Escape from New York (1981) User Reviews (426)

Stylish, Gritty Ation Sci-Fi Movie with Incredible Music

[Jared_Andrews · 7/10 · 8 July 2020]

It's 1997 (but it's the future since this movie was made in 1981) and the United States crime rates have skyrocketed, particularly in New York City. To handle the rising prison population and abundance of violent inmates, the government opts to turn New York City into a maximum security fortress for individuals who have committed the most vile crimes. There are no guards inside the prison, only inmates. They form their own society. Guards only intercede if a prisoner attempts to escape. No one gets out alive.

When the president's plane is hijacked and terrorists bring him into the prison city, convicted felon and soon-to-be resident of the prison, Snake Plissken is asked to do the impossible and bring the president out alive.

The setup is rich and compelling, yet there's a tremendous amount of backstory that is left untold in "Escape from New York" and that's part of what makes it work. There's an air of mystery wafting through the movie that continually begs questions but leaves it up to the viewer to imagine what the answers might be. "Why does Snake have an eyepatch?" "What caused the explosion in crime rates?" "Why does the president have a British accent?" All these questions and more make the movie fun to discuss and re-watch repeatedly, searching for hints that help unravel the mystery.

Kurt Russell is unforgettable as Snake, who should be a loathsome character but instead becomes a hero we have no trouble rooting for. He practically growls every line of dialogue because he crackles with too much anger to simply speak. Somehow, despite everything about him being ostensibly unlikable, he's still charming in a way. He would make for an incredible dinner party guest. On one hand, he would likely scare most of the guests and make them feel dumb. But on the other hand, he would probably make all of the guests think, "wow, if you have a friend like this guy, you must be a really interesting person." Inviting him is a big gamble, for sure. Though, it just might pay off.

Along with Snake, the highlight of the movie is John Carpenters music. Find another 1980s movie with a cooler score. I dare you. Carpenter has created two of the most recognizable and undeniably excellent theme music tracks of the 70s and 80s ("Halloween" is the other). And he directed both movies. What an achievement.

The Joys of a Snake-Bite

[Tweetienator · 8/10 · 28 July 2019]

Snake Plissken, like Max Rockatansky, a name I will never forget. Fine B-movie trash fun set in a dystopian future with lots of action and iconic ideas. One of the highlights of both Kurt Russell's and John Carpenter's careers.

Kurt Russell is memorable as the anti hero Snake Plissken in an entertaining science fiction action movie that still holds up 40 years later.

[Cinemaniac1984 · 7/10 · 10 July 2021]

Escape From New York which was released in 1981 is a very entertaining science fiction action movie which still holds up today. Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken would be renowned as one of the most memorable anti heroes on screen. Director John Carpenter directed, co-wrote and co-scored Escape From New York and this would also be one of a number of collaborations with Kurt Russell who would later reunite with The Thing (1982) and Big Trouble In Little China (1986).

Escape From New York takes place in a dystopian 1997 where Manhattan has been converted into a heavily fortified maximum security prison after the crime rate has skyrocketed 400% and the US Government has ordered New York to be cut off from the rest of the USA.

Former special forces soldier turned convicted criminal Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) has been offered a full presidential pardon in exchange for accepting a top secret mission by Police Commissioner Bob Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) to rescue the US President (Donald Pleasance) after his escape pod lands in New York after Air Force One crashes following a hijacking. The US President is found and taken hostage by a group of criminals led by crime boss The Duke (Isaac Hayes). Plissken successfully enters New York via a stealthy glider. While he is there, he meets a friendly taxi driver named Cabbie (Ernest Borgnine) who drives an armoured taxi who agrees to helps him navigate his way around the island. Fellow inhabitants/inmates Brain (Harry Dean Stanton) and Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau) also help Plissken find the whereabouts of The Duke's hideout where the President is being held prisoner.

Kurt Russell has always been a quality and very versatile actor. His role as Snake Plissken is definitely one of his best roles, and he has stated himself that it is one of his favorite roles.

Director John Carpenter, well known for the horror slasher Halloween (1978), creates an atmosphere of suspenseful action, dark humour, memorable one liners, and great characters. After mixed success with low budget movies, Escape From New York would turn out to be a critical and commercial success for him which would lead on to bigger projects with a bigger budget.

I don't rate the sequel Escape From L. A. (1996), I thought they just tried to recycle the plot from the first movie albeit in Los Angeles. No surprise that it was a box office flop and not well received by critics.

I still enjoy Escape From New York. It's also a favourite amongst many Kurt Russell fans who agree that Snake Plissken is one of the best characters.

Escape From New York still holds up today and is still a classic 40 years on.

7/10.

Classic anti-hero

[grendelkhan · 17 December 2003]

Snake Plissken is the classic anti-hero, ala Clint Eastwood's Man-with-no-name. Plissken is an ex-soldier turned criminal, recruited/blackmailed into rescuing a hostage president from the prison of New York City. Plissken is a walking ball of anger and a survival machine. He fought for his country but had everything taken from him, so he started taking back. Now, he has to rescue a man he doesn't care about, if only to survive long enough to take his revenge on Hauk and the government.

John Carpenter's film is a masterpiece of dark humor, suspense, and great characters. The film channels the anger and distrust of the post-Vietnam/Watergate era, as well as the then-current Iranian Hostage crisis. Plissken represents, in a fashion, the Vietnam vets who did their job, even if they didn't agree with or understand their war, but came back to nothing. The film's novelization explores these themes better than the movie, but it is hinted at in Hauk's briefing. It also depicts a fascist police state, one that some would say is not too far from reality.

Kurt Russell is excellent in what was a breakout performance for him. Up to this point, Russell had been stuck in low budget comedies, following the end of his Disney days. This performance, coupled with another collaboration with Carpenter, Elvis, led to bigger and better roles. Russell channels Clint Eastwood to give Snake a menacing, if laconic quality. Much like a real serpent, Snake watches and strikes when he is ready; with speed and impact. Russell is able to say a lot with little dialogue, through his body language and facial expressions.

The supporting cast is wonderful. Adrienne Barbeau is the beautiful, but deadly Maggie. She is partnered with the intelligent, but slimy Brain. Their's is a symbiotic relationship; each provides something the other needs. Harry Dean Stanton, a great character actor, presents a Brain that is smart, but ruthless, and more than a bit cowardly. Isaac Hayes is The Duke, ruler of the prison. Hayes is a bit uneven, as he wasn't an experienced actor (he had at least one movie before this) but he is a charismatic performer and ultra-cool. Donald Pleasance is the consummate politician, a big man in his controlled environment, but lost in a world outside his; one he had a hand in creating. Ernest Borgnine is tremendous as Cabby, the answer man and link between Snake and the rest of the cast, as well as to the past of New York. Finally, Lee Van Cleef brings some of that Angel Eyes magic as Hauk, the prison Warden. Hauk is an ex-soldier and identifies with Snake. The difference is, Snake rebelled against the system that betrayed him; Hauk joined it. This was Van Cleef's last good role, before he was saddled with mediocrity in his tv series, the Master, and became the butt of jokes on MST3K.

The film moves at a brisk pace and the dark lighting carries the sense of mystery, isolation, and destruction. Carpenter is able to convincingly hide the fact that he shot this film in St. Louis and LA, and make you believe it is New York. Although there are gaps in logic and missing information, the pace doesn't let you dwell on it. There is a constant feeling of the race against time. If there is any complaint, it's that the budget sometimes holds back some of the action, but characterization makes up for it. Also, the dark lighting is sometimes too dark, and details are obscured.

The new special edition dvd brings a treat to long-time fans: the deleted opening bank robbery and capture of Snake Plissken. Since I had read the novelization before seeing the film, I had long wondered what this sequence had looked like. Although it does explain why Plissken is on his way to the prison when Hauk intercepts him, it doesn't really work in context with the rest of the film. The sequence worked well in the book because of Snake's inner monologue and memories of his mission in Leningrad and the loss of his parents to government action. We understand Snake's hatred of the government and his nihilistic nature. In the sequence, as shot, we don't really get a sense of who Plissken is; just that he has apparently committed a crime and is on the run. We don't really get a feel for his relationship with his partner, which affects the emotional impact at the end of the sequence. Ultimately, the film works better without this footage.

A note on the commentary track: Ox Baker was not seven feet tall. He is probably closer to the 6'6" to 6'7" range, although he was over 300 pounds. His bulk makes him appear larger than he really is, especially in a wrestling ring.

One used to wonder what this film would have looked like with a bigger budget. Carpenter sort of answered that with the sequel, Escape from LA. It was essentially the same film, with better effects and a West Coast sensibility; but, it doesn't hold a candle to the original. The lower budget caused the cast and crew to be more creative and they succeeded far better here. It would be good to see Snake again, but in a new environment, with a different plot. Russell's age could be an asset, as Carpenter could examine an older Snake, who must rely more on cunning than physical skills.

Had the potential for greater honours

[amahlanand · 6/10 · 9 May 2012]

The 'badass' action lead before 'Die Hard's' John McClane and 'Lethal Weapon's' Martin Riggs and post-Clint Eastwood, Snake Plissken is the subtle yet threatening action hero. But that alone could not make 'Escape from New York' the exciting race against time that it was supposed to be, even if director John Carpenter's conceptual basis behind the film creates as much intrigue as it does.

The storyline progression is not as good as expected despite a premise which could have involved something more daring rather than more linear. In spite of this linearity, it was by no means a laborious watch. Touted as a 'futuristic' sci-fi based in the late 90s, the sets and cinematography still gave a very 80s feel which undermined the film's futuristic ambitions, as hard as it might have been with the technology at the time.

The action, or inadequacy of it, was the most underwhelming aspect; Plissken's stealth exploits don't count as action. Nonetheless, the world within the film is made believable through the wide array of well played supporting characters from the 'means to an end' attitude police commissioner played by Lee Van Cleef to the intimidating 'Duke of New York' (Isaac Hayes) and his cronies.

Decent, but only scratched the surface of something which had the potential to be a mainstream action classic rather than a concealed cult film.

An essential sci-fi thriller

[I_Ailurophile · 10/10 · 3 March 2021]

'Escape from New York' is a film that, 40 years later, still hardly needs an introduction. It's an incredible dystopian classic, a thriller that has aged very well and feels dated only because technology has advanced.

Snake Plissken is a decorated soldier turned outlaw who, in the distant future of 1997, finds himself on a one-way trip to the maximum security prison called Manhattan. When Air Force One is hijacked, and the president's escape pod lands inside the ruined city, he's given the opportunity for a pardon if he can effect a rescue.

From the very opening scene of the film, showing viewers an attempted escape, we catch a glimpse of what was New York, and find out how grim this future is. That dystopian vision only comes into greater focus as the narrative begins for real, and we see the new society that prisoners and outcasts have created in the cordoned-off ruins of the old.

New York is populated by the likes of Cabbie, a friendly and irrepressibly joyful cab driver, played enthusiastically by Ernest Borgnine. There's Brain, an experienced, intelligent engineer portrayed by Harry Dean Stanton - and Maggie, Brain's put-upon "girlfriend," played by Adrienne Barbeau. And of course there's the big man himself, The Duke of New York, A-#1, given life with a quietly menacing coolness and by Isaac Hayes.

But this is a very large cast, and certainly we can't overlook the president, played with a nervous energy by the great Donald Pleasence; nor can we forget the police commissioner Bob Hauk, portrayed by the legendary Lee Van Cleef. And of course Snake Plissken is one of the most iconic roles of Kurt Russell, who returned to the role for the 1996 sequel 'Escape from L.A.' Russell gives our antihero such a believable air of tired contempt that our eyes would be glued to him even if he weren't the star. Snake is a fantastic character, and no one could ever breathe life into the role the way that Russell does.

And we're still not done discussing the cast, as it also includes repeat Carpenter collaborators including Nancy Stephens, Tom Atkins, Charlie Cyphers, and George Buck Flower. Even Jamie Lee Curtis has a small role to play as the narrator providing a voiceover at the beginning of the feature - and renowned voice actor Rodger Bumpass has a brief moment of screentime, too, in one of his earliest credits.

All these names would amount to nothing if the screenplay weren't solid, but it absolutely is. Written by Carpenter and Nick Castle, we're given near-constant suspense and tension along with thrilling action as Snake explores the streets of Manhattan. The dialogue is smart and impactful, with more than a few sneering one-liners from Snake especially. The plot isn't convoluted, but there are still plentiful turns that would help to keep the audience engaged even if we didn't have everything else to see on screen.

As we've rather come to expect from Carpenter over the years, the climax of the film is riveting, filled with as much suspense and action as the entire rest of the feature. The conclusion is deeply satisfying, hammering home with great finality the personality of the antihero the movie has focused on. Even as the credits roll, we're ready to watch it again.

The score was once again composed by Carpenter himself and is very befitting for the picture. The main theme, of course, is a true classic, intoning in some sense a bit of the wary resignation of the dystopian society we're viewing, and of the protagonist we're following. Carpenter's music is as essential a part of his movies as the atmosphere and suspense, and 'Escape from New York' is one of his very best works.

It's a bit violent at points, and surely not the type of movie for everyone. But it's a major part of John Carpenter's legacy, and I'd argue important to cinema in general for the fact of the characters we meet and the witty dialogue and character interactions that litter the screenplay. 'Escape from New York' is a finely made thriller that I would recommend to all, and anyone with even a passing interest in the genre needs to watch it as much in 2021 as they did in 1981.

And good luck with ever again getting "Bandstand boogie" out of your head.

A Snake Saves The Free World

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 31 March 2008]

One of the things I like about Escape From New York is the fact that the lead character is named Snake. It was a snake who tricked mankind out of paradise and in John Carpenter's world a snake is what saves the free world's leader.

Of course the free world ain't all that free any more. In Escape From New York crime has risen to astronomic proportions, so much so that the entire island of Manhattan is now one big prison surrounded by the National Police Force. We now have one of those, I assume this is what the Federal Bureau of Investigation has morphed into.

And the USA is at war, with who they don't say. But the enemies of the new American way of life have seized Air Force One and crash it in a suicide move worthy of what we see from the Middle East. But President Donald Pleasance, who looks a whole lot like Peter Sellers's president from Dr. Strangelove. He escapes in a pod that crashes on the prison island of Manhattan.

What to do, but rescue Pleasance. And the guy that police chief Lee Van Cleef has in mind is Snake Plissken, former war hero, now career criminal with a Rooster Cogburn patch and played by Kurt Russell.

To make sure that Russell doesn't double-cross him, Van Cleef implants a couple of mini bombs in his veins, just enough for him to bleed out when detonated in seconds. And they will detonate 22 hours from the point implantation.

The rest of the film is Russell's rescue of President Pleasance who is being held by the head of the criminal society that has grown up in Manhattan headed by Isaac Hayes. Russell gets some help and some betrayal from folks like Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, Harry Dean Stanton and Season Hubley. To see who does what, watch the film.

Escape From New York is a fun science fiction film that's attained a cult status of sorts. Certainly the world has not quite developed as John Carpenter envisioned it for 1997.

Or has it?

Cult monument with a dream cast!

[Coventry · 8/10 · 11 August 2005]

Nearly 25 years and an endless amount of viewings later, John Carpenter's "Escape from NY" still ranks high among the chosen few, quintessential cult films of the 80's. This is, simply put, one of the coolest productions ever with legendary characters, ingenious plot and pitch-black humor. Kurt Russell, with eye patch and nihilistic 'you-don't-like-it-go-to-hell' attitude, plays the role of his life as anti-hero Snake Plissken, recruited by his authority-nemesis Bob Hauk to bring back the American president who crashed with his plane in New York. One problem though; ever since crime rose with 400% in 1987, New York has become one giant and demarcated prison where criminals determine their own "civilization". Offered no other choice, Snake infiltrates NY for his mission …and for a personal race against the clock. Especially the first sixty minutes of this movie are terrific, since there constantly is the introduction of new and imaginative characters. Class-A actors play all these utterly cool characters, which makes it even more memorable! Apart from Kurt Russell, "Escape from New York" also stars icons like Lee Van Cleef ("The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"), Isaac Hayes ("Truck Turner"), Donald Pleasance ("Halloween") and Harry Dean Stanton ("Repo Man"). Even the smaller supportive roles are well distributed, with the underrated Tom Atkins as Van Cleef's sidekick and Adrienne Barbeau in a very sexy part. The downfall of America's number one city is atmospherically portrayed and Carpenter's own music score creates an excellent mood of despair. The action sequences are impressively photographed and John Capenter professionally camouflages that his film is, in fact, and independent production. My only slightly negative remark is that the story should have had a better, more explosive climax. Particularly because the first hour is so great, the ending seems quite tame. But, what the hell, this movie is a must for every film lover! In 1996, Carpenter also made "Escape from L.A." and even though it's good entertainment, it can't compete with "NY".

A Cult Master piece by John Carpenter!!!

[rohanm546 · 7/10 · 8 November 2018]

I saw this movie in 2018. But in past i used to listen to its background theme. Had always heard about this movie, But never saw it before. And i really enjoyed it. Even after 37 years, this movie seems as fresh as it was when it released. This movie have aged well with the time. First time saw Kurt Russell and Lee Van Cleef face to face in one on the big screen. But mind me Lee van cleef is not the Antagonist in this movie. But the person who sends snake plissken to new york on the rescue mission. looking both of them i remembered John Rambo & Col. Trautman. In all a nice & watchable movie. In this movie John Carpenter shows he can make movies in this genre also. And he succeeded also.

" Hi Snake, . . . I heard you were dead!"

[thinker1691 · 8/10 · 30 June 2007]

Many fans of Kurt Russell were extremely surprised he emerged from his years as a child actor to evolve into a believable, hard hitting, action hero. True, he was traditionally recognized to many for his whimsical, good-looks and high school persona. Thus when movie-goers saw him in this film, many stood aghast at his mature tenor. This futuristic story begins with the President's plane being high-jacked by rebel extremists and flown into the island city of New York which has been transformed into a maximum prison. The plane with the president (Donald Pleasence) on board crashes into the prison and it falls to the warden/Police Commissioner, one, Bob Hauk, (Lee Van Cleef) to rescue the chief executive. His plan? To send in a new convict, an experienced ex-soldier and special ops veteran, named, Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) with the promise of a presidential pardon if he can return him alive. To insure the clever criminal does not take the opportunity to escape, he is given a lethal injection which can only be removed by the commissioner's medical staff. Thus, begins a timely drama which means life or death for the hero, the president and ultimately the world. The success of this film owes much to the film's other characters like the talkative Cabbie (Ernest Borgnine, terrific acting), Harold ' Brain' Helman (Harry Dean Stanton), his 'squeeze' Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau) and Isaac Hayes, who plays the heavy, The Duke of New York. This a groundbreaking film for Russell and as expected, he carries it to it's rave conclusion with action to spare. ****

Gangs of New York...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 2 March 2023]

An island's now used for, incarceration, it's a bit like if you get sent to damnation, no escape, you cannot flee, you'll not be an absentee, you're stuck inside the walls for your duration. Then President John Harker comes to town, Air Force One has been hijacked and now it's down, he's the hostage of some inmates, who want to open all the flood gates, but there's one who might just help out and atone.

Never a dull moment, as Snake Plissken takes the chance to save the President in return for a pardon, as he battles his way through the prison ghettos, finding some not insignificant opposition to his mission, while encountering an array of curious characters on his way. Legendary stuff indeed.

A classic film John Carpenter's the best Action Sci-Fi flick

[ivo-cobra8 · 10/10 · 15 October 2015]

Escape from New York is a 1981 American dystopian action film co-written, co-scored, and directed by John Carpenter.A classic film.

Escape From New York (1981) Is also one of my personal favorite classic Action Sci-Fi John Carpenter movies. It was also the first movie I ever saw from John Carpenter as a child and It I still the best movie in my opinion. I love this movie to death I own it on Blu-ray tough it doesn't have great video quality like it should have I still love it to death. Kurt Russell is Snake Plissken period! Also Lee Van Cleef Is also in it from a Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly I just love those Western movies to death. Adrienne Barbeau from The Fog is also in it and she is the beautiful, but deadly Maggie.

The plot is set more in the future American by the late 90's. In 1997, when the US President crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in for a rescue. In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a prison which houses the world's most brutal inmates. And when the President of the United States crash lands inside, only one man can bring him back: Snake Plissken, a notorious outlaw and former Special Forces war hero who, in exchange for a full pardon, descends into the decayed city and wages a blistering war against the captors. But time is short: in 24 hours, an explosive charge planted inside Snake's body will end the mission -- and his life -- unless he succeeds.

You've got Kurt Russell, wearing a freaking eye patch and toting a massive assault rifle, squatting in the middle of a fire. You know, just taking it easy, popping a squat while the city burns around him. Non-plussed. Chillaxed. In the background, Lady Liberty's decapitated head lies in the middle of the street, her copper-green eyes staring vacantly up into a crowded, off-kilter skyline. What the hell happened, I wondered. I'd have to wait for Cloverfield to find out, because, as it turns out, that nifty piece of poster art-while summing up the film's nothing is sacred attitude and permanently establishing Kurt Russell as an icon of badass - has no relation to the film's plot. When I finally managed to see the movie, I kept waiting for Lady Liberty's head to get blown off, but it never happened. I was a little disappointed. And in a way, that's still how I feel about Escape From New York. The premise is a near-perfect action movie set-up, and the world that John Carpenter creates has so much potential for edge-of- your-seat storytelling, but the end result doesn't fully deliver on its promise. But that's not to say that it doesn't have its moments of undiluted awesomeness. Long proclaimed as an action film cult classic, there's surprisingly little action in Escape From New York, at least, not of the Michael Bay, in your face, two explosions per minute variety, the kind to which today's Rockstar-infused audiences are acclimated. Watching the film now, nearly thirty years after it hit theaters in 1981, EFNY seems curiously slow-paced. Snake limps through the city, occasionally bopping a guy in the face, occasionally busting a cap.

The film is John Carpenter best work I have seen, there are some other films I don't like, Escape From New York (1981) is one of the best cult classic films from John carpenter and Kurt Russell. Kurt Russell's iconic character of all time Snake Plissken is his best roles of all time on the screen, I have ever seen. I also love the sequel to death the same as I love this film. Snake Plissken is an ex-soldier turned criminal, recruited/blackmailed into rescuing a hostage president from the prison of New York City. Lee Van Cleef as Bob Hauk New York Police Commissioner did a great job portraying one of the most memorable characters. I wish he would return in the sequel but he couldn't because 8.later the actor died. Rest in peace Lee.

I love main theme music from John Carpenter and Alan Howarth and I enjoy some action scenes performed from Kurt Russell in the film.

I love this film to death and It is my favorite action science fiction flick of all time I love it. 10/10

A Great B Movie

[Gislef · 7/10 · 1 October 1998]

Escape from NY is full of action and excitement, but about halfway through you realize it isn't going anywhere, and you're basically watching a live-action cartoon. When you watch a cab be blown in half, and four out of five passengers walk away like they're on a Sunday stroll, you're not sure if you're watching a parody or a serious action flick. And apparently, Carpenter isn't really sure either. The action sequences are so-so, and they are surprisingly involving. Even Plissken's fight with the gladiator bad-guy is curiously uninvolving. Basically, it's interesting on the surface, but not a movie you want to pay much attention to. The actors are all interesting to watch, but they're not really given much to do.

Frustratingly mediocre

[Colonel Ted · 5/10 · 5 April 2000]

Before 1981 and Escape from New York, John Carpenter had already scored huge hits and all time classics with Dark Star, Assault on Prescient 13 and Halloween. Why on earth he didn't opt for higher budgets is anyone's guess, because Escape from New York squanders a brilliant premise on shortages of budget, imagination and action. Kurt Russell impersonates Clint Eastwood as Snake Plissken: a convicted criminal who is sent into New York in 1997, which is now America's one and only maximum security prison, to rescue the President (Pleasence) whose plane has crashed. The film plays like a futuristic western, with Lee Van Cleef overseeing the operation from the control room, making the film's roots in Sergio Leone apparent. To be fair to Carpenter, he manages a lot on the $6 million budget: a great, dark look to the film, a panoramic cityscape, good special effects, impressive sets, a couple of effective action sequences, a script laced with black humour as well a great main theme. As a whole these elements make the film reasonably enjoyable. However it simply isn't enough. The film never fulfils its ingenious premise by not making use of Snake's time limit to complete the mission until the very end and as a result it spends a long time just not going anywhere. There's not enough action and the bad guys are a bunch of lacklustre convicts, lead by Isaac Hayes. Carpenter fans may lap it up as B-movie hokum, but for the rest of us, this should have been a serious slice of action cinema. 5/10

"Once You Go In, You Don't Come Out!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 26 November 2019]

In the far-flung future, Manhattan Island is a prison surrounded by a fifty-foot wall. Said prison is guarded from outside the wall, while inside, the prisoners create their own lawless society. When the US President (Donald Pleasence) inadvertently lands in this hell, it's up to bada$$ criminal, Snake Plisskin (Kurt Russell) to retrieve him.

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK is Director John Carpenter's foray into post-apocalyptic sci-fi / action. In his vision, it's an out of control crime rate, rather than nuclear holocaust that's to blame. Packed with oddball characters, and loaded with classic scenes, EFNY became a trendsetter.

In spite of some clunky, "futuristic" technology, and the unavoidable poignancy of having Plisskin land atop the World Trade Center, it all works somehow. For its budget, this movie looks impressive. Russell is perfect in his eye patch-wearing, anti-hero role, riding high before his next big stint in THE THING. Great use is also made of older stars like Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, and the inimitable music legend, Isaac Hayes. Carpenter regulars Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, and Adrienne Barbeau make appearances, with Ms. Barbeau having some heavenly running sequences! One of the truly great Carpenter films...

Iconic early 80's sci-fi action cult classic

[Red-Barracuda · 7/10 · 28 June 2017]

This early 80's bit of dystopian sci-fi set in a future America which is now a fascist state has gone on to garner a cult reputation. Set in the future of 1997, Manhattan Island is now a high security prison where the criminal dregs of society are contained. When the president's aeroplane crashes in the middle of this city prison and captured by the resident criminals, a mercenary called Snake Plissken is sent in on a do-or-die mission to retrieve him within twenty-four hours.

Escape From New York is another in the long line of strong movies director John Carpenter made in his 70's-80's heyday. After a couple of big horror hits under his belt he returned to the more action-oriented style of his earlier Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), except in this case adding a science-fiction premise to add considerable colour. To this end, the film features dark dilapidated New York settings for the action to take place and these, added to the nice panoramic views of the darkened city add considerable atmosphere. As does Carpenter's main theme music which is amongst the very best be ever composed and given the high calibre of his original soundtrack music, that's saying quite a lot. The film also benefits from a cast of b-movie legends, we have Donald Pleasence as an improbable President of the United States, Isaac Hayes is a blaxploitation styled Duke of New York, Kurt Russell as the iconic eye-patch sporting anti-hero, Adrienne Barbeau appears throughout in an eye-popping low cut tight red outfit, Ernest Borgnine is a comic-relief cabbie, Lee Van Cleef is a hard-bitten police chief and Harry Dean Stanton pitches up as a shifty character called Brain. The film isn't always fully exciting stuff it has to be admitted and it sometimes promises more than it delivers but the set-up, settings and cast are very good, while there are some memorable scenes such as the death match and mine-infested bridge to keep the pace up. Ultimately, this is a very solid bit of early 80's sci-fi action, with enough distinctive elements to ensure its ongoing cult appeal.

Perfect!

[BandSAboutMovies · 10/10 · 2 June 2021]

Seriously, this article should just say, "This is the best movie of all time" and nothing else.

It is absolutely impossible for me to be impartial to this movie. How can you be? A western set inside a destroyed New York City that's been converted into a prison for the worst people in America being invaded by someone even worse than all of them put together to rescue a President with only 24 hours to do it? Yeah, they don't make them like this anymore.

Actually, they never did. This is a once in a lifetime film.

AVCO Embassy Pictures wanted Charles Bronson or Tommy Lee Jones to play Snake. Kurt Russell was still seen as a Disney kid. But Carpenter saw in him someone who could be a Clint Eastwood-like mercenary who lived for the next minute and nothing else.

The film slams us into 1997, a time and place where the world is constantly at war. As the President of the United States flies to a peace summit in Hartford, Connecticut, Air Force One is hijacked and crashed, with the President (Donald Pleasence!) being taken to New York City and captured by the Duke of New York City (Isaac Hayes!).

The police would never make it on a rescue mission. That's when Police Commissioner Bob Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) gets an idea. Instead of sending in a military force, he sends Snake into the Hell on Earth that is New York City to save the President. If he completes the rescue mission, he gets a full pardon. And if not, well...he was going to die anyway. To keep Snake from running, he's injected with micro-explosives that will kill him in 22 hours.

Driven in an armored cab by Ernest Borgnine to Harold "Brain" Hellman (Harry Dean Stanton!) to attempt to find the leader of the free world, Snake encounters all manner of enemies that he outwits, outfights and outright murders to complete his mission, including an incredible fight with pro wrestler Ox Baker (originally it was going to be Bruiser Brody, but he was in Japan at the time). Plus, you get appearances by Carpenter regulars like Adrienne Barbeau, George Wilbur, Dick Warlock, Nancy Stephens, George "Buck" Flower, John Strobel, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers and a voice cameo by Jamie Lee Curtis.

At the end, the President tells Snake he can have anything he wants. Snake only wants to know how he feels about everyone that had to die so that he could live. The President barely conveys gratitude as Snake walks away in disgust.

You can see echoes of Snake in nearly every post-apocalyptic movie that came after this film. In a perfect world, there would have been way more than just one sequel to this movie.

I like Carpenter, but this film's overrated

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 8 July 2016]

John Carpenter's science fiction film has long been regarded as a cult classic, but after finally seeing it I find it difficult to see what all the fuss was about. What starts off as an interesting premise is wasted in a film which feels a little disjointed, and is more about visuals than anything else. It's just one sequence after another with little to recommend it in terms of special effects, acting ability, even pacing. For movie fans, there are plenty of reasons to watch ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK as it's not all that bad. The first third of the film is rather good, but the rest just lacks in momentum and comes across as slightly limp and lifeless.

Kurt Russell looks cool with his eye patch and bulging muscles but doesn't have the interior toughness he brings to THE THING. The rest of the cast is exemplary, although opportunities for actual acting are limited. Mixing such old-name stars as Ernest Borgnine and Lee Van Cleef with more recent familiar faces like Harry Dean Stanton and Isaac Hayes, the whole cast really is something to die for. But...while Van Cleef is good as the chief guard, Borgnine is fairly annoying as a jovial taxi driver. Stanton is given little to do apart from walk around in a white coat and look moody, while the sole purpose for Adrienne Barbeau to be in the film is to wear a low-cut dress. Isaac Hayes is a charismatic but not-at-all fearsome villain, and Donald Pleasence is odd as the president.

The action sequences, when they come, are fairly exciting, but not memorable. The best bit is in the opening where Russell is chased by a gang of mutants, this brings to mind Carpenter's earlier ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 with the grubby locations and faceless rabble of murderers (in this case cannibals). As a plus, the film does offer some excellent set design, with streets full of broken cars, rubbish etc. This kind of "barren wasteland inhabited by mutants" was the basis for many later rip-offs and cash-ins, especially by the Italians. The only sad thing is that while ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK could have been something brilliant, it's average at best due to a lack of ideas and originality. Not one to go out of your way for, and far surpassed in quality by many other Carpenter movies, including ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 and THE THING.

A Snake, a Brain, a Cabbie, a Duke and the President Of The USA,

[hitchcockthelegend · 9/10 · 16 October 2008]

It's 1997 and Manhattan Island is a walled off prison, during the flight of Air Force One, the president's plane is taken over by a terrorist and the president ejects out in the safety pod. Sadly for him he lands right in the middle of Manhattan Island, when an armed unit lands inside the walls they are told that the president has been taken hostage and they must get out of their prison ASAP. At a loss what to do, the authorities decide to send one man in alone, ex war hero turned criminal, Snake Plissken, not only does he have to contend with surviving the incredibly hostile prison, he also has a time bomb implanted in his body that, should he not get the president out safely within 24 hours, will explode and mean no more Snake Plissken!.

Made in 1981 and set in 1997, it's safe to say John Carpenter is not the best predictor of the future around. However his vision of a future where America has thrown all it's criminals on one island, where they create their own society out of harms way, has to rank as an incredibly adroit piece of work. This place is grim and deadly, the flotsam and jetsam of society thrust together in this bleak and desolate place of class separation. What Carpenter has achieved with his usual minimal budget allowance is a smouldering sci-fi classic that may be as daft as they come, but it pulses with cool and cheekily slaps you round the face with its cheeky satirical edginess. I must give kudos at this point to the great production design from Joe Alves, who along with Carpenter has crafted this brilliantly dirty netherworld of crime.

Our anti-hero of the piece, Snake Plissken, is superbly played by Kurt Russell, the original choice interestingly was Tommy Lee Jones, but Russell fuels Plissken's mantra to make him one of the eighties coolest grumpy bastards!, and his work here is first class in terms of the films apocalyptic structure. Surroundning Russell is a wealth of quality performers each adding their personal bits to this tick-tock stew, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasance, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau and Isaac Hayes all earn their money and flesh out the story to the end.

Calling Escape From New York an action picture would be setting first time viewers up for a real let down, what action there is is minimal but highly effective, the machismo flourishes acting more as a point of reference to the pictures time bomb urgency. I like to think of the film as more a sci-fi adventure yarn laced with darkly comic humour, with of course machismo thrown in as a side salad to accentuate the bleakness of it all, wonderful. 9/10

Iconic.

[Dodge-Zombie · 7/10 · 22 June 2022]

This is a proper 80s movie. Great cast. Some classic lines. Easy to watch without really needing to concentrate so good for casual viewing.

Yes it has been dated a bit by lack of vision because it is supposed to take place in the future but that future is now in the past.

The Pit of Human Despair a.k.a. New York City that John Carpenter has created in his epic vision "Escape from New York" is not just a work of fiction or an object of his imagination, but a glimpse

[dee.reid · 10/10 · 5 June 2002]

"Escape from New York" may be told in a somewhat by-the-numbers fashion but is a lot more than that. Upon closer examination of the films story and characters, you will see that it is showing us a frightening depiction of what America could have become had not our society improved. It's completely ironic that we would have ended up choosing New York City (and later Los Angeles in the sequel), which in this country are landmark cities, as the last place to house America's worst criminals. With all of the problems currently facing our society, is this what things could have eventually come to?

"Escape from New York" is set in the future, in the year 1997. We learn that Manhattan Island has become a giant maximum-security prison. It is completely surrounded on all sides by a fifty-foot containment wall that has soldiers patrolling it at all times. All roads and waterways that lead off of the island are mined. The prison itself is kept under constant watch from security headquarters, which is stationed at nearby Liberty Island. Everyone in the prison follows one simple rule: once you go in, you don't come out. When Air Force One, which we should all know is the president's airplane, is hijacked and crash lands inside the prison, the security officials in charge blackmail a hardened but highly decorated war hero who is currently on his way to the island to serve a life sentence for a daring robbery. His mission is to infiltrate the prison and safely escort the president and the tape recording in his possession off of the island. To ensure that the convict doesn't try to escape, two micro-charges are injected into his arteries that if he doesn't get the president back within twenty-two hours, will explode. If he does succeed, the charges will be deactivated and all crimes he has been convicted of will be fully pardoned. And so the adventure begins...

From here we really don't know what to expect of this film and that's good. You'd probably be expecting to hear car horns or the sounds of a city that is alive and full of people. When we first see New York, it looks a lot like a ghost town, meaning as in dead. The city is crawling with rapists, thieves and murderers. Things in the city have become so bad, that some groups of people, most notably the "crazies" who are a group of underground subway-dwellers, have had to resort to cannibalism to survive. The "new" New York is not a prison at all, but more of an asylum for the worst of the worst. People here are basically living out death sentences, as that is the equivalent of saying these people are serving out life sentences. It is really nice that the prison gives you the option of being executed on site, rather than dying somewhere inside the prison where you'll probably end up becoming someone's lunch. Which would you prefer?

Snake Plissken, played here by Kurt Russell, was an excellent choice to play a reluctant hero. He plays his role very good. Singer Isaac Hayes makes a great villain here with his role as The Duke of New York. He is very good too. It amazes me though about how a man such as himself could have come to power and become the most feared man in "new" New York.

"Escape from New York" is an excellent film that has received a much deserved cult following. This John Carpenter film is easily one of his best and I really like it.

Early 80s action gold

[Vartiainen · 7/10 · 21 May 2015]

An action cult classic and one of the most memorable Kurt Russell roles, Escape from New York is an influential movie for its genre and still holds up well over thirty years later.

The story goes that in the mystical year of 1997 we live in the crime-torn horrors of the future and have turned Manhattan into one huge prison island. You know, like we often do with our most valuable pieces of real estate. But now the President has crash landed into the prison and it's up to one man, one Snake Plissken (Russell), to pull him out of there before it's too late.

The film mainly shines because of its style and its main character. It was made in 1981, but already you can see all the staples of the 80s. Dark, urban settings, lots and lots of shooting, wild yelling, tribal gangsters, antiheroes and grey morality all around. Escape from New York has since then influenced whole generations of film makers, and for a good reason. It's a very tight package, even if the story is rather straightforward and the supporting cast is not the strongest.

Russell, however, is very strong in his role. His character has become one of the role models of antiheroes and once again for a good reason. He's tormented, mean and lean, stone cold, born badass yet in the end he's filling to see the job through, to do the right thing, no matter how reluctantly.

Escape from New York is a blast of fun and style. One of the must see 80s action films and a great introduction to Kurt Russell. Recommended.

"Call me Snake..."

[grolt · 8/10 · 13 January 2003]

"Escape From New York" is a solid action noir by John Carpenter, although it lacks the punch of Carpenter's other three previous features ("The Fog", "Halloween", "Assault on Precinct 13"). Kurt Russell became famous for his Snake Plissken, and rightfully so, although the character seems to be only a more gritty version of Napoeleon Wilson in "Assault". What makes this film the cult classic it is is Carpenter's very apocalyptic and brash story. This is a very dark film, and it holds up especially well today when shown against the countless fluff films that Hollywood seems to be churning out.

Carpenter made the most out of his meeger budget and created a very convincing New York City. Not only is the set design fantastic, but so are the typically strong performances. Russell, Hayes, Barbeau, Pleasence, Stanton, Atkins, Cyphers and Borgnine are all cult legends, and seeing them all work together makes Robert Altman's casts look feeble in comparison.

What limits this film from greatness is surprisingly lax direction by Carpenter. The film is not as tight as it should have been, and really fails to generate any sort of suspense during the action. Deaths just happen out of nowhere, with little to no build up, which is a shame. This movie could have really been amazing. The ending is perfect though, and easily makes up for the film's faults. See it for Kurt Russell and the great ending and you will come away a happy viewer. Watch "Escape From LA" though to see what this movie should have been.

"Are ya gonna kill me now, Snake?" ... "I'm too tired. Maybe later."

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 29 March 2009]

One of director and co-writer John Carpenter's best-sustained pieces of counterculture pop-trash, an adventure with enough plot for three pictures, and yet pared down in the final act to a snatch-&-grab which is completely satisfying. In 1997, nearly ten years after the U.S. crime rate has risen to astronomical proportions, a walled-up Manhattan Island has been deemed the world's prison center; after the President ejects himself from a hijacked Air Force One and ends up amongst the nasty, scurrilous gangs, master criminal Snake Plissken is assigned to rescue him. The catch: he has less than 24 hours to do it. Although the effects and computer graphics are badly dated, Carpenter's film blessedly moves instead of preaching...and surprises by not making Kurt Russell's Plisskin an indestructible hero (already wearing a patch over one eye, like a pirate, the guy gets a real beating). Interestingly cast, and with good performances here and there (particularly from Harry Dean Stanton as nerdy Brain, who has connections with icy-cool villain Isaac Hayes, and tough, bosomy Adrienne Barbeau as Brain's fiercely loyal girlfriend). Russell is so low-keyed he barely flinches when he gets hit in the leg with an arrow, and Donald Pleasance as the President doesn't even try to disguise his British accent, but the cast works uniformly well together, overcoming the deficiencies with the budget and the exhausting opening set-up. Followed by a sequel in 1996. **1/2 from ****

Far better Sci-Fi movies available from the period

[samuel-84 · 2/10 · 26 June 2010]

I am not sure how John Carpenter gets the credit he does and pretty shocked to see an average review here of 7/10. I think you get an extra 3-4 stars just be putting "My Name Here" presents: "TitleName" on every movie you do.

I really enjoy sci-fi and in particular post apocalyptic still themes. Quite a few posts review this as a B movie, but it had a decent budget and known cast and don't think it was designed to be a B movie.

Personally I only enjoyed The Thing from Carpenter and was really disappointed with Escape from NY.

Kurt Russel was absolutely terrible and fumbled around from scene to scene muttering 1 corny line at a time.

The characters were weak and poorly directed. The sets were great and you could see that a great effort went into the construction.

Considering that movies like Alien, Mad Max & Mad Max 2 etc came from the same period and didn't feature cheesy dialog and poor acting I think there are better choices from the period.