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Kurt Russell, Stacy Keach, Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, Cliff Robertson ... see more see more... , Georges Corraface , Jordan Baker , Paul Bartel , Bruce Campbell , Robert Carradine , Michelle Forbes , Valeria Golino , Pam Grier , Peter Jason , AJ Langer , Jeff Imada , Caroleen Feeney , Leland Orser

Escape from L.A. finds Kurt Russell once again in the role of Snake, which he played in the 1981 film, Escape from New York. Los Angeles has finally had the really big earthquake everyone was afraid o... read more read more...f, and what remains is now an island. Because the country's ultra-righteous President-for-Life (Cliff Roberton) wants it that way, all the weirdos and freaks that previously inhabited New York in large numbers, and the rest of the U.S. in smaller concentrations, have been quarantined on the island of L.A. The president has Snake taken from the nice, decent prison he was living in for a special mission in L.A. The president's daughter has joined the resistance movement determined to overthrow his one-man rule, and has stolen his secret "black box" (a doomsday machine) to boot. Snake is given a poison which will kill him in a few hours unless he returns to the president for the antidote. His mission is to recover the black box and kill the president's daughter. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

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40% liked it

62,042 ratings

Critics

53% liked it

47 critics

R, 1 hr. 41 min.

Directed by: John Carpenter

Release Date: August 9, 1996

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DVD Release Date: December 15, 1998

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Stats: 2,212 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,212)

  • FilmFanatik
    June 20, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    Ok, so this isn't quite the pile of manure people would have you believe it to be. But on the other hand, it's not a very good movie, either. Just based on the comparisons to the original, it's very much laughable at some points. I think a lot of the CGI doesn't really fit in eit... read moreher. I think they were attempting to recapture some of what made Escape from New York so special, but with some goofy ideas and much more modern film techniques. Had it been done the old fashioned way, even with the goofy ideas, it might have fared better. It's not complete crap, but it's worth seeing the character of Snake again. For that much, I'm thankful. I just wish it were as edgy and raw as the original was.
  • guaybanex
    June 18, 2011
    guaybanex
    The unnecessary and atrocious "Escape from L.A." has all the qualities of what makes a sequel bad with its forced, recycled plots and misguided action sequences.

    The charm Kurt Russell brings to Snake Plisskin is not enough to carry a film saddled with such unoriginal mater... read moreial. Fans of "Escape from New York" (as I am) will spend the film noticing the writers' lazy recycling of "New York" plot points transplanted to "L.A." Unfortunately "L.A." doesn't have the grit that urban New York has so the tone doesn't travel well and becomes too campy.

    There are some nice moments in "L.A.": such as a clever plastic surgery sequence that should have been the tone the movie should have strived for and great cameos by Bruce Campbell and Pam Grier, but there is so little originality in "L.A." that it doesn't even warrant a layover visit.
  • BEACHBUNNI
    December 7, 2010
    BEACHBUNNI
    John Carpenter's ``Escape From L.A'' is an action extravaganza~! its a dark vision of a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles,leveled by a MASSIVE earthquake, and cut off from the mainland by a flooded San Fernando Valley, and converted into a prison camp for the nation's undesirables. ... read more
    couldnt really get into this one,even tho i am a fan of sci-fi films and though there were some good actors in it such as kurt russel,.it just didnt cut it for me.
  • kiriyamakazou
    June 27, 2010
    kiriyamakazou
    More of a remake than a sequel. This has Snake going into LA (now a prison) to retrieve something for the president. He's blackmailed into it, he gets into a fight, has one of his legs injured etc. etc. It's too similar to be really enjoyable, but there are some nice moments. The... read more plastic surgery people were comical, grotesque, and a dig at the world of Hollywood. The effects are so terrible that they add to the charm. See Russell and Fonda surf with the poor CGI. Picks up towards the end, but you may as well watch Escape from New York.
  • garyX
    December 3, 2009
    garyX
    The most famous war hero turned bank robber of America's near future manages to get himself caught (again) to be blackmailed (again) and sent on a mission into a lawless L.A. to retrieve a doomsday weapon for the government. Again. This film reminded me of "Dancing In The Street"... read more by David Bowie and Mick Jagger. Escape From L.A. basically rehashes all of the ideas from New York, but somehow manages to exclude everything about it that made it good. Russell swaggers around dressed as a refugee from a gay version of the Matrix on the site of a bad goth music video amongst an ill-fittiing jigsaw puzzle of weak social satire and overblown action sequences shored up by some really dated looking CGI. The supporting cast sound good on paper, but Buscemi is wasted as a kind of post apocalyptic used car salesman, an unrecognisable Bruce Campbell gets to say two lines (literally) and disappears without trace and Pam Grier slums it as a transexual and has to say all her lines through a voice distorter that makes her sound more like The Exorcist than a man in drag. And Peter Fonda is just DREADFUL. The action is actually rather better handled than in New York, but everything else is just so damn lame, the worst example being the laughable death by shooting hoops scene. It's basically a couple of old men who were well past their sell by date throwing money at a soulless cover version of a popular classic that manages to look even more dated than the original. Like I said. Dancing In The Street.
  • ScoopOnline
    December 2, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    This is a true great classic with Kurt Russell I have seen couple of times.
  • ythelastman89
    November 18, 2009
    ythelastman89
    It's almost sad to watch. It's worth watching for Kurt Russell, but the movie is a disgrace to everything Escape From New York stands for. It's corny and fake looking. I mean, Snake surfs and plays basketball. Kurt Russell tried so hard, hopefully he'll have another chance at red... read moreemption somewhere down the line.
  • SirPant
    September 7, 2009
    SirPant
    A guilty pleasure with a fantastic cast. Tongue firmly in cheek but a disappointing sequel. Not great but forgivable.
  • YosemiteSamFan
    June 27, 2009
    YosemiteSamFan
    A fun movie done in the same template as "Escape from New York". The surfing scene looked silly. Not enough Los Angeles landmarks were shown. It was goofier. Not a classic like the original. It was like how "The Crow: City of Angels" related to the original "The Crow". I liked th... read moree energetic soundtrack by John Carpenter. The social commentary played for laughs was well done. Kurt Russell does a great job as Snake Plissken again. The action never seems to let up, with a nice variety of sequences involving cars, explosions, basketball, surfing, underwater and aerial assaults. The kickass ending made me smile.
  • matertenebraum
    January 7, 2009
    matertenebraum
    This sequel to "Escape From New York"isn't half bad.it doesn't have the gritty,unpolished look of the original,and it's not as edgy.however,i did find it more humorous,and it's more of an action adventure movie,than pure drama,unlike the the original.the movie had a lighter feel ... read moreto it.i didn't find it had the same sense of loss and decay.i did find it entertaining,and fairly fast paced,though there were a few mildly ridiculous scenes that felt out of place.i also noticed(as anyone who watches it will)that the general plot line was almost a carbon copy of the original,with a few variations in detail.i still liked it,and thought it was as good as the original,though,like i said,if you're expecting a departure from the formula of the first,you won't find it

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Critic Reviews

Desson Thomson
October 24, 2002
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Enjoyable in a playful way Full Review

Jeff Millar
July 5, 2002
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle

The special effects vary from OK to lame to very lame.

Peter Stack
June 18, 2002
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle

Dark, percussive and perversely fun. Full Review

Christopher Harris
April 12, 2002
Christopher Harris, Globe and Mail

Escape from L.A. is too preposterous to be a good film. But in keeping with its title, it does provide a couple of hours of entertaining escapism. Full Review

Kevin Thomas
February 14, 2001
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

Buscemi, Fonda, Robertson, Grier and many others get to make vivid impressions, but of course it's Russell who must carry this swiftly paced picture. As rugged as ever and attractively weathered, he d... Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

A significant improvement over the first Snake Plisskin adventure. Full Review

Stephen Holden
January 1, 2000
Stephen Holden, New York Times

As amusing as some of its notions may be, none are developed into sustained running jokes. Full Review

Susan Stark
January 1, 2000
Susan Stark, Detroit News

John Carpenter's vision of a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles is a go-for-broke action extravaganza that satirizes the genre at the same time it's exploiting it. Full Review

Mike Clark
January 1, 2000
Mike Clark, USA Today

Intermittently clever ideas are rarely executed to full effect, but the film moves reasonably well on its way to surround-sound pyrotechnics amid a climactic aerial attack.

Jonathan Rosenbaum
January 1, 2000
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

A poetic pulp movie made with joy. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Snake Plissken: Call me Snake.
    • Cuervo Jones: You might have survived Cleveland. You might have escaped from New York. But this is L.A., vato. And you're about to find out that this fucking city can kill anybody!
    • Malloy: For God sakes, don't do it, Snake!
    • Snake Plissken: The name's Plissken. [pushes the button]
    • President: What's it going to be, Plissken? Them or us?
    • Snake Plissken: I shut down the third world, you win they lose. I shut down America, they win, you lose. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
    • Snake Plissken: Sad story. You got a smoke?
    • Snake Plissken: Welcome to the human race.
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Escape from L.A. Trivia

  • What is the name of the film in which Kurt Russel ask to be called Snake instead of Pliskin?  Answer »
  • What actor/actress played parts in the following movies? Tango & Cash Overboard Dreamer Sky High Miracle Escape from L.A. Tombstone  Answer »
  • "Escape From LA," was a sequal to which film?  Answer »
  • Are the movies Escape from L.A., Escape from New York and Escape from Alcatraz a trillogy?  Answer »
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