Escape from New York

Name: Escape from New York
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Released: July 10, 1981
Duration: 99 min
Rating: 76
Cast: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef

1981

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 79 Ratings

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7.5

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7.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 79 Ratings

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Escape From New York

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Movie Details & Credits

Embassy Pictures | Release Date: July 10, 1981 | R

Starring: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef

Summary: In 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber (Kurt Russell) is sent in to rescue him.

Director: John Carpenter

Genre(s): Action, Sci-Fi

Rating: R

Runtime: 99 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Vincent Canby

It's a toughly told, very tall tale, one of the best escape (and escapist) movies of the season. Read full review

100

Joshua Rothkopf

The pleasures are right in your face, beginning with the million-dollar idea of turning NYC into a walled-off prison where criminals run free. Even born-and-raised New Yorkers (of which Carpenter was decidedly not) could smile at that histrionic setup; it’s an outsider’s joke made funny by our willingness to be entertained. Read full review

Arthur Knight

It has got an intriguing premise, an effective cast, and it has been expertly mounted. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

A generally gripping actioner, the film can also be read as a percipient satire of a society irreparably split along lines of class and race. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Although execution doesn’t quite live up to the fabulous premise, Escape from New York is a solidly satisfying actioner. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Escape from New York isn't really science fiction -- it's an action flick set in a futuristic setting. Epic potential for a masterful, gripping tale is abandoned in favor of cheap thrills. Read full review

David Ansen

Escape From New York gets more conventional as it goes along, settling for chases and narrow escapes when it could have had wild social satire as well. Carpenter has a deeply ingrained B-movie sensibility--which is both his strength and limitation. He does clean work, but settles for too little. [27 July 1981, p. 75]

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User Reviews

plisken_snake

Mar 2, 2020

This is my favourite movie of all time. It has incredible cinematography brought to us by Dean Cundey who also did Halloween, The Thing, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park. This like most of Carpenters work has a somewhat simplistic story that somewhat takes a back seat to the amazingThis is my favourite movie of all time. It has incredible cinematography brought to us by Dean Cundey who also did Halloween, The Thing, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park. This like most of Carpenters work has a somewhat simplistic story that somewhat takes a back seat to the amazing premise of crime has raised by 200% and now in 1997 New York City is a maximum security prison that once you go in you don't come out. The acting especially from Kurt Russel Lee Van Cleef and Donald Pleasence really sells this universe and the synth score from John Carpenter elevates the whole movie. This is a must watch.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

AcidCasual

Dec 15, 2020

Not perfect, but Jesus wasn't either.

From the initial credits, you're plunged into a universe every man would want to live. A world where everyone sounds cool, they dress mean and if you mess around, you get thrown into a giant open prison where the police and government can't bother you.Not perfect, but Jesus wasn't either.

From the initial credits, you're plunged into a universe every man would want to live. A world where everyone sounds cool, they dress mean and if you mess around, you get thrown into a giant open prison where the police and government can't bother you.

The story is quite simple with little to no real need to think outside the box in terms of plot. What's so good about this film is that the characters are true. Pliskin is hard, so he will be hard at some point. Brain is sneaky, so you know he will double cross, the duke is crazy and so on, so it's just a case of when and with time running out, you think to yourself. It's all going to explode.

The cinematography or rather the type of cameras they use and the choice of location gives off a real authenticity to the story. Examples of this are at the beginning when the camera moves up over the wall to show Manhattan island in total darkness. When Pliskin shows up at Brains at this grand library, and when Duke is chasing Pliskin on the bridge, even at the boxing ring.

Epic'ness mixed with the raw, lens flare, 80's style camera work makes the story have great momentum.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

eva3si0n

Sep 12, 2021

Escape from New York is one of the best post-apocalyptic films. These are definitely the best years in the career of the still young Kurt Russell. The film is literally saturated with the history of the USA of the 70s. An excellent action movie, which at this level is almost not shot in ourEscape from New York is one of the best post-apocalyptic films. These are definitely the best years in the career of the still young Kurt Russell. The film is literally saturated with the history of the USA of the 70s. An excellent action movie, which at this level is almost not shot in our time. It's amazing to see the future of John Carpenter in 1981. I am surprised that with such a small budget I managed to make such a great film.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

NickTheCritick

Nov 22, 2022

A repeat criminal has a chance at a pardon if he helps rescue the president, who is being held hostage in the city prison of Manhattan.
A classic of the utopian-futuristic genre, a film simply in full Carpenter style. An unmissable cult.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

royalguy07

Aug 18, 2022

All time wonderful galaxy brain concept, Loomis as the president was hilarious and terribly miscast. Unfortunately the lighting in half the movie is so dull that it became pretty frustrating.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

ahmedaiman1999

Jul 20, 2019

It's no secret that John Carpenter is the master of atmosphere. And here he's at the top of his game. He symbolizes the actual pulse of the viewer, as well as the characters' pulses in the film, through this simple, yet dramatic heartbeat pulse sound. The murky dystopian atmosphere thatIt's no secret that John Carpenter is the master of atmosphere. And here he's at the top of his game. He symbolizes the actual pulse of the viewer, as well as the characters' pulses in the film, through this simple, yet dramatic heartbeat pulse sound. The murky dystopian atmosphere that every single scene in the movie is drenched in is also quite convincing. This is probably would make many people angry, but I couldn't help but feel that this film might have an influence on Ridley Scott's masterpiece, Blade Runner!

Unfortunately, I was bored to death watching Escape from New York, for many reasons. First and foremost, the film is cheesy and slow-buring a the same time, and I just couldn't digest that. Hence, I found the movie very silly and slow-paced for its own good.

Secondly, all of the characters are extremely flat, including the bad-ass protagonist, Snake Plissken. Kurt Russell is not to blame, though. He's as cool as always. The rest of the cast also did a good job. I digged the characters of Maggie and Brain, though. I liked how untrustworthy and unreliable they are.

Thirdly, the plot is underdeveloped, unoriginal and stretched out. That made me feel that the film never ends despite its short runtime.

I know it's an unpopular opinion, and the fans may get so pissed off. But unlike all the other Caprenter films, I really didn't enjoy this at all.

(5/10)… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

wesseldj

Oct 10, 2020

I was expecting some crossover between Madmax and Big Trouble in little China or even had hopes with glimpse of glory to the likes of Running Man. Had my popcorn and beer ready for some hell of a crazy 80s retro action flick ride.

However the story and execution of this movie were poorlyI was expecting some crossover between Madmax and Big Trouble in little China or even had hopes with glimpse of glory to the likes of Running Man. Had my popcorn and beer ready for some hell of a crazy 80s retro action flick ride.

However the story and execution of this movie were poorly lacking. Most of the time you don't know what is really going on. The humor was a bit off. And the oneliners didn't really matter much. The characters were flat and the different factions and gangs in the forsaken barren depiction of New York Manhattan City weren't explained and weren't fleshed out. You just didn't care much about them all. There weren't even that many of New York landmarks to make this movie a worthwhile watch, this movie could have been filmed anywhere else, it didn't made it feel like explicitly New York, which is a shame.

The actions were bland and lacked inspiration. And overall it was trying too hard to be something, but failed at it. Even for a B-movie this was badly executed and an abomination of a film. I would not even recommend this for nostalgia sake, it leaves a bitter after taste that can only be forgotten by washing down with some couple cans of more beer......… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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