Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Adrienne Barbeau

In the future, crime is out of control and New York City is a maximum security prison. Grabbing a bargaining chip right out of the air, convicts bring down the President's plane in bad old Gotham. Gru...( read more  read more... )ff Snake Plissken, a one-eyed warrior new to prison life, is coerced into bringing the President, and his cargo, out of this land of undesirables. Kurt Russell put his Disney days behind him as the nicest bad guy in the picture. All comic-book sensibilities and macho posturing, this is one of writer-director John Carpenter's better brainless escapes. There are snappy one-liners and explosive action scenes. However, the film lacks tension and some believability even within the realm of SF fantasy. Even when it fails to gel, though, it always manages to amuse, thanks in great part to a varied and unusual supporting cast (watch for Ernest Borgnine as a cabdriver). Followed in 1996 by Carpenter's overdone and campy Escape from L.A. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Flixster Users

72% liked it

61,016 ratings

Critics

81% liked it

42 critics

R, 1 hr. 39 min.

Directed by: John Carpenter

Release Date: January 1, 1981

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: November 21, 2000

Stats: 3,294 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (3,294)


  • September 7, 2009
    John Carpenter was deservedly given a bigger budget and the outcome was awesome. This is a superior action film to anything that's been released since. An absolute original, quintessential Carpenter.
  • July 18, 2009
    Absolute low budget gold from Carpenter. His best creation apart from 'Big Trouble'
    I love Plissken, he's so fudging cool, a futuristic Clint Eastwood. The look is great and quite eerie in places, alittle violent and a good plot which could happen and the main theme by Carpenter...( read more) is great, really haunting. Van Cleef is still cool in his old age and the rest are allstars of classic movies. Carpenter seems to work better with little money.
    'call me Snake'
  • January 7, 2009
    Although not as fast-paced or well-lit as its sequel, Escape from LA, this movie works on the level that it is futuristic, without being TOO futuristic, and the main character is likeable, while being tough at the same time. Whether you like Kurt Russell or not, it seems that he ...( read more)was made for the part of Snake Plissken. One of its highest points is its theme song. It really gets your adrenaline going, and that is one of the most important factors of movies. Available on DVD. Sequel, Escape from LA, filmed 15 years after the original also available on DVD.
  • November 1, 2008
    Bad ass Snake Plissken is the equivalent to the Man With No Name, except he doesn't get to score the chicks as well. Nevertheless, lots for folks to steal from for decades. Carpenter gets no real love for how far ahead of things he was and being able to bring it all together with...( read more) a shoe string budget.
  • October 16, 2008
    As funkily dated as this movie seems -- and I think it seemed that way even when it came out -- it's still a very good action movie. Snake Plissken is an anti-hero for the 70s and for all time. Up the system!
  • November 17, 2009
    Next to The Thing, this is my favorite John Carpenter film. It has one of the best storylines. Sectioning off Manhattan to prisoners was a bad mistake, but it's not a problem when you've got Snake Plissken. Kurt Russel was perfect as a heartless killing machine who only does what...( read more) he's paid for. The landscape is desolate and chaotic, but there's a real sense of beauty to it. The movie is brutal, unforgiving and just non stop fun. It stands out among other futuristic stories in the fact that it is so perfectly intricate and solid. It still doesn't lose its charm no matter how many times you watch it.
  • November 10, 2009
    i had heard people going on about this film and was expecting, well something. i got nothing, this film was boring and nothing happened. i have absolutely no idea what people see in this film.
  • November 4, 2009
    "Snake Pliskin? I thought you were dead..." HA!
  • October 26, 2009
    John Carpenter and Kurt Russel
    Great combo.
  • October 23, 2009
    The year is 1997. New York is a maximum security prison where hardcore criminals are put for life. En route to an important conference, the President, on board Air Force One, is forced to eject in a pod when a terrorist takes over the controls and crashes the plane. Snake Plisske...( read more)n is offered his freedom if he goes in, frees the President and finds a tape with important information for the conference or he will die. Snake must set out into the decaying city, filled with immoral criminals, and he must succeed--for his own life.

    stars Kurt Russell, Adrienne Barbeau, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Harry Dean Stanton, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Season Hubley and Tom Atkins.

    directed by John Carpenter.

Comments


This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Escape from New York" !

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • XXX: State of the Union (XXX: The Next Level)
    XXX: State of the Union (XXX: The Next Level) (19%)
  • Mad Max 2 (The Road Warrior)
    Mad Max 2 (The Road Warrior) (76%)
  • Mad Max
    Mad Max (77%)
  • No Escape (Escape from Absolom)
    No Escape (Escape from Absolom) (30%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

Escape from New Y... : Watch Free on TV


Escape from New York Trivia


  • hi i am snake bliskin! what movie am i from?  Answer »
  • "Escape From LA," was a sequal to which film?  Answer »
  • Who played Snake Pleskin in 'Escape from New York' ?  Answer »
  • Are the movies Escape from L.A., Escape from New York and Escape from Alcatraz a trillogy?  Answer »

Most Popular Skin