Escape from L.A. (1996) User Reviews (310)

Cheesy, unrealistic, outdated and fun!

[a_forbes · 7/10 · 25 July 2003]

Sure, Snake Plissken is a relic from the ultra-macho 80s action craze. Sure, Carpenter's use of effects is often obvious (though occasionally brilliant). Sure, the film is nothing but a slab of highly fragrant cheese, but it's FUN cheese. It's unapologetic cheese. It's the extra $1.50 of gooey, greasy, slimey mozza that you throw onto your 16" meat-lover's... sure, it's excessive--maybe even unhealthy--but it makes the pizza.

Escape From L.A. is pure, unabashed, old-fashioned fun. It's one of those movies that everyone claims they hate, but they really love in that deep place, way down in their mind, where belching contests are still fun. It doesn't pretend to be anything more than entertainment--and it's good entertainment at that. When I first saw the trailers for this film, I groaned. Kurt Russell's faux-Eastwood-does-pirate routine rubbed me the wrong way, and I was unfamiliar with John Carpenter's work. After having seen the original Escape, Halloween, The Fog, Vampires, The Thing and especially Big Trouble In Little China I know that Carpenter is interested in one thing: giving his audience an escape from reality, and this film is perfect for that. It doesn't make a lot of sense, and it takes a lot of suspension of disbelief, but in to paraphrase Roger Ebert: Who can hate a film where Kurt Russell and a transsexual Pam Grier swoop from the sky in hang-gliders firing automatic weapons at an amusement park compound?

Add to the mix a delightful turn by Steve Buscemi and an amusing (albeit unrecognizable) cameo by Bruce "Don't Call Me Ash" Campbell, and you have a really fun, really dumb, really cool MOVIE!

Recommended for the 10 year old boy in all of us.

Snake is Back, baby

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 6/10 · 24 January 1999]

Summer 1996 really was NOT the right moment to bring back Snake Plissken. America was caught up in Olympic fever and was riding the mad, patriotic wave extremely high with the release of ID4 and other huge action hits such as Twister and Mission: Impossible. A sobering reality check of the grim, forthcoming future instigated by a hypocritical government with a cynical, outcast anti-hero was NOT what anyone wanted.

I remember sitting in the foyer at the now-demolished ABC cinema in Edinburgh on September 21st 1996 (we had to wait a month after the US release) waiting for the screen to open. A couple of young women exited the previous screening loudly proclaiming "That was the worst film I have ever seen."

Bad Boys II had not been made at this point.

I don't think that Escape from LA is a bad film, but it is a failure on many levels, not the least of which are the shoddy CGI effects which look like they came from a mid-90s CD-ROM.

Since the massive spike in crime in America in the late 1980s, and the subsequent transformation of Manhattan into a prison colony, the United States Police Force and their religious lunatic Head of State has slowly but surely erased all liberty from the American people, denying them the rights to swear, have sex, eat red meat, smoke, or drink alcohol (all for their own safety of course), while at the same time expanding their empire by pushing into foreign territories.

Any of this sound familiar?

In 2000 a massive earthquake strikes Los Angeles and the city is transformed into an island, declared no longer part of the United States, and becomes the new, west-coast prison colony. Whether you're a murderer or an atheist, you lose your citizenship and are dumped on LA Island. Unless you opt for a quick electrocution before deportation.

It had been 15 years since his famous escape from the Big Apple, but Snake had remained a strong cult character and had a big following. This time he's dropped into the Big Orange in 2013 with the promise that if he retrieves a doomsday device he will be able to walk free.

"Freedom? In America?" asks Snake. "It died a long time ago."

This was 1996!

Carpenter and Russell could clearly see the dark path their country was heading down. If only they conveyed their ideas and satire in a more cohesive, intelligent fashion. Escape from LA has big ideas, huge ideas even, but a cheap 101 minutes is not the best way to fully explore and develop such satire. As with his previous movies, Carpenter's vision is epic, but the execution is implied. This may work with horror movies like Prince of Darkness but it fails here. It really, really fails.

When Snake shuts down the Earth at the end of the movie do we see the effects of such devastation on the planet? Do we see highways and cities go dark, do we watch mankind revert to the stone age as the juice he has relied on to keep him warm runs dry? No. Instead we see a couple of lights go out in a drab police compound. Wow! That's so not freakin' exciting, Carpenter! So much potential, so much disappointment.

At the very, very least it works as a trashy action movie but it should have been so much more.

Misinterpreted and underrated

[megavenganceman · 6/10 · 7 July 2004]

Now "Escape from New York" is a darker, grim action thriller that suits the environment where the story takes place. When one thinks of New York, you think of a dark, seedy, big, bad city. This is not what comes to mind when one thinks of L.A. You would think sunny, plastic and strangely creepy. Hence the change in tone with this looser, tongue in cheek near self-parody. Now the reason why I say the film still works is Snake Plissken. The only character who is played completely straight against the stable of B-movie cliches and skewed Hollywood stereotypes. Maybe in a few years this film will gain the respect it deserves. Still, although I reasonably enjoyed the picture (especially a few choice cuts like the "Bangkok rules" scene) I must admit I liked the first one better too.

Entertaining Follow Up

[The_Void · 6/10 · 21 July 2004]

Escape from LA follows almost exactly the same plotline as Escape from New York; A city has become a colony for criminals, something gets lost in the city, the government don't have anyone but Snake Plissken that is able to get it back, so he goes in, has a few misadventures with the locals and eventually brings it back.

This film very much lacks in originality, mostly due to it completely ripping off its predecessor. In fact; it could be said that this film is a remake of the first. However, what it lacks in originality is made up for with a great cast of support characters, which includes Steve Buscemi, Pam Grier, Peter Fonda and a great little turn from the god of B-Movie, Bruce Campbell himself. Kurt Russell returns of course, as the film's anti-hero; Snake Plissken, complete with a very cool new look; courtesy of a long black leather coat and leather trousers. Kurt Russell's performance in this film is pretty much the same as in the first movie, whereby he is only required to look cool for the duration; and that is something he does well. The support characters, however, are this film's main asset. Obviously Kurt Russell is the star of the show, but it's the colourful characters around that really make the film interesting.

The effects in Escape From LA, considering it was made in 1996, are awful. Whether or not the effects are bad on purpose as a tribute Escape From New York, I don't know; but I really felt that they could have done more regarding the effects. Escape from LA is a very silly film that many people will find hard to take seriously, however if all you want is to enjoy yourself for 100 minutes or so, and not use your brain too much; Escape From LA is your movie. Originality aside, I would say that this film is on par with Escape From New York.

"Sounds familiar."

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 6/10 · 5 August 2009]

That sums up one of the most undeniable aspects about this flick: It is enormously reminiscent of the first. Whether or not that's a negative thing is up to the individual. It still holds great surprises, and is definitely a fun ride. There is more satire in this than the first. The tone of this is often overdone and campy, in stark contrast to how serious that of "New York" was, and there are those that will miss that. This is humorous, if a few gags and jokes fall flat. Everyone but Russell(who nails the part again) is newly cast, and the choices are all fitting. This has some rather memorable occurrences(a couple of them for sheer weirdness and imagination), and certainly puts several breathtaking visuals up on the screen. The effects vary, though there are excellent ones herein. Dialog has quotable lines, and is well-delivered. The music is cool. Cinematography and editing are marvelous. The acting holds good performances. While it does bear a striking resemblance to that of the original movie, the script of this is interesting, creative and well-done. It has a nice pace, and you gotta admit that it's packed with action. Each sequence is exciting and intense, and differs from the rest in some way. There is strong violence and language in this, as well as disturbing content. This is bigger than the '81 film. Unfortunately, it also cost a larger amount of money, and only made about half back. It's too bad that Carpenter's work has a tendency to not be appreciated by the masses(only the fans and/or cult following) when it is initially released. I recommend this to anyone who wishes to watch it, the two aforementioned groups in particular. 6/10

Can't touch the original...

[dr_foreman · 3/10 · 27 June 2007]

"Escape from New York" is by no means a classic film, but it's memorably dark, seedy, suspenseful and even funny. You might call it a worthy cult favorite. Alas, "Escape from L.A." is not nearly as memorable - in fact, it plays out like a tired remake of its far more amusing predecessor.

Both films have essentially the same premise; corrupt government officials send criminal tough guy "Snake" Plissken to infiltrate the ruins of a once-great city and retrieve some MacGuffin for them. In both films, Snake is reluctant to cooperate, but the government secures his compliance by threatening his life. So, Snake duly treks off to an urban wasteland, wasting thugs and meeting a variety of wacky characters on his way to completing his desperate mission.

Because the two films are so similar, I find "Escape from L.A." tedious - it simply doesn't break enough new ground. And, to make matters worse, this tepid sequel does everything worse than the original movie. The villain is inferior, the president is inferior, and even the special effects are inferior (note the positively laughable CGI when Snake pilots his submarine to L.A.; the approach to New York in the first film is infinitely classier.)

And, though both films are comedies (of a sort), I find that the jokes in the first are simply better. In "L.A.," there are some attempts at social satire, but by and large they don't work. For instance, the much-praised "plastic surgery" segment feels really isolated and pointless to me. It's a one-joke sequence that goes nowhere and contributes nothing to the plot. Ultimately, I think the first film has the edge in the comedy department because it was co-written by Nick Castle, who reportedly lightened up the script and was quite a wit in general (though Castle is credited on this movie, I believe it's only because he wrote the original film.)

Perhaps the crowning aggravation of "Escape from L.A." is its exceedingly preachy social commentary. Now, I happen to be fairly liberal, so I agree with some of this film's criticisms of the religious right - but I also find the presentation of these criticisms to be superficial, condescending, and obnoxious. To be perfectly blunt, this movie is not literate enough to have serious political aims. It's just too silly and in-your-face; it doesn't have the subtlety to work as a satire, and it certainly lacks balance. Suffice to say, if you're conservative, this movie will annoy you, and even if you're an open-minded liberal, it will probably still annoy you by representing your views so poorly.

Yeah, this is basically a dud, though I sort of enjoy the Luddite-like sentiments in the concluding scenes. It's got some good cameos, a few decent scenes, but in the end...it just ain't the original. What a waste of 50 million bucks!

greatest movie ever

[dan81989 · 6 June 2004]

When I saw escape from New York starring Kurt Russel I thought that they could never begin to make a better movie than what i had just seen. The amazing special effects were exhilarating and got my heart racing. When a friend told me about Escape From LA i was going crazy. I must have watched it 10 times in that one day and every time it got better. When Snake hits the three pointer hook shot from half court my jaw dropped. When he got shot in the leg, stood up, got on a surf board, road the tsunami, and jumped off the tsunami to catch someone, it was as if my life was complete. WELCOME TO THE HUMAN RACE was the perfect end to a perfect movie. Thank you Kurt, and everyone who was a part of insanely incredible movie.

snake's back

[anandblr · 7/10 · 9 October 2004]

SNAKE'S BACK!!!!! in the real world, its been almost a generation since snake got out of new york... but some things just don't change... snake's still the meanest baddest dude out there.

i don't know why this film was received as poorly as it was... because it is- quite simply- the greatest movie ever... there has never been any movie ever with so much attitude!

!!!SPOILERS!!!

firstly... if you've seen escape from new york, then you know what's going to happen in this movie... almost. ... but that's not the point... this movie is neither a rip-off nor a remake of the original movie... its just that snake's been updated for the 90's. the ending of the movie is a comment on the dependency on electronics that we are faced with. this movie is intelligence disguised in pure testosterone.

the most amazing thing about this movie is its attitude.... just watch the scene where snake has a gunfight with the bad guy's goons and see what i mean.

John Carpenter's Embarrassment

[samuraisuave · 1/10 · 27 May 2008]

This is one of the dumbest movies I have seen in a long time. And I mean that; the stupid is just OVERFLOWING out of this film. I watched it immediately after watching Escape from New York, and be sure, this monstrosity of a sequel does no justice whatsoever to the first film.

Let me do a recap of just SOME of the stupid for you: - The terrorist in this film is the PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER and she joins forces with a bad Che Guevara knockoff.

• In one of the opening scenes of the film Plisskin inexplicably tries to blow away two of the people sending him on his mission, despite the fact that he NEEDS THEM in order to carry out his mission. His gun makes a lot of noise but doesn't harm them, at which point the two people tell him, "We thought you'd do that. That's why we filled your first magazine with blanks." GENIUS! They totally KNEW that Plisskin would randomly try to kill them for no reason whatsoever.

-Shortly after this scene, Plisskin embarks upon his journey to Los Angeles by way of a jet-powered submarine that can SOMEHOW GENERATE THRUST UNDERWATER (as if it were a a fighter jet) DESPITE THAT THIS VIOLATES BASIC LAWS OF PHYSICS. While underwater, he puts the thruster into 100% overdrive, ignoring his commanding officers (the ones he randomly tried to kill earlier) who advise him that he shouldn't do so. What follow are shots of Kurt Russell in his submarine careening through one of the most laughably bad CGI sequences ever put to film. The highlight of this sequence is that, as Kurt Russell is underwater, he passes the wreckage of Universal Studios sign, and a giant shark comes out of nowhere and tries to eat the submarine, but misses it completely. The shark is completely unconvincing and wreaks of not only a poor special effects budget, but also a poor effort on the part of the effects team all around.

-A scene in which Kurt Russell surfs a giant tidal wave in a sewer while AT THE SAME TIME Steve Buscemi is cruising alongside him in a hot ride. (I can't make this stuff up) -And finally, in order to save his life, Plisskin must earn 10 points in a basketball court. Plisskin DOES accomplish this heroic feat (we are literally shown Russell running up to the goal to make lay-ups) and yet the bad guy (the Che Guevara knockoff) STILL decides to shoot him, but remarkably, Plisskin just hops over the fence and escapes unscathed. (Also of note in this scene. We first see a guy who doesn't get 10 points, and so he is shot. The way this is done is so brainless... basically there are tons of set up right outside the fence, lining the basketball court. So picture the basketball court as a rectangle, and there are guys EVERYWHERE, on all sides of the rectangle, tons of them. Well, when they are ordered to kill the guy, EVERY ONE OF THEM fires blindly at the guy in the center of the court. If this movie had an ounce of intelligence, most of the bad guys would be dead from shooting each other!) -Toward the end of the film, Plisskin hangglides (along with Buscemi and the president's daughter) into a warzone, mowing guys down with a submachine gun, all the while remaining completely unscathed.

Now rest assured -- if you consider yourself a connoisseur of the stupid, there is PLENTY more of it in this film. What I offered are simply SOME of the highlights. And no, none of this is intended as camp. I have SEEN camp, and this is not it. This is ATROCIOUS and indecisive writing that tries to do a lot of things and FAILS at everything. As if the barrage of stupid weren't enough, the plot is also incoherent and unclear.

What really kills this movie for me is the wasted opportunity it is. Escape From New York was at its core an enjoyable movie that took liberties with reality but ultimately followed it more than it deviated. In EFNY, Plisskin was just a badass war veteran taking people out with his silenced TMP submachine gun. In EFLA, Plisskin is some kind of borderline comic book super hero with a trench-coat and placticized toy-looking guns that have no place in reality. Really, NONE of this movie has any place in reality, which made my suspension of disbelief IMPOSSIBLE. The events of EFNY were a little "out there", sure, but not to the extent that I couldn't suspend belief and enjoy things.

EFLA is dumb trash, plain and simple. I don't even recommend this movie to hardcore EFNY fans as you have already seen this movie -- the GOOD version.

Another Entertaining Adventure of Snake Plissken

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 2 October 2020]

In 2000, when a powerful earthquake hits Los Angeles, the decadent city turns into an island. Then the criminals and outcast of the moralist laws created by the American president (Cliff Robertson) are deported permanently to the island.

In 2013, the daughter of the president, Utopia (A.J. Langer), is seduced by the terrorist Cuervo Jones (George Corraface) and flees to Los Angeles to meet him with a remote control capable to use satellites to destroy all electronic devices in any country that opposes to USA and allows the president to dominate the world. Now Cuervo is threatening to attack USA with Third World forces using the satellite control.

Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is ready to be deported to Los Angeles and the president offers him full pardon if the recovers the remote control. Further, he infects Plissken with a virus to force him to accept the mission.

"Escape from L.A." is another entertaining adventure of the anti-hero Snake Plissken by John Carpenter. The storyline is very similar to "Escape from New York" but with different and funny situations and dialogs. The action scenes are excellent, and this sequel is worthwhile watching. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Fuga de Los Angeles" ("Escape from Los Angeles")

There's No Escaping How Bad This Is...

[Xstal · 3/10 · 3 March 2023]

An earthquake opens up new opportunity, to isolate an immoral community, those who break the rules and laws, do not fight for the good cause, they will not go unpunished, there's no impunity. Alas, things haven't gone to plan, as the President's daughter has upped and ran, and she's taken Sword of Damocles, into Los Angeles and joined their big cheese, we need recovery, and we've identified our man.

Good old Snake Plissken begrudgingly takes on another mission of recovery, although you may need some time to recover, after enduring the spectacularly awful special defects of the day, an awful script and some pretty tawdry performances all round. Not the directors best work.

" The more things change, the more they stay the same"

[badfeelinganger · 10/10 · 7 October 2014]

Both Escape from New York and Escape from L.A. are decidedly anti-establishment films. They both have this cynical view of the government; in these films, the government is not to be trusted. There are terrorist attacks aimed at the government on both films. ESCAPE FROM L.A This second one is tongue in cheek every step of the way. Watching Escape from L.A. feels like watching a cheap Italian Rip Off like 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983), but with a bigger budget. Actually, Escape from L.A. has a lot of similarities with 2019: After the Fall of New York, so in a way, this is Carpenter's pay back for all those cheap Escape from New York rip offs that the Italians made. Ultimately, I love both Escape from New York and Escape from L.A. for different reasons. And for all the tonal differences between both films, they still have many similarities. No matter where, Snake Plissken will always be Snake Plissken, you can tell Russell has lots of love for this character. Plissken is what kept me watching. The opening and closing segments of the films are extremely similar as well. And here's where we get to the best part of the film, the ending. Not gonna spoil it don't worry, but I will tell you that it is the best thing about the movie. Russell himself came up with it and I applaud him for it, it encapsulates everything Snake Plissken is in terms of attitude. That idea that maybe the world would be better off if we simply started again, from scratch, screw the way things are, let's try something new! Welcome to the human race my friends, welcome to the human race.t does criticize fascist forms of government, it also criticizes rebellious leaders who instigate their followers towards committing violent acts. So it doesn't side with anyone. On this film, both sides are wrong. The film pleads for a new beginning, it's asking governments to forget their old grudges and start from scratch. Snake himself says it in one scene: "I shut down the third world, you win, they loose. I shut down America, they win, you loose. The more things change, the more they stay the same" This is one of the ideas presented in the film that I truly liked. The idea that both sides should just call it quits and bring on the peace, bring on the freedom. Again, this last bit demonstrates how much of Kurt Russell's Libertarian views are on this film. After all, he wrote a lot of it himself along with John Carpenter and Debra Hill. These are three life long buddies writing a movie they would find amusing, which makes this film a labor of love. This is probably why the film has a more laid back, 'were having fun here' vibe to it.

Earthquake of a Film

[whpratt1 · 6/10 · 14 August 2007]

Snake, the man with the patch is back doing his thing in what used to be LA and he strolls down what is left of Wilshire Boulevard and takes time to shoot hoops at the Coliseum. Snake, (Kurt Russell) enters into the 9.6-quaked Los Angeles of 2013 in order to retrieve a black box which is a sort of end of the world device. Snake has friends and foes, Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, Stacy Keach, Cliff Robertson and a good actress Pam Grier. There is also plenty of action where Snake dive-bombs a Happy Kingdom theme park. The ending of this film is perfect and I enjoyed this film as much as Escape from New York. John Carpenter & Kurt Russell did a great job in the production and directing. Enjoy

The Worst I have EVER seen

[zeterminator · 1/10 · 13 October 2002]

Believe me I have seen some corkers of movies yet this is the worst. I must admit I enjoy some of the clichéd lines from films but this has some of the worst cringing ones, delivered by the terrible(in this film) Kurt Russell('My name's Plissken')also the basketball scene is awful, in fact all the scenes are awful, recently I have been trying to write summaries on some of my favorite films but it has proved extremely hard, as for drivel like this its easy....1/10

Best Ending Ever ! ! !

[Gibdos · 16 May 2004]

So, recently if seen this amazing movie again, sitting on my couch and listening to this incredible genius made music. I really don't know, why most of the people prefer Escape from N.Y. When I first saw N.Y. it really didn't get me. But one must be said for sure: ESCAPE FROM L.A. DO HAVE THE BEST ENDING I'VE EVER SEEN IN A MOVIE MADE UNTIL NOW! So all of you, who haven't seen it yet, go get it!

PS: Sorry, if there are some gramatical errors, but my English isn't that good.

Embrace the camp

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 17 March 2014]

In 2000, an earthquake measuring 9.6 strikes Los Angeles separating it from the mainland. The moral President for life (Cliff Robertson) declares Los Angeles is no longer part of the United States, and all undesirables are deported to the island. Once deported there, no one ever comes back. It's 2013 and Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is getting deported to L.A. The President's daughter Utopia (A.J. Langer) hijacked Air Force 3 taking a secret package to L.A. She's suspected of running to gang leader Cuervo Jones, and Snake is offered a deal. He has less than 10 hours to live and must retrieve the black box. The girl on the other hand is expendable.

John Carpenter returns with long time contributor Debra Hill and Kurt Russell. This time the L.A. culture is being dissected with surfers and plastic surgery. They are fully embracing the camp. They're having a little bit of fun with Snake. This would be too stupid to take seriously. However if you join them and embrace the camp, this could be an enjoyable film.

I am sorry to say this...I liked it better than New York. I am so ashamed.

[Aaron1375 · 7/10 · 6 November 2008]

Yes, I thought this movie was a bit better than New York. Not by much mind you, but this one has a much lower score so I know I have chosen the wrong one to like. Snake is back, and Kurt Russell once again really brings life to the character. I am sure even those who did not care for this movie can at least say he did a credible job. The plot is a bit different a bit the same. The president's daughter has joined in with a criminal from LA, which is somehow an island now and a maximum security prison just like New York. America is now ruled by strange laws combining the worst of conservatism and liberalism. Add to that the fact other countries wish to invade the US and are using what the president's daughter has to try and make their plans work. What does she have you ask? Some sort of device that controls satellites that can cut power off to all machines and such. It can do this to any region or even the entire earth. Well once again Snake has been captured and once again he is duped into going into LA and retrieving the data, but not the president's daughter. So off he goes with a cool new outfit and some nice weapons and gadgets and just like the first one things almost immediately. He gets caught a couple of times in this movie, once by a strange bunch of people addicted to plastic surgery. He also has to play a deadly game of basketball and fly off with his "allies" in a strange helicopter. Hell, there is even a crazy surfboard scene with Peter Fonda. The movie is a bit goofy compared to New York, but I rather like the over the top way this movie is done. The effects are hit and miss, the actors are hit and miss and so is the action, but overall I think this movie is rather cool. Of course, I may think that only because Snake is back.

Makes Sharknado look like Gone With The Wind

[nigepitz · 1/10 · 30 May 2020]

How some top actors agreed to appear in this nonsense is a mystery. Utterly terrible from first frame to last. It's not 'funny bad' or 'so bad it's good' it's just rubbish.

Better fun than Escape from N.Y.

[Yiannis_Galidakis · 7/10 · 22 October 2020]

Certainly better visual candy than the prequel (Escape from N.Y.), but otherwise point for point similar script only with slight variations and with many stereotypical addons a little utopic and outdated for their time, never mind outdated and naively played out. That's not 2013, more like 1998, again, but the effects are decent for its time. Great as for 1996, not so good as much later. Augmented with a colorful array of nuts and loonies, but the stererotypes almost ruin it. Communist rebels, Cuban attacks and a deeply religious fundamentalist president but unrealistic tech. Otherwise, good-ole times fun, like how REAL films were made, back in those days. Action fans don't miss it.

Huh? (*SPOILERS ahead*)

[jdp-2 · 1/10 · 20 September 1999]

*SPOILERS ahead*

Jesus! How can anybody like this film? From the scene in the submarine (where Snake refuses to use his brains and simply overloads the system) to the ending (where he has only a few seconds left, but he sends a hologram to receive the antidote??? -> at that time he didn't know the virus wasn't deadly), and everything in between (Snake just walking down the streets and not being shot like he would've been if this were reality, and the irritating Steve Buscemi character), everything sucks.

Some choose to call it camp, but I just call it uninspired. Even the special effects were crappy (the wave in the much spoken of surf scene was as unrealistic as I ever have seen).

It has been a while since I've seen Escape from NY, but as far as I can remember, at least *that* film was entertaining. The sequel couldn't entertain me for one second.

I gave it a 1/10 (more than it deserves)

a really underrated movie

[pumaye · 7/10 · 24 July 2001]

Comparing it with the first exploits of Snake Plissken, this Carpenter own's self parody of the previous box office hit is normally dismissed as a bad movie, a remake of the first one without any redeeming qualities. In fact, the movie is very good as a long ride in fun, full of splendid little in-jokes, cameo roles to fill your list for months to come, sapid sentences. Prepare for the ride and enjoy this movie from start to finish, following the continuing saga of one of the greatest movie heroes of all time (a Kurt Russell still fit for the role after so long a time: compliments, Kurt!).

Passable but inferior sequel filled with thrills , spectacular scenes and frantic action along with enjoyable sly humor

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 23 November 2014]

Exciting and spectacular rescue into Los Angeles destroyed by earthquakes, floods, mudslides, and become a top-security prison . This thrilling picture results to be an inferior sequel to Escape from N.Y. , the latter become a real Cult Movie . It contains mystery , chills , noisy action , thrills , fights , social critical , bits of humor with tongue-in cheek attitude and a weird atmosphere with dark and surprising ending . Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell, he was the only cast member from the original film to appear in the sequel)is once again called in by the United States government (Stacy Keach as officer , Michele Forbes as deputy and Clift Robertson as President) to recover a potential doomsday device from Los Angeles, now an autonomous island where undesirables are deported and finds itself under siege by violent gangs . A previous war hero named Snake Plissken gone rebel must execute a daring adventure and bring up a powerful artifact in twenty four hours . Snake must recover it and along the way facing off villains like Cuervo Jones (George Corraface) . He's only helped by a sympathetic rogue underling (Steve Buscemi who took the part in this film to help fund his directorial debut, Trees Lounge) , and action women (Valeria Golino, Pam Grier) . As Snake Plissken to get in and out of Los Angeles .

The film is a comic book plenty of action , fun , adventures , suspense , thriller and surprise-filled entertainment . Magnificent plethora of characters with decent performances by its entire cast . Middle-budget by Paramount Pictures , in fact its President Sherry Lansing was a fan of "Escape from New York" and wanted John Carpenter, Kurt Russell and Debra Hill to make the sequel in the same vein as the original. Kurt Russell as tough and valiant renegade is terrific . At the beginning of the film, Kurt Russell wears his costume from the original film, which still fits after 15 years . Kurt Russell not only came up with but wrote the entire ending of the movie , in fact it was the first and only writing credit . Escape From LA was caught in development hell for over ten years . A script for the film was first commissioned in 1985 but John Carpenter thought it "too light, too campy" . An initial script was written , but it remained dormant until Carpenter and Kurt Russell got together with frequent collaborator Debra Hill. It was Russell's persistence that got the film made ; Snake Plissken was his favourite character, a character he loved and wanted to play again . Support cast is frankly good such as Peter Fonda , Cliff Robertson , Valeria Golino , Stacy Keach , Pam Grier , Bruce Campbell , Michelle Forbes , A.J. Langer and Peter Jason , Carpenter's usual . The picture contains an imaginative and memorable production design by Lawrence G. Paull . Colorful and glimmer cinematography by Gary B. Kibbe . John Carpenter also made the atmospheric music score along with Shirley Walker . The movie likely to satisfy action enthusiasts and Kurt Russell fans .

Director John Carpenter is in familiar ground with this well-done tale on the style of comic books and old Sci-Fi serials . His films often feature important visuals shown from a video screen , as the end-of-the-world transmission from the future in ¨Prince of darkness¨ (1987), the Norwegian recordings of the expedition to uncover the aliens in ¨The Thing¨ (1982), various TV sets and the general anti-TV motif in ¨They live¨(1988), etc. ¨1997 escape from N.Y¨ was realized during his best period in the 70s and late 8os when he directed classics as ¨Halloween¨, ¨The fog ¨, ¨Christine¨, ¨They live¨ , ¨Big Trouble in Little China¨ and ¨The thing¨ . The sequel ¨Escape from L.A¨ rating : average but entertaining . The movie will enjoy to noisy action fans but packs a roller-coaster thriller and wholesome amusement . The film will appeal to John Carpenter enthusiasts . A third sequel was going to be made titled Escape from Earth which would have had Snake escaping Earth after a dark matter experiment. However, the negative reaction to this film prevented the sequel from being developed. As the movie was a notorious failure on release, making around $25 million , just half its budget , at the US box office. Many reviews criticized the film for being too violent or for being too similar to the original film .

Escape from New York, Part II: Electric Boogaloo

[I_Ailurophile · 8/10 · 7 January 2021]

Let me get this out of the way right at the top: I LOVE this movie.

The narrative thrust of 'Escape from L.A.' very much echoes that of 'Escape from New York': Snake Plissken, antisocial antihero, is the only person that can get the job done, so the government sends him in with the promise of a pardon (and the threat of an unpleasant demise) to retrieve an all-important person or item. Along the way he encounters many denizens and dangers of the new society created in the sequestered ruins of the old, makes new enemies and new friends, and returns with ever more spite in his one beautiful blue eye. With every step, we in the audience are treated to exciting action, witty dialogue, and fantastic performances.

While there are certainly enough differences to make this a new film all its own, make no mistake that EFLA is like watching its classic, rightly adored predecessor through a funhouse mirror. The main musical theme itself is but a re-imagined version of EFNY's, and the moment it begins playing over the opening credits, you know exactly what you're in for. The very first time I watched this movie, I laughed giddily at the obvious wink.

'Escape from L.A.' is a movie that knows exactly what it is, makes no apologies for being over the top, and runs with it from start to finish. From surfing the ruins with Peter Fonda to hang-gliding over an amusement park alongside Pam Grier; from Bruce Campbell's creepy cabal of near-cannibalistic, overtly satirical caricatures to Steve Buscemi's happy-go-lucky, duplicitous gopher and guide; from the George Corraface's Basketball Court of Death to the dystopian welcome home by the US President For Life Cliff Robertson: this is a fun, silly movie, portraying a serious narrative, rounded out with very non-serious scenes, that winks and smiles at the audience and dares you to dislike it.

What a cast! I don't need to list them all, though I already mostly have; just scroll through the names and it's a veritable who's who of cinema of the mid-90s. And we get still more of Carpenter's regular collaborators, including the ubiquitous and lovable Peter Jason, the unmistakable Al Leong... and, of course, Kurt Russell, returning to form with Snake Plissken and giving the action antihero a palpable air of tired spite. Russell plays the character with such convincing disdain and moral exhaustion that even as we laugh at the ridiculousness of the scenarios he finds himself in, our protagonist anchors the film with resounding, defiant contempt.

Costumes, lighting, sets, props, effects--at worst they play directly into EFLA's nearly parodic intent, but mostly they are spot-on and make this movie as believable as it could want to be.

I love Carpenter's score, and the music by popular artists selected to round out the soundtrack. I love Debra Hill's production. I love the screenplay, accordingly co-written by Carpenter with Hill and Russell.

By no means is this for everyone. Several years before the misunderstood deadpan brilliance of 'Ghosts of Mars' cemented how very little people understand John Carpenter, EFLA dropped a pretty big hint. The storied writer, director, producer, and composer began his career with a less than serious film, and throughout his many features has masterfully guided us through genres including horror, sci-fi, thriller, comedy, and even romance. Ten years after undisputed classic 'Big trouble in Little China,' the release of 'Escape from L.A.' nonetheless perplexed many with questions of "What is this guy doing?"

The answer is: The same thing he'd always been doing. Folks just don't pay attention.

If you watch 'Escape from L.A.' expecting a no-nonsense, serious-minded thriller or action flick, you will be disappointed. You don't have to be a John Carpenter devotee to appreciate it, though it doesn't hurt; you don't have to be entirely in on the joke, though it helps. Just keep your mind open, relax, and enjoy the show.

Welcome to the human race.

The sequel that feels like a fresh film.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 9 December 2023]

Not to discredit the predecessor, "Escape from New York", but this feels fresh today to watch, while the 1981 cult film is definitely of its time, important and good, but not timeless. Snake (Kurt Russell) is back, looking exactly the same, and one of the L. A. guards comments on his very 20th Century look. Snake has a toxin in his system and eight hours to find "president for life" Cliff Robertson's daughter who has betrayed him, demanding his removal and return to a free society. Russell is sent via submarine to the island of Los Angeles (much of it destroyed and sunk in a huge earthquake and tidal wave) where she is presumably hiding and encounters a strange prison community more depraved than Manhattan.

Great performances by Steve Buscemi, Pam Grier, Stacy Keach and Peter Fonda, and great visuals of what L. A. would look like once destroyed, quite different than "2012". The shot of part of the city underwater is fabulous, and the use of the main theater of the Chinese Graumans is as profound as the main library was back in 1981. What was scary for one reason in 1981 was even scarier 15 years later, for much different reasons, and this was pre-9/11. John Carpenter creates another great classic that I found to be underrated and quite gripping. Usually I say about sequels, "That was unnecessary." Not the case here.

Possibly the worst movie I've ever seen

[tpaul369 · 1/10 · 30 August 2003]

It's been a long time since I watched a movie that has vied for my personal "Worst Movie of All Time" award. I had the displeasure of watching Escape From LA recently, and in spite of the fact that I was watching an astonishingly awful movie, I had to keep watching to find out if the movie would keep plummeting on it's downward spiral. Rest assured, it did.

I am admittedly a fan of the original Escape from New York. The original was dark and somewhat believable with an admirable supporting job by Lee Van Cleef. Escape from LA is essentially the same movie, moved to the west coast, and with the special effects possible in this day an age.

Note to self (and anyone else): Spending money on special effects does not equal a better movie.

One last word on this movie - I think Escape from LA has one of the worst single scenes in any movie I've ever seen. I thought Jean Claude van Damme punching a snake (and knocking it unconscious) in "Hard Target" was bad, but watching Snake Pliskin ride a tsunami on a surfboard, then jumping into the back of a speeding car, may be worse.

I'd advise watching this movie once, just to enjoy just how simply bad it is. But consider yourself warned.