Escape From New York

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Escape From New York

R

1981

1h 39m

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

163 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In 1997, a major war between the United States and the Soviet Union is concluding, and the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a giant maximum security prison. When Air Force One is hijacked and crashes into the island, the president is taken hostage by a group of inmates. Snake Plissken, a former Special Forces soldier turned criminal, is recruited to retrieve the president in exchange for his own freedom.

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Critics Consensus

It may not make the most of its ingenious dystopian premise, but Escape from New York remains a visually striking and thrilling sci-fi actioner, elevated by pitch-black humor and Kurt Russell's charismatically gruff Snake Plissken.

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David Robinson

The Times (UK)

Jun 22

This potentially interesting story is followed through with only the mechanical, high-coloured, two-dimensional style of comic strip

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Jeff Millar

Houston Chronicle

Jun 4

The dialogue is facetiously clench-jawed. The handling of the narrative prankishly thumbs its nose at logic and/or motivation. Russell reads his dialogue in a Clint Eastwood hiss. It's fun.

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Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

Jun 4

Ultimately, the movie's eye is more impressive than anything in its head.

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James Calloway

News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)

Jun 4

Once you manage to swallow the preposterous premise for "Escape From New York," the idea has all kinds of possibilities, but the movie takes advantage of only a few of them.

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Ciaran Carty

Sunday Independent (Ireland)

Jun 4

The underlying appeal is the familiar man-alone-against impossible-odds theme.

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Ginger Varney

L.A. Weekly

Jun 4

The biggest problem: Carpenter and his writers have zero sense of characters, and despite some fine casting in the secondary roles, the movie feels like a comic book.

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Jason

02/08/2024

They don't make movies like these anymore. Thank you for bringing it back to the big screen.

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Joby

02/05/2024

What a great way to see a classic Carpenter/Russell collaboration. I never saw it in the theater, but this limited released allowed me to take my son to see it on the big screen. Movie still hold up today. Amazing

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S. Thomas

02/05/2024

Kurt Russell's most iconic role ever

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03Cobra

02/05/2024

An all-time classic. Never gets old. Carpenter in his prime ('76-'94).

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Chris H

@RT60525826 1d

Some films have more style than substance and are the worse for it. This one definitely falls into that category, but the substance is so compelling you can't complain. The premise is nuts and the whole thing is like reading a comic, but these are good things. Set in the near future (then) it's interesting to see the technology at play - at once futuristic and very 1980s (like the cassette tapes and people using walkie talkies the size of vacuum cleaners). All the cast are crazy and therefore, in this context, brilliant. No explanation of the plot is necessary here; just watch it.

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Meghan M

@RT97728074 Jul 25

Classic movie. We didn't realize at the time it came out how prophetic it would turn out to be.

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John Carpenter

Director

Kurt Russell

Snake Plissken

Ernest Borgnine

Cabbie

Adrienne Barbeau

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Lee Van Cleef

Bob Hauk

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Escape From New York: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In 1997, a major war between the United States and the Soviet Union is concluding, and the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a giant maximum security prison. When Air Force One is hijacked and crashes into the island, the president is taken hostage by a group of inmates. Snake Plissken, a former Special Forces soldier turned criminal, is recruited to retrieve the president in exchange for his own freedom.

Director: John Carpenter
Producer: Larry J. Franco, Debra Hill
Screenwriter: Nick Castle, John Carpenter
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Embassy Pictures, AVCO Embassy Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: AVCO Embassy Pictures, Goldcrest Films International, International Film Investors
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 1981, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2016
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Surround