The Warriors has not aged well. It's cheesy, campy, and almost impossible to take seriously even though it's played straight. It has its high points, including a classic fight sequence and decent concept. As a film though, it's only entertaining in sporadic bits.

A barely noticeable plot follows a street gang trying to get back home after they're framed for murder. That's it. Its comic book origins are obvious as each gang wears matching clothes, something that ends up adding to the camp. It's impossible not to have a thought running through the back of your head that a group of guys wearing matching baseball jerseys with their faces painted is hardly threatening.

At just over 90-minutes, The Warriors spends a lot of time focusing on the gang running away. A lot of time. There are only two real action sequences in the film. Every other time they meet up with a rival gang, they begin running, sometimes for up to five minutes. Rarely are these chases close or exciting. They drag continuously with no end in sight.

This director's cut adds in some comic book transitions that look sharp, even if they interrupt the flow slightly. There's also a prologue concerning Greek mythology that seems horribly out of place. The movie isn't deep enough to earn a backstory like that.

In its time, The Warriors was actually controversial. Its portrayal of gang violence is nothing short of hilarious now and it's almost depressing that someone thought this was going to entice gangs to fight (it actually did at a few showings). This is a weak action movie that has been utterly destroyed by time.

Someone out there loves this movie though. It shows because of the new DVD transfer. This is as flawless as a movie from 1979 can be. Film grain is minor, and the print is immaculate. There's not a single speck of damage to be found. Black levels are rich and consistent. Clarity is remarkable. You can clearly make out the texture on the Warrior's leather vests from a distance, let alone when they're close to the camera.