Review of Escape from New York (1981) by Damian N — 14 Mar 2011

My other fave John Carpenter offering, along with "The Thing", an amazingly entertaining amalgamation of action, adventure, and sci-fi genres, with ex-Disney star and Carpenter-perennial Kurt Russell essaying the role of gruffily-monosyllabic, seen-it-all mercenary and convict Snake Plissken, enlisted by the Powers-That-Be in a vile, vermin-filled, futuristic Nuevo York (Which has been converted into a maximum-security repository for The Big Apple's plethora of despicable reprobates and scofflaws-) to rescue the kidnapped President (The as-always enjoyably herky-and-jerky Donald Pleasence-) after his plane has crashed in the region.

Full of over-the-top, kinetic energy, howlingly-good and almost-cartoonish characters, and suitably wound-up perfs by the superbly-robust and stellar cast who are more than up for the task: snake-faced Lee Van Cleef as the bureaucrat who puts the ball into motion, Isaac Hayes as the villain of the piece, the self-appointed and ruthless ruler of the Underworld, the "Duke", Harry Dean Stanton as Brain, supposed criminal mastermind and Plissken's one-time double-crossing cohort, the bodaciously-bosomy Adrienne Barbeau as Brain's plucky moll Maggie, and Ernest Borgnine as the blissfully-nonchalant Cabbie, all along for the ride as Plissken's aides-de-camp.

A rollicking- good time, with an old-fashioned, Saturday-afternoon matinee feel. PLEEEASE avoid the execrable, pointlessly-made sequel!