Drop Zone (released in theaters on Dec. 9, 1994) arrived at the peak of the decade’s obsession with extreme sports and high-concept action. Directed by John Badham, the filmmaker behind Stakeout and War Games, the film takes the “buddy cop” formula and launches it 15,000 feet into the air.
By combining the sleek, urban cool of Wesley Snipes with the chaotic, villainous energy of Gary Busey, Badham created a skydiving noir that is as much about the subculture of “birdmen” as it is about a daring federal heist.
Pete Nessip (Snipes) is a no-nonsense U.S. Marshal whose life is turned upside down when he and his brother, Terry (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), are assigned to escort a high-profile computer hacker onto a prisoner transport plane.
During the flight, a ruthless group of professional skydivers, led by the brilliant and sadistic Ty Moncrief (Busey), stages a mid-air prison break.
The hijackers blow a hole in the plane, kill Terry, and escape into the night using parachutes, leaving Pete to take the fall for the disaster.
Suspended from duty and fueled by a need for vengeance, Pete realizes that the only way to catch the killers is to enter their world. He tracks down a rebellious, expert skydiver named Jessie Crossman (Yancy Butler), who agrees to train him in exchange for help getting her jump team into a prestigious skydiving convention.
As Pete struggles to master the art of the freefall, he uncovers Ty’s true plan: a sophisticated plot to use a skydiving exhibition in Washington, D.C., as a cover to break into a secure DEA mainframe and steal the identities of every undercover agent in the country.
Assisted by a quirky group of jumpers, including the nervous Earl Leedy (Michael Jeter) and the intense Don Jagger (Luca Bercovici), Pete must navigate internal friction within the team and outmaneuver the well-equipped mercenaries.
The film culminates in a breathtaking nighttime jump over the capital, where Pete must face his fear of heights and go head-to-head with Ty in a deadly mid-air struggle.
Rex Linn, Kyle Secor, Sam Hennings and Corin Nemec round out the cast.
Wesley Snipes and Yancy Butler in Drop Zone (Photo/Paramount Pictures)
Reception for Drop Zone
Drop Zone grossed $6.1 million on its opening weekend, finishing third at the box office behind Disclosure ($10.1 million) and The Santa Clause ($8.9 million).
The film would gross $64 million worldwide.
Roger Ebert gave Drop Zone two and a half stars in his review.
Legacy
The legacy of Drop Zone is defined by its staggering aerial cinematography and its commitment to practical stunts.
Before the era of heavy CGI, the film utilized world-class professional skydivers to capture the terrifying beauty of freefall, creating sequences that remain some of the most impressive in action history.
Drop Zone remains a cult favorite for action aficionados, praised for its brisk pacing and its status as a quintessential 90s thriller that successfully captured the dangerous allure of the “living on the edge” lifestyle.
