Review of Escape from New York (1981) by Trevor D — 14 Aug 2010
Escape From New York's idea is much better than the execution, but for some reason I find it oddly intriguing. I'm a loose fan of Carpenter's work, but this isn't my favorite by him. The movie is about what happens when Manhattan has been turned into a maximum security prison where criminals can run amuck and do whatever they please.
The president of the United States crashes into the city, and it is up to one man to save him. But this one man isn't just you average Joe. He's Snake Plissken, a former military man and convicted criminal; not to mention a total bad ass.
Kurt Russel plays Snake the way he should be portrayed, tough and quiet. Escape From New York is the definition of a B-movie. Everything from Snake's eye patch to the set design just screams low-budget.
But that's what gives it an edge. The retro feel is very cool, and even though the movie is a little dated at this point, it's still one of the best escape movies out there. Carpenter adds his touches to the movie, including one of his signature scores.
Escape From New York might be packed with action, but it's good B-movie fun with a great concept and a handful of entertaining sequences and characters.
This review of Escape from New York (1981) was written by Trevor D on 14 Aug 2010.
Escape from New York has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
