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Escape from New York (1981)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 6.8/10
Reviews Counted: 46
Fresh: 38 | Rotten: 8

Featuring an atmospherically grimy futuristic metropolis, Escape from New York is a strange, entertaining jumble of thrilling action and oddball weirdness.

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 2

Featuring an atmospherically grimy futuristic metropolis, Escape from New York is a strange, entertaining jumble of thrilling action and oddball weirdness.

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Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 67,726

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Movie Info

The year is 1997. Manhattan Island is now a heavily guarded maximum-security prison, where the scum of the earth have converged. When Air Force One crash-lands in Manhattan, the president (Donald Pleasence) is held hostage by its denizens. One-eyed mercenary Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is strong-armed into rescuing the chief executive. He is aided, not always willingly, by a tough gal (Adrienne Barbeau) and a manic cab driver (Ernest Borgnine). Escape from New York was followed by a sequel of

R, 1 hr. 39 min.

Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Directed By: John Carpenter

Written By: John Carpenter, Nick Castle Jr.

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1981 Wide

On DVD: Nov 21, 2000

MGM Home Entertainment

Escape from New York Trailer & Photos

Cast

Kurt Russell
Snake Plissken
Lee Van Cleef
Bob Hauk
Ernest Borgnine
Cabbie
Donald Pleasence
President of the United...
Isaac Hayes
The Duke of New York
Season Hubley
Girl in Chock Full O'Nu...
Harry Dean Stanton
Brain
Adrienne Barbeau
Maggie
Tom Atkins
Rehme
Charles Cyphers
Secretary of State
Ox Baker
Slag
Rodger Bumpass
Dancer
Al Cerullo
Helicopter Pilot #4
John Cothran Jr.
Gypsy #1
Jamie Lee Curtis
Narration and Computer ...
John Diehl
Punk
Frank Doubleday
Romero
Carmen Filpi
Bum
Tom Lillard
Police Sergeant
Tobar Mayo
Third Indian
James O'Hagen
Computer Operator
Tony Papenfuss
Theater Assistant
Borah Silver
Theater Manager
Nancy Stephens
Stewardess
Wally Taylor
Controller
Joe Unger
Taylor
Ron Vernan
Dancer
George 'Buck' Flower
Drunk
Steven Ford
Secret Service #2
Ron House
Dancer
Bob Minor
Duty Sergeant
Alan Shearman
Dancer
Dale E. House
Helicopter Pilot #1
Clay Wright
Helicopter Pilot #3
Lonnie Wun
Red Bandana Gypsy
Steven M. Gagnon
Secret Service #1
Michael Taylor
Secret Service #3

Critic Reviews for Escape from New York

All Critics (46) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (10) | DVD (42)

It's a rare film that has so many ideas and yet fails so consistently to make use of them.

June 5, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comments (2)

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

A solidly satisfying actioner.

June 5, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

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

August 30, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

When the final credits roll, you can be forgiven a vague sense of dissatisfaction, because the creativity that went into formulating the premise was never extended to the script writing stage.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: ReelViews

| Comment

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Top Critic

Has a surprisingly measured pace, its set pieces choreographed with a deliberateness at odds with the frantic nature of Snake's quest.

April 14, 2011 Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness

| Comment

Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

Extremely dark '80s sci-fi classic is too intense for kids.

September 14, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment (1)

Charles Cassady

Common Sense Media

an enthralling, if sometimes inadvertently cheesy adventure yarn, an intriguing window into the fears and anxieties of the early Reagan years, and a film-lover's cavalcade of genre mash-up

August 11, 2010 Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk

| Comment

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

New York is the ghost town and Van Cleef the corrupt sheriff in Escape from New York's thinly disguised postmodern Western, with ex-soldier Russell as the anti-establishment hero who won't cotton to anyone's code but his own. [Blu-ray]

August 11, 2010 Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews

| Comment

Peter Canavese

Groucho Reviews Source: Groucho Reviews

viewing the film today is akin to having one's sense of youthful nostalgia violated. ...the terrible dialogue, patchy pacing and silly costumes, so easily overlooked during one's wild-eyed teen years, now seem so much more obvious and distracting.

November 4, 2008 Full Review Source: Eye for Film

| Comment

Anton Bitel

Eye for Film

Its influence cannot be understated.

July 30, 2007 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com

| Comment (1)

Rob Gonsalves

eFilmCritic.com

This almost forgotten film reveals a near-visionary workmanship, a low-budget film heavy on atmosphere and playful of character.

June 30, 2007 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid

| Comment

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

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.

June 5, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Com exce��o de seu interessante anti-her�i, � um filme med�ocre: pouco imaginativo, com cenas de a��o frouxas e uma trilha amadora (marca registrada de Carpenter), � um daqueles exemplos de longas que se tornam cult sabe-se l� por qu�.

September 11, 2006 Comment

Pablo Villaca

Cinema em Cena

The plot gradually winds down into predictable though highly enoyable histrionics.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Time Out

Boasting one of the most iconic characters ever in Plissken, and an effective sci-fi set-up, this is entertainment of the highest order.

November 3, 2005 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine

| Comment

Ian Freer

Empire Magazine

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Escape from New York

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I've always enjoyed Dystopian, futuresque films such as V for Vendetta, Blade Runner, THX 1138 among countless others. Escape from New York is for me, a new favorite in such a genre of film. Escape from New York is an excellent sci-fi action film with a brilliant cast. I personally think that this one of the best cult

November 27, 2011

Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski

Super Reviewer

Set in a very dark and anarchy-laden New York City, trouble brews to its maximum, as a plane carrying the U.S president crashes into Manhattan, which has now been transformed into a gigantic prison. Panic ensues, and it's up to former war hero Snake Plissken (immortalized by a very cool Kurt Russell), to untangle the

July 7, 2007

Mike S

Super Reviewer

Escape from New York Quotes

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1. Brain: Swear to God Snake, I thought you were dead...
2. Snake Plissken: Yeah, you and everybody else!
– Submitted by Francis L (2 months ago)
1. Bob Hauk: You going to kill me, Snake?
2. Snake Plissken: Not now, I'm too tired. [pause] Maybe later.
– Submitted by Francis L (2 months ago)
1. Girl in Chock Full O'Nuts: You're a cop!
2. Snake Plissken: I'm an asshole...
– Submitted by Francis L (2 months ago)
1. Bob Hauk: Remember, once you're inside you're on your own.
2. Snake Plissken: Oh, you mean I can't count on you?
3. Bob Hauk: No.
4. Snake Plissken: Good!
– Submitted by Francis L (2 months ago)
1. Bob Hauk: Plissken? Plissken, what are you doing?
2. Snake Plissken: Playing with myself! I'm going in.
– Submitted by Francis L (2 months ago)

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Latest News for Escape from New York

February 10, 2010:

New Line Still Working on Escape from New York Remake
We haven't heard anything about it in awhile, but Vulture tells us the "Escape from New York" remake...