Escape from L.A. (1996) directed by John Carpenter – A Film Review

Often compared unfavourably to its predecessor Escape from New York (1981), Escape from L.A. (1996) is a fun, tongue in check B movie that isn’t afraid to poke fun at itself. Unlike Carpenter’s previous morose and brooding effort, his sequel has real character and a sense of fun about it.

The dialogue may be cheesy, the early 90s CGI effects may have been bad then and aged even worse, yet each of these things add to the charm of the film. That’s not to say that the film is a masterpiece: far from it. However, it is a fun and enjoyable movie that can be well appreciated by to those who are willing to give it a shot.

Overall the story is a simple one; much of the general plot is in fact derived from the previous film. In the future of the year 2000, LA has become an island separated from mainland America. And when an authoritarian theocrat is elected president, he turns LA into a prison for all those deemed unacceptable by the new PC president. Yet, when the president’s daughter flees to the island with a detonator to a new super weapon nicknamed “The Sword of Damocles”, Snake Plissken is again coerced against his will (this time by being given a deadly virus) to rescue the device.

On the whole, Escape From L.A. is a simple movie to follow. Its characters have clear motives and each of them can be understood from this perspective. The government officials appear to be selfish and corrupt: imposing their will on Snake and others. The president’s daughter is idealistic and only wanted to meet with her Peruvian terrorist boyfriend held on the island. Whilst Snake himself is a kind of cynical moral realist: he’s the films moral compass and gives it a sense of direction. That’s not to say that every film needs this kind of overly simplistic moral values and characters to them, but for this film it really works to its advantage.

In Escape from New York there was a real lack of direction to the action; here it seems the opposite. There is a real sense of Snake’s impeding doom. His short time in which to collect the device is much more prescient here, and it is one of the main cruxes that moves the plot forward in shaping the narrative. Unlike in the previous film, I felt a real sense of danger for the protagonist here. Reminding us continuously of his predicament helped build the suspense, and when he made a mistake or got captured, it really upped the stakes in a way that Escape from New York really failed to do.

To add another point here, the supporting cast seems to have a much more dynamic feel to it than in Escape from New York. In the previous film the supporting characters (in particular the antagonistic ones) just seemed odd and kooky. Here however, they all seem to have a fun sense of purpose. Whether it’s the stoner surfer Pipeline (played by Peter Fonda) or the Che Guevara like terrorist baddy Cuervo Jones (played by Georges Corraface), everyone has something that sticks out and is memorable about them, yet doesn’t intrude so much that it interferes with the story. To clarify, each character adds to the film.

Although not a perfect film by a long shot, Escape From L.A. is definitely a fun and enjoyable flick. With it’s tongue firmly in its check, the film has fun and plays by its own rules. It doesn’t take itself to seriously, but it doesn’t really have to; and in truth, that’s really a part of its charm.