Customer Reviews for
Escape from New York [UMD for PSP]
A Cult Classic
Not really being familiar with the work of John Carpenter or the acting ability of Kurt Russell, I guess it can safely be said that I went into this movie blind. That, in many ways can be a good thing. I went in with little to no expectations and had no hopes about what I wanted to see. Little did I know that this movie would shock me beyond belief as to how genuinely good it was. Sure it was corny and sure, it was filled with the classic cliché's that we've become familiar with from 80's movies. That didn't make it less entertaining. In fact it made it even more enjoyable than I could have possibly imagined.
This movie had everything and more. It gave us suspense, a bit of horror, a chunk of emotion and a snippet of humour. They all blended together to create what eventually (from what I've learned recently) became a true cult classic. The characters have no real depth but deliver the personalities that made this movie work. Snake Plissken is the typical badass hero who cares for nobody else but himself until he's faced with particular situations. Brain who's the slimy guy who would sell anyone down the river for his own benefit. The only reason they haven't gotten rid of him is because he knows everything and supplies the criminals with oil. Let's not forget the Duke. He's the baddest of all the bad people in New York and, as the saying goes "you don't cross the duke."
The story is set in 1997 (They could have made it a bit more futuristic, I know. Maybe 2050?) And the infamous Island of Manhattan has been turned into one big maximum security prison. Every crook in America is sent to the Island and there's simply no escape. Air Force One is faced with problems and is crashed into the island, leading to the kidnapping of the President. Because of the situation, the prison officers are unable to get him as there are threats to kill him if any attempts to save him are made. The police commissioner known as Hauk has no option but to send in a former Special Operations soldier, who's now a convicted criminal in to save the president. Snake Plissken is made an offer. Save the president within 22 hours or die.
For a movie made in the early 1980s, I was pleasantly surprised at the complexity of some of the visual effects. The border around the island was displayed with absolutely no flaws. Apart from the terrible 80s style haircuts, I would have been convinced that this movie was made in the past couple of years. The setting of a New York run by convicted criminals and psychopaths (better known as the Crazies) comes across as very genuine. At times I came to believe that something like this could come into effect, especially if the crime rates continue to rise. Kurt Russell is great in this movie, and being supported by the legendary Harry Dean Stanton was something great.
I would strongly recommend this to any movie fan. It's really better if you're not familiar with the style of Carpenter or the acting of Russell as you're given a real treat.
Escape from New York [UMD for PSP]
A GREAT CULT CLASSIC MOVIE!!!
This movie came before Escape from LA, and it's just great. It's not meant to be taken too seriously. There are subtle jokes throughout the movie. A lot of it is tongue in cheek. So enjoy it for what it is. There will be no Oscars, no awards given out for this movie... it's just mindless entertainment. You can tell Kurt Russell is having fun with the character. The whole movie is "over the top" and that's the point. Loads of fun, provided you don't take the movie, or yourself, too seriously. So lighten up, sit back, and enjoy! Check out Escape from LA too.Escape from New York [UMD for PSP]
Ahead of it's time!
John Carpenter's "Escape From New York" movie was way ahead of it's time and is a much better script and story than "Escape From L.A." In the second movie or it's continuum, there was too much repetitive dialogue copied or borrowed from the 1st movie. Snake is always left behind by one of his fellow thieves in both films and same dialogue of threats are made from United States Police Force commanding officers towards Plissken. They broke the mold with "E.F.N.Y." film after it was released into theaters. Do they have a 'special featurettes' with the new dvd version of "Escape From New York"?Escape from New York [UMD for PSP]
Why didn't Hayes also do the music?
The movie held my interest, despite a crazy premise: the answer to out of control crime in the futuristic USA is to contain it in a big city surrounded by water and mines and whatever other disincentive to split. Why Washington, D.C. would choose the financial capital for the experiment is beyond any second-rate science fiction writer and should have been beyond Mr. Carpenter.
So we have the worm-laden Big Apple denizen Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), a War hero, whom the viewer is left to surmise, became a civilian criminal not long after his patriotic exploits. Anyway, the Police Chief enlists Snake to rescue the President, who has crash landed inside the prison-city and has become a prisoner himself. The viewer is never sure how much sympathy to lend to Snake because the details of his lawlessness are not brought out.
Instead of appealing to his good sense and inate Patriotism, they implant him with an explosive to be detonated if he doesn't accomplish his mission in due time. Interesting logic.
Along the way, he encounters the Brain and his girlfriend, none other than Adrienne Barbeau, who doesn't have alot to do, in fact, seems disintetested in the Brain, who doesn't exactly display the machismo of the Snake. She does come through in the end as a cool kitty wielding a weapon which advances the plot; she's every bit as cool as the cool cat Snake (just to mix metaphors for fun).
There's some "New York" left to New York, at least in one shot of what appears to be Central Park, though the production looks very cardboard. Bizarre lighting effects to create a composite of the Roman Colisseum in ruins and Broadway in decay.
Probably the best acting comes from the *musician* Isaac Hayes, who plays the unofficial inmate representative, the Duke; some of the best over-acting comes from the always dependable Ernest Borgnine, who drives a mean taxi-cab. Barbeau under-acts...good choice. I detected no close-ups for her.
Ultimately, the story has no useful symbolism, and is quite suspect in it's cynical view of Government. Snake shows no interest in rescuing the President, says "get another President", then reluctantly agrees to save him. When Donald Pleasence delivers his reassuring speech to the Nation following the rescue, Snake walks away in disgust.
Russell was two years away from a silly bio.-pic. on his childhood idol, Elvis Presley, and even incorporates some of that style here and there. But it's like when Elvis played a prize fighter and looked about 100 bench presses away from believability. Barbeau as the Brain's "Squeeze", didn't even look twice.Escape from New York [UMD for PSP]
Kurt plays the anti-hero role really well
Snake Plissken is one of those iconic characters, who everyone knows about, and who everyone loves. Except for me. Until now. I had no idea who Snake Plissken was until ages ago, when someone bought a soft toy snake, and called it Plissken.
There's something about Kurt Russell, that makes him fit the anti/reluctant hero role so well, he surpasses himself in this movie, as he was a bit cocky in Big Trouble In Little China, but here, he's mean, he's moody, and he's a bad boy. Perfect guy!
In Escape From New York, Plissken has to rescue the president, a guy he really couldn't give a damn about. Air Force One has crashed into Manhattan Island, holding the largest prison, and the President is now trapped, with vital information on his person. Freshly captured, and about to be incarcerated, Plissken is ordered to rescue him, within a time limit of 22-24 hours, and that's that. Lots of fighting, chasing and Kurt looking pretty damn good. It starts off set in the future (but in the past by now!), where in 1997 there were high levels of crime. New York is now a high level prison, where all the toughest criminals are to serve life. It's survival of the fittest inside, with no rules, except what's made by the prisoners, so it's survive or die!
The film's quite brisk, and passes by quite quickly. There's literally no scenes in this that deserved to be on the cutting room floor, and it was to the point. No nonsense from the Plissken. The only quibble is that it's dated now - they actually use cassette tapes (how did we EVER manage?), and apart from Kurt's hair (mullets were never a good idea), it feels like it could have been made recently.
There's something about Escape From New York, in my opinion, it lacked a certain something. It never really punched me right in the gut. But it was a good movie. With a meagre budget, compared to today's standards, it doesn't look that way.
With rumours about this being remade - with Gerard Butler of all actors - I seriously hope it falls through. I wasn't quite sure what all the fuss about Kurt was about until I saw this. This film cannot and should not be remade. Get some original ideas and leave Snake Plissken alone.Escape from New York [UMD for PSP]
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