JOE takes a look at the genius that is Kurt Russell in Escape from New York, the ultimate reluctant hero.
By Genna Patterson
Escape from New York is an incredible 32 years old this year, it was released back in 1981 and stars favoured action hero of the era, Kurt Russell. The sci-fi action movie is set well into the future, in 1997 (a good 16 years ago now), where the greatest city in the world, New York, has become an inescapable prison.
When the president’s plane crash lands inside the walls of the prison, there is only one man the government can think of as tough enough to retrieve him, the narky bad-ass Snake Plissken. We want to give this movie a bonus point just for the character name Snake Plissken. Genius!
In the Escape from New York world, the US has increased population by 400 per cent and a third world war is taking place. The President is shot down in Air Force One and captured by terrorists in Manhattan.
Ex-special forces soldier turned criminal Plissken is offered a deal: Save the president and a secret tape, and he’ll get a full pardon. There’s one problem; the powers that be don’t quite trust Plissken, and so he is injected with microscopic explosives that will rupture his carotid arteries in 24 hours if he doesn’t return. There’s no incentive like your own death after all.
Plissken is left to fend for himself inside the 50-foot walls atop the World Trade centre in a glider, and armed with some guns, an attitude problem and some cringey one-liners, he is ready to take on anything. As Plissken tracks down the self proclaimed Duke of New York (played by Isaac Hayes), he meets many down-and-outs who know him by reputation who offer to help on his mission.
Plissken discovers that the Duke has plans to use the president as a human shield in a mass escape attempt. He must save the president from his clutches, but not before a near fight to the death with the Duke’s henchman. Time is ticking as Plissken escapes and discovers his glider has been attacked. He must find a different way to escape the inescapable New York.
There are few movies that achieve genuine cult status, and Escape From New York is one of the lucky ones. As well as being a box office success it achieved cult status and frequently features on cult action movie lists.
This movie is one to watch because it’s so bad, it’s actually good. Directed by John Carpenter of the Halloween movies, Escape From New York attempted to reignite the Plissken-style movie with a sequel in 1996 – Escape From L.A. (which is essentially the same movie, but in L.A.)
You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, but above all you’ll enjoy this throwback to when action heroes were nasty but we loved them anyway. Escape from New York is a treat to watch, with the most reluctant hero you’ll ever meet.
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