Where to watch Drop Zone
3 Stars
A team of skydiving crooks led by DEA-agent-turned-bad Busey specialize in landing on police roofs and breaking in so their evil computer nerd can steal undercover agents’ files and sell them to drug lords. Federal Marshal Snipes lost a brother to this crew and learns skydiving with the help of tough-but-lovable instructor Butler so he can track them down. DIE HARD meets PASSENGER 57 meets CLIFFHANGER.
The Box Office success of Passenger 57, a silly Die Hard Knock-off, propelled Wesley Snipes into the realm of bankable stars. Most people remember that film for the often quoted line “always bet on black.” The pop culture cache of ’57’ makes one forget that it is a really shitty flick. Of all the movies that Wesley Snipes headlined during the nineties, Drop Zone is arguably the most underappreciated. I believe the reason that Drop Zone wasn’t able to find an audience in its initial theatrical run was because it was the third film, following Point Break and Terminal Velocity, to showcase skydiving criminals. This gave the impression that this film was a retread instead of the exciting and well-made action thriller that it truly is.
John Badham delivers a classically photographed and staged production that exemplifies the efficiency of visual storytelling. This is a director who’s worked on many films in a variety of genres, and he is able to seamlessly transition without sacrificing the outcome. Gary Busey, a Point Break alumnus, is cast as the villain in what would turn out to be one of his last roles in a big-budget studio film. The wild-eyed Busey is totally out of place as the skydiving criminal ringleader; he isn’t a physical threat to Snipes, and I don’t quite understand what his character gains if his plan is accomplished. Drop Zone starts strongly, sags in the middle section, and then rebounds nicely with a thrilling and stunt-filled third act.
Directed by: John Badham
Written by: Tony Griffin, Guy Manos, Peter Barsocchini
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Gary Busey, Yancy Butler