Man’s plot, in 2024, we are on the verge of handing all control over to computers, we are trying to bleach-rinse language, and we are more afraid of human interaction/contact than ever before. Furthermore, at the head of all of this, like in the film, many think we are relinquishing our personal freedoms to political bodies for the illusion of safety and a neo-fascist type euphoria.
Is it time to go underground like Edgar Friendly (played by Denis Leary) and rebel against the machine with “The Scraps”? This is a question one should ponder, but before taking any harsh measures, perhaps we should look at how ahead of its time the Science Fiction Action flick Demolition Man really was.
The directorial debut of highly talented Filmmaker Marco Brambilla, Demolition Man, featured an all-star cast led by Sylvester Stallone as super cop John Spartan pegged against Wesley Snipes as supervillain Simon Phoenix. A perfect unity of two unique character actors, joining them you also had a young Sandra Bullock as energetic, good-hearted police officer Lenina Huxley, the award-winning Nigel Hawthorne as the manipulative Dr. Raymond Cocteau, and Denis Leary as the smart-mounted freedom-loving rebel Edgar Friendly.
These are just some of the easily recognized names involved with Demolition Man’s cast, but what really drove home the film’s effectiveness was a balance of Science Fiction, Action, and Comedy. A difficult trio to pull off successfully, this film does each with flying colors… and it only gets better with age. Certainly inspired by Aldous Huxley’s cautionary tale, the 1932 novel Brave New World, you can feel it through many moments in the film, right down to Bullock’s character name.
At the time, Demolition Man debuted at Number 1 at the box office… because who does not love a high-paced Action flick? Although, what really makes the film so interesting is that the context of its story has aged so well. Remaining a part of Pop Culture for the last few decades, it was released on VHS in March 1994, DVD in 1997, and Blu-ray in 2011. In 2024, it finally gets a 4K Ultra HD release thanks to Arrow Video.
Released on December 10, 2024, as 4K Ultra HD as either a 4K set or Blu-ray set, there is plenty inside to dig into. First, you get a 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative, which was approved by Marco Brambilla himself. The biggest part of this new edition is the transfer, which is done with care and dressed with stunning imagery and powerful audio. In addition, you also get the domestic and international versions of the film. Curious about what this is? Well, it is merely a swap of Taco Bell to Pizza Hut as the restaurant of the future in the international version. Simple enough, it is a fun little feature for fans, and the branching of the titles in the dialogue is pretty seamless.
Beyond this, there are also plenty of new interviews, six postcard-sized art cards, ’Three Seashells’ and ‘Edgar Friendly graffiti’ stickers, and visible artwork, including the original theatrical art on one side and newly commissioned art by Laurie Greasley on the other.
Overall, Arrow Video has put together the ultimate edition of Demolition Man. The quality is second to none, the extras are enjoyable, and the packaging is solid. That is why Cryptic Rock recommends you add this stand-out Science Fiction classic to your collection and gives the new Limited Edition release 5 out of 5 stars.
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