Pretty much agree with you guys, the ideas and gags are good fun, and the production design and supporting cast are both great, but it all peeters out at the end and becomes a run of the mill action movie, it's a shame, it does so much right.
I've never cared for Snipes but to my surprise he's a delight in this, Denis Leary, though, isn't particularly good in his role, obviously cast for his little monologue. But I think the movie's greatest weakness is Stallone himself. His heart is in it but he simply hasn't got the chops for the comedy which really hurts the movie big time, and there's no chemistry between him and Bullock. Speaking of, she's an absolute hero, totaly gets the tone and gives it all she's got, and is completely adorable. She never left an impression on me back then, but seeing her now years later in Speed and this I really dig her.
Would have loved to see Kurt Russel in this instead of Sly, he would have brought both the comedy and the chemistry and I could see this becomming a cult classic on the level of Big Trouble, the cheese was ripe for harvest.
The stageyness of the underground city sets got me thinking: Demolition Man The Musical. The tone would fit perfectly with satirical pompous propaganda songs and theatrical machinations. Smoke, lights and primary colors. Could be hillarious.
The Low Frequenter