Escape from L.A.
Escape from L.A.

Escape from L.A.

1996Movie101 minEnglish

Into the 9.6-quaked Los Angeles of 2013 comes Snake Plissken. His job: wade through L.A.'s ruined landmarks to retrieve a doomsday device.

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Insights

IMDb5.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes51%
Metacritic51/100
Google Users65%
Director: John CarpenterGenres: Action, Science Fiction, Thriller, Crime

Plot Summary

In a dystopian future 2013, Los Angeles has become a penal colony for criminals and undesirables after a massive earthquake turned it into an island. Snake Plissken, a notorious outlaw, is coerced by the government to infiltrate L.A. and retrieve a doomsday device that has been stolen by the President's daughter. He has a limited time to complete the mission or face a deadly injection.

Critical Reception

Escape from L.A. was met with mixed to negative reviews from critics and was a box office disappointment. While some appreciated its satirical edge and Kurt Russell's return as Snake Plissken, many found it to be a less inspired and more repetitive retread of the original 'Escape from New York'. The film's low budget and perceived lack of originality were common criticisms.

What Reviewers Say

  • A disappointingly uninspired sequel that struggles to recapture the magic of its predecessor.
  • Kurt Russell's performance as Snake Plissken remains a highlight, but the film suffers from a weak script and predictable plot.
  • The satirical elements are present but often overshadowed by excessive action and a lack of genuine innovation.

Google audience: Audience reviews indicate a mixed reception. While some viewers enjoyed the continuation of the Snake Plissken saga and the film's dark humor, many found it to be a letdown compared to the original, citing a lack of originality and a formulaic approach.

Awards & Accolades

None notable.

Fun Fact

Director John Carpenter and Kurt Russell initially conceived of the film's exaggerated, satirical portrayal of L.A. as a giant theme park or Disneyland, which influenced some of the visual elements and comedic beats.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

So Los Angeles has become a glorified open-air prison (who'd have thought?) and "Snake" (Kurt Russell) is invited to do his "Mad Max" thing and go in, at considerable peril to himself, and fetch a gadget that could enable the US President (...
JPV852

JPV852

90s cheese not quite as good as 80s cheese, but still an entertaining enough action-thriller, though some moments were laughable and not in a good way (Snake riding surfing a wave isn't all that bad ass), plus the effects work was rather p...