Escape from L.A.
Published March 31, 2024
Film info
- Title Escape from L.A.
- Director John Carpenter
- Year 1996
- Run time 1hr 40m
- Genres Adventure, Thriller, Action, Science Fiction
- Tagline Snake is back
John Carpenter's adrenalin-pumping follow-up to futuristic actioner Escape From New York sees no-nonsense ex con Snake Plissken out to save the president's daughter and retrieve a doomsday device from Los Angeles - which, in the movie's version of 2013, is now a prison island. Snake muscles through the outlandish action with a straight face and typically gung-ho aplomb, while there is weaselly relief from an inmate looking for a quick way out.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 3:12 | Okay, this makes more sense, I did wonder how they made LA an island. |
| 4:37 | Lifetime president. UGH. |
| 7:07 | The helicopters swoop in, Pliskin arrives… we’re just watching the same film again. |
| 13:53 | “Sounds familiar.” Doesn’t it just. |
| 18:13 | The snake tattoo is totally different. |
| 21:05 | He spent an hour and a half getting changed? |
| 23:08 | Wow, these graphics are bad, we’re watching a cartoon now. |
| 31:25 | Oh yea, you can’t be a criminal mastermind without a glitterball on your car. |
| 38:44 | “If you want to make noise, go and find another bush.” |
| 48:21 | Ah damn, I was liking her and her attitude. |
| 52:40 | Not sure what kind of punishment a treadmill is when you can just step on the sideplates. |
| 58:24 | Death by basketball is at least inventive. |
| 1:03:30 | “It’s me, Utopia!” Ridiculous name. |
| 1:06:59 | Of course he has to spend a third of the movie limping. |
| 1:21:31 | These rig things are very Batman. |
| 1:26:04 | What mountain is there in LA that they nearly crashed into? |
| 1:35:31 | “He shut down the earth.” |
Thoughts
The trailer for this wasn’t exactly encouraging but it seemed only fair to give it a go, as the first movie was far better than expected. I sort of wish we hadn’t. It’s barely watchable although surprisingly fun to make fun of. It’s cartoonish throughout, the graphics are absolutely terrible, and some of the concepts ridiculous. From the very beginning it’s like they hit find & replace on the first movie’s script to change New York to L.A. and jet glider to impossible submarine. I mean genuinely, the opening is a scene by scene, beat by beat copy.
There are some unique moments and a couple of surprising twists, the hologram at the end was great. But ultimately I continue to think this is a fascinating world ripe for potential - this movie just shouldn’t be part of it.
Rating: 1 / 5