Review of Escape from L.A. (1996) by Simon H — 31 Jul 2012

Here it is, folks. The most unnecessary sequel of all time. But it's so good to have Snake back, right? No, I really mean it; it's wonderful getting more of him. The movie itself is entertaining, though technically mediocre at best -- but it seems to be aiming for that, so one cannot truly hold that against it. But what does annoy me is that it HAD potential. It had so much potential. The setting is pretty well worked out, and there are actually scenes here (such as the simple ones of Snake wandering the streets) that feel just as dark and moody as Escape from New York did (if not more!)... but then there's the occasional horrible special effects, atrocious action scenes and despicable characters (including the crew at HQ) to ruin it. As a plus, it's a very Western-like movie, which was an interesting change to be sure...

In the end, I think this movie really didn't need to be self-aware, and I wish that Carpenter, Russell and Hill wouldn't have gone down this road. But it could have been a lot worse. Snake is ridiculously awesome as always, and that's really what matters the most to me. Bruce Campbell's cameo helps as well. And there are plenty of memorable lines here (such as "Sad story. You got a smoke?" and "Hell of a team"), which is something that's important to a lot of people. This movie is certainly worth the time if you're a fan (of Snake or of camp), but calling it a great film is a stretch, I feel. Someone on IMDb put it nicely: "I can enjoy it for what it is, but it could have been far more.".