On E List of Movie Reviews

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Escape from L.A. (1996)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 10/03, 7/06, 6/11, 12/21

EscL
7/06: Fifteen years later, Snake Plissken is back.

Louder and bigger than ever, Escape from L.A. is good fun that looks better than the original with few minor problems. Kurt Russell once again gives a great performance as the über famous Snake Plissken.

John Carpenter is able to blend the terrible-looking CGI with the sci-fi classic to make it look more attuned to today's standards of cinema while Snake Plissken is the bastion of old values and traditions. Also, what's fascinating is the Orwellian atmosphere that still rings true to this day.

Meanwhile, some of the minor problems are as follows: Pam Grier's horrible acting, cheesy special effects at times, and the lack of momentum which occurs about three-quarters of the way. But the pace is picked up thereafter with a strong finish that's characteristic of Snake Plissken.

All in all, Escape from L.A. is nice, but the original is better.

6/11: "Call me...Snake." "Call me...Plissken."

Does it really matter? Hell, yes. Escape from L.A. is a lot of fun but is sadly wrecked by the bad, cheesy CGI special effects. Had they been removed, the movie might look better. The story milks the original premise for what it's worth which is another disappointment. At least, Kurt Russell is a must-see for playing the all-time badass Snake Plissken, his most favorite role ever. That alone is worth the price of admission.

The best part is the ending. Even more impressive is the basketball scene because Kurt actually made all of these shots including the full court shot. Another favorite is when Snake challenged the four idiots with Bangkok rules. Every time the city Cleveland is mentioned, it makes me yearn for the prequel which will be called *drum roll* Escape from Cleveland.

All in all, yeah...let's just be fair and declare Escape from L.A. a rip-off remake of the original, but at least, it has plenty of can't-miss Snake moments.

12/21: Escape from L.A. is a bit better this time.

It's a fun movie to watch despite the same exact formula. Born to play the role, Kurt Russell is still perfect as Snake Plissken, but I'm not a fan of the extensive all-star treatment. The original was better for being low key which worked to its favor. The worst part is the special effects which often looks horrible.

When I saw the sequel in 1996, I thought the sight of the Beverly Hills surgeon general was ridiculous. Today, it's prophetic given the spate of botched plastic surgeries among the former A-list celebrities (Kim Novak immediately comes to mind). Like Escape from New York, the ending is still a can't-beat and a great way to finish the film off on a high note which fits Snake's persona.

All in all, Escape from L.A. holds up better today than when it was first released.