Movie Review: Escape from New York (1981)
Synopsis: In the year 1997, while the United States wages war with the Soviet Union and China, the high crime rate in the United States has resulted in Manhattan being walled off and turned into a maximum-security prison. The prisoners are prevented from escaping but otherwise have full control of the city and live by their own rules. After robbing the Federal Reserve, former special forces soldier Snake Plisson is set to become the prison's newest occupant. However, after Air Force One crashes inside the prison walls and the President of the United States is taken hostage, Snake is offered a full pardon in exchange for rescuing the POTUS. If he doesn't do so in 22 hours though, he will be blown apart by micro explosives in his bloodstream.
Who's in it? The movie stars Kurt Russell, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Lee Van Cleef and Isaac Hayes.
Review: It has been more than a decade since I last watched Escape from New York, long enough for me to only remember bits and pieces of it. So, when I came across it on Amazon Prime, I decided it was time to re-watch the film. I did that last night and this morning and wasn't disappointed.
I think the thing I like best about this movie is how the main protagonist, Snake (Russell) is facing overwhelming odds. He's up against a literal army of criminals. One wrong move could result in the president (Pleasence) being killed and he has less than a day to both find the POTUS and escape. On top of all of that, he doesn't even know if he can trust the police commissioner (Van Cleef) to keep his word.
While the movie isn't a film with non-stop action, it does a great job of building up the suspense in between the more exciting scenes. You never know if he'll be assaulted just walking around a corner or if he's in a safe place. This includes when he's with the people who become his allies because you never know if or when one of them might try to betray him.
As I watched this, I did get a little kick out of the way director John Carpenter managed to do some recycling from his earlier film, Halloween, both by re-using Pleasence and re-editing the Halloween theme song during one of the scenes. It wasn't anything major or even something I'd consider an Easter egg, just a personal thrill for a John Carpenter fan.
I thought the ending of this film was as good as you could get too. Snake gets a bit of revenge against the guy he saved while the movie while a door was left open for a potential sequel (which wouldn't happen for 15 years) while still tying up loose ends. It was the kind of ending I wish more modern movies would have, instead of assuming there will be a part 2.
Final Opinion: As would be expected, some parts of the movie haven't aged very well (which usually happens when you try to predict the year of certain events) but this is still a solid action film with a great plot and a talented cast. I am glad I took the time to re-watch it.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other movies from 1981:
Movie Review: The Burning (1981)
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