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

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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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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Joseph P.

@JPcinema Jun 5

"Escape from New York", after 45 years, remains one of the best action movies, one of the best examples of dystopian sci-fi, as well as one of the best (and still eerily relevant) cautionary tales of modern cinema. Kurt Russell right from his introduction instantly makes Snake Plissken an iconic anti-hero for the ages. He takes what Clint Eastwood did for the western mythos in the 60s and 70s and applies his own spin on that same gruff approach to his journey through Carpenter's twisted criminal wonderland version of New York. It's still exciting, memorable, and meaningful all these years later.

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Mark B

@RT22564052 Jun 1

A big yes for me. One of my all time cult favorites.

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John Carpenter

Director

Kurt Russell

Snake Plissken

Ernest Borgnine

Cabbie

Adrienne Barbeau

Maggie

Lee Van Cleef

Bob Hauk

Donald Pleasence

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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