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Movies / Upcoming / Escape From L.A.
Escape From L.A.

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Escape From L.A. (1996)

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Reviews Counted:43

Fresh:25

Rotten:18

Average Rating:5.6/10

Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: When John Carpenter and Kurt Russell teamed up for this sequel to ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, the idea was to kick butt and have fun. They do just that in ESCAPE FROM L.A., an explosive film that... When John Carpenter and Kurt Russell teamed up for this sequel to ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, the idea was to kick butt and have fun. They do just that in ESCAPE FROM L.A., an explosive film that recalls the classic original in all the best ways. Infamous adventurer Snake Plissken gets another raw deal when he is forced to rescue the President's daughter from the new prison island of Los Angeles. Mayhem ensues as Snake goes about his mission, leaving a wake of destruction behind him. Lighter and more tongue in cheek than the original, ESCAPE FROM L.A. provides loud, violent fun for both the fans of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK as well as newcomers to the films. There are great cameos provided by Peter Fonda, Bruce Campbell, Pam Grier and many more that give the film an extra layer of entertainment. Great special effects are a given in Carpenter films, and this one is no exception. ESCAPE FROM L.A. is fun fare from a master filmmaker. [More]

Starring: Kurt Russell, Stacy Keach, Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda

Starring: Kurt Russell, Stacy Keach, Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, George Corraface, A.J. Langer, Cliff Robertson, Pam Grier, Valeria Golino, Peter Jason, Michelle Forbes, Paul Bartel, Bruce Campbell, Robert Carradine

Director: John Carpenter

Director: John Carpenter

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Escape From L.A.

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; Australian critics are listed first)
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A hilariously unstable film and the latest apocalyptic vision to work on our nerves like a torturer extracting a confession -- or a dentist extracting a tooth.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
01/01/00
Joe Baltake
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee

A significant improvement over the first Snake Plisskin adventure.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

This is the pinnacle of sardonic, stupid fun.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

Here and there a moments of wit shines through ... but for the most part the formulaic, auto-pilot nature of the enteprise leaves one wishing Carpenter and Russell had said 'never again' after Escape from New York.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
11/02/01
Keith H. Brown
Keith H. Brown
Eye for Film

Intermittently clever ideas are rarely executed to full effect, but the film moves reasonably well on its way to surround-sound pyrotechnics amid a climactic aerial attack.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Diverting for the 100 minutes it runs, but once they're up, it is instantly forgettable.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
12/11/04
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

This is the kind of movie Independence Day could have been if it hadn't played it safe.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Escape from L.A. finds Carpenter in a playful mood.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/30/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

That noise you hear isn't an explosion; it's the sound of a great science fiction opportunity, being blown sky-high.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/10/02
Ray Greene
Ray Greene
Boxoffice Magazine

Escape from L.A. is too preposterous to be a good film. But in keeping with its title, it does provide a couple of hours of entertaining escapism.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
04/12/02
Christopher Harris
Christopher Harris
Globe and Mail

Carpenter's best work in years.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

As amusing as some of its notions may be, none are developed into sustained running jokes.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Tries but fails to be an action-hero flick or even a parody of one.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Esther Iverem
Esther Iverem
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Viciously funny.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

Like Texasville, Beyond the Poseidon Adventure, King Kong Lives and The Evening Star, Escape From L.A. stands tall as a shining beacon of Bad Moviedom.

Full Review Source: Movieline | comment Comment
11/06/01
Edward Margulies
Edward Margulies
Movieline

I don’t think most people gave ESCAPE FROM L.A. enough credit when it first came out ... Every bit as cheesy as I remember – but also a lot more fun!

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
04/16/03
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

The special effects vary from OK to lame to very lame.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/05/02
Jeff Millar
Jeff Millar
Houston Chronicle

Not exactly the movie that would rescue John Carpenter's sagging career, but it makes for an entertaining Saturday matinee show nonetheless.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
01/01/00
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

A tiresome exercise in pyrotechnics and cheap blue screen effects.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Scott Renshaw
Scott Renshaw
rec.arts.movies.reviews

A poetic pulp movie made with joy.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; Australian critics are listed first)
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all

Latest News for Escape From L.A.

March 23, 2007: Kurt Russell Chimes in On the "Escape from New York" Remake
You know how Gerard Butler was just asked to star in a remake of "Escape from New York"? Well, the original Snake Plissken (that'd be Kurt Russell, of course) is none... More...

August 07, 2006: Snake Plissken to "Escape from Earth"?
John Carpenter's "Escape from New York" is a true-blue cult classic among (male) movie fans of a certain age (old, like me), but the goofy follow-up, "Escape from... More...

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