"Escape From New York" is one of the classic science fiction/action films. In the future (ironically, in the movie, the year 1998), crime has risen so dramatically that New York City has been turned into a maximum security prison. On the way to a major conference, a plane carrying the President of the United States crashes into the city, brought down by a terrorist. A newly captured prisoner (and former war hero), Snake Plissken, is given an unenviable task - Go in, rescue the President, and bring him out alive. One catch...an explosive device has been implanted in Plissken's head...and he has less than twenty-four hours to accomplish his mission.
This is one of John Carpenter's earliest films...and arguably one of his best ever. It is amusing to watch a movie that considers 1998 "the future"...but not as amusing to see what our "future" was considered to be. Kurt Russell plays Snake Plissken to absolute perfection. You can see similarities to various Clint Eastwood characters...Snake has a cool, detached manner...an absolute disdain for just about everyone...and a perfect retort for any situation. You could easily compare this movie with "1984" or "Soylent Green", using the parallels of a society in the grip of a police state.
For any fan of either Carpenter or Russell, or someone looking for a good futuristic action movie, "Escape From New York" is an excellent choice.
Starring - Kurt Russell, Donald Pleasance, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, and Harry Dean Stanton. Directed by John Carpenter.
Time - 1 hour, 39 minutes. Rated - R (Violence, language, adult situations)
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