THE STORY:  Are there any action movie fans out there that haven't seen this movie? If there are GO RENT IT NOW. I'll tell you that its not  the greatest movie ever made...it doesn't even have award winning acting. But its a lot of damn fun. Especially if you're anywhere over thirty and remember watching it on HBO or on video with your buddies over a pizza and a few beers.

Its around 1979 or 1980. All of the gangs in New York City are sending nine delegates apiece to a rally in the Bronx. Why? Because Cyrus, leader of the biggest gang, the Riffs wants to propose something. A general truce is called and the gang known as the Warriors sends their nine dudes.

Once there, Cyrus, who seems to say "Can you dig it?" a lot, suggests that all of the gangs team up. Together they outnumber the cops three to one! The gangs can rule the city! Everyone hoots and hollers in agreement with Cyrus except one gang. Now it shames me to admit this, but the bad guy gang...I never EVER learned their name so I'll just call them the Bad Guys. Their leader's name I don't know either, so I'll just call him Crazy Guy.

Crazy Guy, for no good reason, pulls a pistol out of his jacket and shoots Cyrus dead. No one knows where the shot came from, and general pandemonium breaks out. The police dive into the gang rally as the various gang members try to escape. In the midst of all this Crazy Guy tells the Riffs and anyone else in earshot that the Warriors shot Cyrus. This sets the chain of events in motion. The Riffs want the Warriors asses on a platter for Cyrus' death. Since the Riffs pretty much boss all the other gangs around a general message is put out (in a not too subtle code by a DJ that everyone in the city must listen too) for every gangbanger in the city to get the Warriors alive if possible, but get them.

The warriors themselves don't even know that they've been framed. They just want to get back to Coney Island and figure the general truce is over. So along the way they run into several gangs with mayhem on their minds. The Warriors barely escape a vicious bus driving gang called the Turnbull AC's. The second gang the Warriors meet are called the Orphans. They live in particularly run down neighborhood and are not held in high esteem by any other gang. They weren't even invited to the Big Rally and don't know anything about it. (Talk about a blow to the ego of the Orphan leader...not only is his gang considered wussies by everyone, they're excluded from a plot that has pretty much  every single other gang in NYC involved) The Orphans at first are willing to let the Warriors pass through their territory unmolested, but Mercy, a local loudmouth slut, stirs up trouble. The Trouble ends when the Warriors scare the Orphans away by torching a car! (As the Warrior Ajax, says "They're wimps!") But in the excitement, Mercy gets pulled along with the Warriors as they catch their train.

Eventually the irritating Mercy grows on Swan, the Warrior's leader. But the Warriors have bigger problems. They become separated and some of them wind up at party with a group of girls called the Lizzies. At first the Warriors don't know that the Lizzies are in fact a female gang and are trying to kill them. The other group of Warriors finds themselves facing a gang called *snicker* the Baseball Furies. The mighty Warriors beat both gangs but they lose the toughest member, Ajax, when he stupidly attempts a rape on an undercover policewoman. (I think Ajax was setup though, it was entrapment! He wasn't right, but neither was the cop)

The remaining Warriors meet up at Union Square where they have to change trains to get home. They have to crack some more heads of course, but they learn why everyone is after them. Everyone thinks they killed Cyrus! The Warriors make it back to Coney Island only to find the Bad Guys and Crazy Guy waiting for them. Around the same time though a witness to the shooting tells the Riff's leader who REALLY shot Cyrus.

The Warriors lure the Bad Guys to the beach and are ready for the big showdown. But Crazy Guy has no intention of fighting them...probably because he knows the Warriors would definitely win...so pulls out his gun. He fires but misses as Swan throws his knife into his arm. Before the Warriors can get busy with whopping some primo-bad guy ass though the Riffs arrive. Now that the truth is known they have no beef with the Warriors but are ready to get medieval on the bad guys asses! The last we see of them is about a thousand Riffs crowding the scumbags and we here Crazy Guy shouting "It wasn't us...the Warriors did it! It was the Warriors...Noooooo!"

The Warriors meanwhile walk off into the sunrise by the surf as Joe Walsh sings "In the City".

This movie kicks ass! Its old, yeah, and its cheesy...but its a lotta freakin' fun! I'll tell you this, My droogies, if I were to ever join a gang (which is highly doubtful since I absolutely hate being hit for any reason) I'd join the Warriors! Michael Beck was the Warriors leader, Swan. Beck made an appearance in the Inferno when he was in the hellishly bad Mega Force! James Remar was Ajax. Remar's one of the guys that you know you've seen before but can't place him. Well, I can at least attest to him being in "The Phantom" and a commercial for Bud Ice. Deborah Van Valkenberg, before she was on the sitcom Too Close For Comfort (also known as the Ted Knight Show) played Mercy. Hey, dig this...you know that kid's show Carmen San Diego? Well, the police chief on that show is also the voice of Luna, the MOON on the kids show Bear in the Big Blue House. She's also the voice of the DJ in this movie. (all you see of her is her lips in this movie). Her name is Lynne Thigpen. She was also in that movie about the real tough High School principal....damn...what was that movie called? It was starring Morgan Freeman (Freeman is another guy who starred in a children's show...didja know that? He was on the show "The Electric Company" and played "Easy reader") Stand by me? I could be wrong so I won't say I'm totally sure of that. About Stand by me...I know the rest is true.

Best Lines: "YOU SEE WHAT YOU GET, WARRIORS? YOU SEE WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU MESS WITH THE ORPHANS?!!!"- The leader of the Orphans. I always laugh at this part.

"[unwrite]! the chicks are packed! the chicks are packed!"- Rembrandt warns his friends when the female gang turns on them.

"Warriors come out and Play-ayyy!"- Anyone who has ever seen this movie has undoubtedly repeated that line at one time or another.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:

1.) Cyrus' plan is kind of kooky. Even if all of the gangs outnumber the police did he consider federal authorities? Even the national guard? Because if the gangs did band together it would most likely cause anarchy...and I can't see the government just letting that happen.

2.) When Ajax gets busted its entrapment. The female cop threw a dozen hints his way to make him think that "they were going to get it on". She didn't even say "no" when Ajax started to get rough. She asked him to slow down and added "We'll get it on.". Still, Swan was right...Ajax isn't very smart. There're a dozen gangs looking for the Warriors not to mention every cop in New York City and he wants to stop and screw around? Folks, that is a clear example of what the ladies call "Men thinking with the wrong head".

3.) Watch the scene when three of the Warriors go into the hangout of the female gang the "Lizzies". It looks like someone's rundown apartment. But if its an apartment why is there a jukebox in it? I mean, sure you can buy a jukebox, but I'm fairly certain that a jukebox ain't cheap. Its certainly more expensive than a stereo. So why not just get a stereo? If you live in a crappy apartment in a gang infested neighborhood wouldn't you find a better use for your money? I'm certain that a jukebox costs at least as much as maybe a down payment on a car. I could be wrong...if anyone knows email me. (This movie is twenty years old, though...still Jukeboxes can't be cheap.) Another fun thing to look for with the Lizzies....when Rembrandt figures out that "The chicks are packed" put your VCR on slow-motion and watch the expression the Black warrior has when he sees the switchblade open next to his head. Its funny to me 'cuz me and my old college roommate used to crack up at that part...but then we were drunk and silly.

4.) If you ever plan on being in any kind of brawl...don't wear [unwrite]ing roller skates! But seriously, the best fight scene in the entire movie takes place in the subway restroom. The Warriors pretty much clobber these guys...badly. I can't help but think some of the guys they smashed must have died....I mean one guy was hit in the gut with a bat so hard the bat broke! I only pray that no one ever hits me that hard with anything!

5.) How'd the Riffs all show up at the end without being seen? Instantly every brother in the entire Big Apple just materializes on the beach!

NUDITY AND SEX:  No nudity. The warriors squeeze a few breast in the scene with the Lizzies but nothing explicit.

HUH?:  I think the writers of the original Batman TV show must have come up with some of these gangs. The Baseball Furies? Are you [unwrite]ing kidding me?! Guys with baseball uniforms and clown faces? Its out of a childhood nightmare, I'll agree but would any gang actually dress like that? Has there ever been a gang that did? If they remade this movie I'm sure that someone would make up even crazier gangs! "Look out, its the Happy Meals!" Next thing you know you see a bunch of guys dressed like Ronald McDonalds with mohawks singing "who's your Mcfavorite hamburger clown?".

THE TALLY: It doesn't happen that often but it happens. A movie gets five devils effectively freeing it from any torture by the demons of the Inferno. My advice to you cheesy action fans...run, don't walk...to the video store, the pizza joint and the local six pack selling place, call up your buddies and enjoy this movie! Unless you can get a date....but then just make sure it ain't one of the Lizzies!