Review of Escape from New York (1981) by Thomas B — 25 Sep 2018

Great fun. 'Escape from New York' is another good example of '80s action where, in a similar way to movies like 'To Live and Die in L.A.' and, of course, 'The Thing', it focuses more on mood and atmosphere than it does on a multi-layered story. With a good, low-key concept, Carpenter is able to effectively create an excellent video-game adaptation - except it isn't based on a video game. Throughout the film I was constantly thinking how well-suited this would be to that kind of format - landing the plane, finding the president etc. etc. In a way, I think it's the films simplicity that is responsible for a lot of its charm. Without Carpenter's distinct visuals and music, along with a stoic performance from Kurt Russell, the movie just wouldn't be as effective. It has a premise filled with potential, and for once, it's actually taken full advantage of. It's also executed in typical Carpenter fashion, where all the characters have distinct personalities and traits, but we don't really know anything about them - and to be honest, it's once again this simplicity that gives the film such appeal. I wish we could have more stuff like this nowadays - 'Dredd' was a great example of just how entertaining these types of B-movies can be.

All in all, it's just well-made fun, which is really quite refreshing to see.