Escape from L.A.
Directed by John Carpenter5.757%39%5.9
The year is 2013 and Snake Plissken is back but this time it's L.A., which through the agency of earthquakes has become an island of the damned. But something has gone wrong in this new moral order, because the President's daughter has absconded to L.A. with a detonation device, and Snake is commandeered to retrieve it. But just below the surface there is a coiled Snake ready to strike.
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Escape from L.A. Ratings & Reviews
- ርልዪረJune 4, 2025Kurt Russell is back as the king of cool "Snake Plissken" in the sequal to Legendary Director John "Halloween" Carpenter's classic "Escape From New York". When Los Angeles is hit by an huge Earthquake and is cut off from the Mainland, the Authorities wall it off to use it as the perfect prison. Once again anti-hero, Convict and Prisoner "Snake Plissken" is sent In on a mission of retrieval. Kurt Russel is once again terrific as the sneering, wise cracking "Snake Plissken" proving once again this brilliant Character creation is beyond cool. The story is decent enough, although the plot is basically just a retread of the classic original. The issue with the movie is simply at times it's poor visual effects and sub standard CGI. The underwater Submarine sequence in which "Snake" travels to Los Angeles is badly done. The visual effects look like a poor College project, and the Surfing sequence later on in the movie isn't really much/if any better. "Escape From L.A, is a big go for broke movie, which sadly doesn't have the budget to match its lofty ambitions. That's not to say its a bad movie, if you overlook the poor Special Effects its a terrific and enjoyable romp, its just sadly pulled down by its disappointing Special Effects. Its fun, but it just could, and should have been so much better.
- alexnoaholdmateMarch 28, 2026Perfectly serviceable John Carpenter B-Movie trash. Don't go in there expecting AAA Oscar stuff, and you won't be disappointed. The great Pam Grier as a transvestite (a male pretending to be a woman) is a little on the nose.
- Grampa CaligulaJanuary 31, 2026Not great, but worth it just for Bruce Campbell.
- flavo43December 31, 2025Escape from L.A. is a baffling sequel that takes a cultural icon and squanders nearly everything that made him compelling. The original film’s gritty atmosphere, practical effects, and moody postapocalyptic world are replaced here with excessive, poorly aged CGI that strips the setting of any sense of danger or authenticity. Instead of feeling lived-in and desperate, the world feels artificial and weightless. The dialogue is another major letdown, often veering into awkward self-parody rather than sharp, cynical wit. What once felt cool and restrained now comes across as forced and cartoonish. Even the story struggles to find focus, becoming weak and confusing where it should have been lean and driven. Kurt Russell still has presence as Snake Plissken, but even he can’t overcome the film’s tonal misfires and technical shortcomings. Rather than expanding the mythos, Escape from L.A. feels like a poor reimagining of its predecessor—one that misunderstands why the original became a cult classic in the first place.
- ZokkiieDecember 30, 2025It’s fun to see Snake Plissken again, but the movie mostly feels like it’s just re-doing Escape from New York with a bigger budget and louder set pieces. A lot of the plot beats and even the tone feel recycled, so there’s not much sense of surprise this time around. Kurt Russell is still cool in the role, and a few moments are entertaining, but the movie leans more into camp and silliness than tension. Overall, it’s watchable and kind of goofy in a nostalgic way — just not very fresh, and definitely not as sharp as the first one
- Aaron SladeDecember 15, 2025Vastly underated! It is essentially a remake of the original but set in New York, however dials up the camp humour, which to me is a big plus! It is a ridiculous plot so may as well make it funny. I don't know what the hate is about, I think this is a really fun watch.
- lueqDecember 5, 2025Great scenery in a dystopian, then future, now past, with an old-fashioned invincible hero
- marshalseaMay 11, 2025It's rubbish, but knows it is. Go for the ride, and don't expect the same genius as Escape from New York.
Escape from L.A. Trivia
Escape from L.A. was released on August 9, 1996.
Escape from L.A. was directed by John Carpenter.
Escape from L.A. has a runtime of 1h 41m.
Escape from L.A. was produced by Debra Hill, Kurt Russell.
The year is 2013 and Snake Plissken is back but this time it's L.A., which through the agency of earthquakes has become an island of the damned. But something has gone wrong in this new moral order, because the President's daughter has absconded to L.A. with a detonation device, and Snake is commandeered to retrieve it. But just below the surface there is a coiled Snake ready to strike.
The key characters in Escape from L.A. are Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), Malloy (Stacy Keach), Eddie (Steve Buscemi).
Escape from L.A. is rated R.
Escape from L.A. is a Science Fiction, Action, Adventure film.
Escape from L.A. has an audience rating of 3.9 out of 10.
Escape from L.A. had a budget of $50M.
Escape from L.A. has made $42.3M at the box office.