MovieChat Forums > Fort Apache the Bronx (1981) Discussion > The problem with this movie and the way ...

The problem with this movie and the way more celebrated Taxi Driver

posted 11 years ago by b_brandon49
3 replies | jump to latest

The same problem is that they are both little better than an ep of a 70's/early 80's TV crime drama. Especially, this movie. Outside of Newman being in it there is almost nothing to distinguish it from an ep of like Hill Street Blues. When FATB aired on network television the critics were truthful and said it wasn't much better than a standard TV crime drama ep.
Taxi Driver was better done than this (Robert DeNiro was an even slightly better method actor than Paul Newman) but TD was only 5 or 6% better than an ep of original Kojak starring Telly Savalas (a series which it resembled and BTW was quite good to very good). Yet TD gets listed often as the best movie ever made!?! A show that looks much like (and is only a little better than) the average Kojak ep.
(I don't dare print this on the imdb Taxi Driver board. I would get attacked for sure.)

[–] MidnightThud 11 years ago

Taxi Driver was better done than this (Robert DeNiro was an even slightly better method actor than Paul Newman) but TD was only 5 or 6% better than an ep of original Kojak starring Telly Savalas

lol............. you are kidding right?

[–] b_brandon49 10 years ago

No, I am not joking. That fact that FATB was listed in TV Guide as being little better than an average crime drama hour long TV show and then Taxi Driver is only a little better than FATB. DeNiro acting great cannot make the whole movie great.

[–] mobocracy (846) 2 years ago

Both Hill Street Blues and Fort Apache were loosely based on the documentary "The Police Tapes" which was shot on hand-held cameras during ride-alongs with the cops in the 44th Precinct in the South Bronx.

I think it's more of a complement to Fort Apache to compare it to HSB, really -- HSB was a pretty groundbreaking show and won a lot of awards.

Ironically (or not), production on HSB started before Fort Apache did.

If all you get out of Taxi Driver is cops and robbers, you've entirely missed the point.