I remember when "The Warriors" first came out. Boy, I wanted to see it. When news broke that it allegedly triggered real-life gang violence in a few theaters, generating a storm of controversy, it only made me want to see it more. When my mother said no way, "The Warriors" became the must-see movie of the year. So I did what any 15-year-old kid would do in my position...I paid for a PG movie then snuck into this one. Sorry, Mom. Even back then, anyone who actually saw "The Warriors" in a theater quickly realized it hadn't a single foot planted in reality; this was a glammed-out, goofy & glossy chase flick that was more fun to look at than think about. Any violence breaking out in theaters was purely coincidental, but it nonetheless cemented "The Warriors'" reputation as the most notorious movie of the year, enough that Paramount eventually pulled its ad campaign. Today it's little more than a nostalgia trip for most folks, albeit a really fun one. The movie was long overdue for a special edition treatment, and Paramount has done a tremendous job with this Ultimate Director's Cut. Not only does the disc preserve the movie in all its kitschy 70s glory with great picture & sound, the stylistic alterations push it even further into the realm of comic book fantasy than it already was. In a way, the changes actually make "The Warriors" feel a bit less dated.

The story is simple...the Warriors are one of hundreds of New York City gangs summoned by Cyrus, the leader of the most powerful gang of them all, the Gramercy Riffs. Cyrus' vision is for all city gangs to form a truce and take over the city (parlayed by an evangelic-like speech that's been a source of quotable dialogue ever since the movie came out). But as he's rallying his rabidly enthusiastic soldiers, Cyrus is shot by Luther (David Patrick Kelly), the psychotic leader of the Rogues, who frames the Warriors for the assassination. The police arrive to break up the ensuing riot, and now the Warriors, led by Swan (Michael Beck), must find their way back to their home turf of Coney Island while eluding the cops & every gang in the city who stands in their way. As with most cult films, the cast consists of relatively unknown actors, most of whom would remain so; only James Remar (as the hot-headed Ajax) & David Patrick Kelly (Luther) would go on to do anything worth mentioning. It doesn't matter though, since the performances were, and still are, perfunctory. "The Warriors" is an exercise in directorial virtuosity by Walter Hill (this is easily his best action film), expertly choreographed fight scenes & eerie cinematography by Andrew Laszlo. But what really earned this movie its cult audience are the outrageous depictions of various gangs, whose costumes (by Bobbie Bianco) are both flamboyant & creative (a few of which could have arguably been the inspiration for subsequent movies like "Escape from New York"). Sure, a lot of them look goofy today (hell, they did back then, too), but their garish garb is a big part of what makes "The Warriors" so fun. And the Baseball Furies are still cool. The story is loosely based on "Anabasis," an ancient Greek tale of mercenary soldiers trying to escape Persia by reaching the sea where their ships will carry them to safety. This director's cut features a new intro that makes a direct comparison between the two tales. While there are no additional scenes included in this cut, what makes this version superior to the original is the use of use of comic book illustrations (a la "Creepshow") for transitional scenes, as well as animated "wipes", giving us the impression that we're moving from one comic panel to another. For example, through the use of these panels we now learn the film itself is supposed to take place in "the near future," and despite the dated look of the characters, oddly enough, we buy into it. These changes place the movie blatantly in the context it was originally intended, which is pure fantasy, not the brutal realism the film's reputation once suggested. In fact, the violence itself is bloodless and relatively mild.

The movie gets a considerable upgrade from the original DVD, which sported a pretty blah picture and mono soundtrack. It looks like the image has been cleaned up considerably, with outstanding color, sharp lines and terrific black tones. This time the audio is rendered in both 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Surround, and quite frankly, the movie has never sounded better. Barry De Vorzon's underrated synthesized music score is wonderfully represented; sure it sounds a little dated, but still packs a load of menace.

There isn't a huge quantity of extras per se, but what's included will surely please any fan of the film. There's no commentary, but the extensive, four part making-of documentary more than makes up for it. Running about an hour, the program features behind-the-scenes stills, deleted scenes, and revealing interviews with actors Beck, Remar, Kelly, David Harris (Cochise) & Deborah Van Valkenburgh (Mercy), director Hill, cinematographer Laszlo, producer Frank Marshall, composer De Vorzon, editor David Holden, costume designer Mannix and others, all of whom discuss the making of "The Warriors" in tremendous detail, including Sol Yurick's source novel combined with the ancient Greek tale, which was originally intended as a prologue narrated by Orson Welles (this cut restores the intro, only with narration by director Hill, who should keep his day job). The cast & crew also discuss the film's impact on their careers & pop culture in general. Also included is the original theatrical trailer.

Sure, you could cynically say this Director's Cut is being released to coincide with the upcoming "Warriors" video game, but it's still an outstanding disc, with great picture, sound & extras. The comic panel transitions inserted into this version enhance the movie further, giving it an almost surreal quality that helps one better appreciate the original intentions of the filmmakers, not to mention making it feel less like a dated product of the 70s. Highly recommended, even if you own the previous version of the DVD. Useless Trivia: The music in the theatrical trailer is from the film, "Sorcerer," a terrific score by Tangerine Dream. Thomas G. Waites, who plays Fox (without screen credit), may be familiar to horror fans as the character, Windows, from John Carpenter's "The Thing." "The Warriors" is currently being remade by director Tony Scott.