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Rating of
3/4
"Escape From New York" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 02/27/2012
An infamous mercenary is coerced into rescuing the president from a Manhattan island that has been turned into a lawless prison colony of the near future. Because of this cult action sci-fi from John Carpenter, Snake Plissken became one of the iconic action heroes of the 1980s; showing nothing but contempt for authority and hissing his lines like Dirty Harry with PMS, Kurt Russell becomes the embodiment of rebellious 80s machismo. To be honest, Carpenter's static camera work never lent itself particularly well to action, but a ridiculous yet insanely cool premise, Russell's charisma and an inspired supporting cast more than make up for the rather sluggish set pieces. The post apocalyptic representation of New York is brilliantly recreated, the whole of Manhattan eerily shrouded in …
Rating of
3/4
Escape from New York
tecnoandre - wrote on 12/24/2011
A genuine B product from the 80's this movie is a little sci-fi masterpiece! With B special efffects and B performances but with a spectacular plot idea, directed and scored by John Carpenter. He co-wrote the screenplay with Nick Castle. The film is set in the near future in a crime-ridden United States that has converted Manhattan Island in New York City into a maximum security prison. Ex-soldier Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is given 24 hours to find the President of the United States, who has been captured after the crash of Air Force One.
Carpenter wrote the film in the mid-1970s as a reaction to the Watergate scandal, but proved incapable of articulating how the film related to the scandal. After the success of Halloween, he had enough influence to get the film made and shot most …
Rating of
2/4
60%
CJP - wrote on 10/07/2008
Action: 2/3 + Comedy: 0.5/2 + Good vs Evil: 1/1 + Love/Sex: 0/1 + Special Effects: 0.5/1 + Plot: 1/1 + Music: 1/1 = 6/10 or 60%.
Escape from New York is escapist action at a fun level. The future prediction of what the U.S. and New York will be like in 1998 automatically dates it, but when Isaac Hayes rolls up in a car ordained with chandleliers for headlights as the proclaimed President of the prisoner population one must appreciate the joys of alternate realities, which obviously can't be taken in too serious a manner.
Other joys include Russel in the lead as an uzi yielding, eye-patch adorned, the-government-and-everybody-has-wronged-me type prisoner- who not only gets to wrestle for the prisoners amusement, but must rescue the President of the U.S. and return him safely before …
Rating of
2/4
Not really that good
The M.O.W. - wrote on 08/03/2008
In 1988, the United States crime rate has risen to an unbelievable rate. To battle the resulting prison population, New York City (partially played by East St. Louis, Missouri) has been turned into a maximum security prison where the prisoners rule the streets.
The prison guards, based out of Liberty Island in New York Harbor, are only there to keep the prison population, all of which are serving life sentences, in the city. Once in the city, you do not come out alive.
Nine years later, Air Force One, en route to a summit, is hijacked and shot down. The "President of the United States" (the late Donald Pleasence) escapes in a life pod by the head of his personal security, and he lands within New York's city limits, where he is taken prisoner by the self-proclaimed leader of the …
