Escape from New York-1981

Director John Carpenter

Starring Kurt Russell, Adrienne Barbeau

Top 100 Films #76

Scott’s Review #344

Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

Escape from New York (1981) epitomizes a great action film to me.

Too often, action films are filled with run-of-the-mill characters, are plot-driven, and are mediocre stories that lack creativity. I adore Escape from New York, however.

The creativity and amazing direction by John Carpenter allows the film to soar high above what is typical for this genre.

The unique premise sets things off immediately as we follow the mission of ex-con Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) to save an important figure in peril.

In futuristic 1997, we learn that due to skyrocketing crime throughout the United States, New York City has been fenced off and turned into a maximum-security prison.

All of the most hardened and demonic criminals have been isolated on Manhattan Island to fend for themselves- free to kill or be killed as they like.

The rest of the country is presumably crime-free- though we never see the rest of the country.

The President of the United States (Donald Pleasence) is taken hostage when Air Force One crashes on Manhattan Island. Snake is injected with a poison that will kill him in twenty-four hours unless he successfully rescues the president and returns him alive and well.

I love this film because it is strictly Carpenter’s vision.

Due to the success of 1978’s Halloween, he was given creative freedom and a big budget to film in St. Louis (doubling for New York).

The film contains eerie synthesizer music (reminiscent of Halloween and Halloween II) which sets the tone exceptionally well. The dark and abandoned sets are wonderful and capture a futuristic world oh so well.

The audience will undoubtedly become enraptured as Snake’s mission is to do or die- if he does not save the president he dies. As Snake arrives atop the World Trade Center via glider, now post 9/11, this scene takes on a haunting quality.

Snake then immerses himself into the gloomy world of Manhattan facing all sorts of dangers along the way. Punk rock-looking creatures scurry around the city- many insane, and Snake meets odd character after odd character in his quest to save the president.

His main ally is Cabbie, played by Ernest Borgnine.

The villain of the story is Duke, not well cast nor well developed, but this can be overlooked because of his super rad Cadillac and his two fascinating accomplices- Maggie (Barbeau) and Brain (Harry Dean Stanton).

The lavish sets include the New York Public Library and Grand Central Station- I love that there are so many iconic New York City locales featured- but the fact that they are not shot in the genuine areas does not bother me.

The art direction is done so well that I was fooled.

Escapism fare, but a unique entry in the action genre. Thanks to fantastic direction and a likable star, Escape from New York (1981) succeeds.