"Set in the dark future of 1997 . . ."<br /><br />Okay, so John Carpenter's post-apocalyptic vision of the future didn't exactly come true, but "Escape From New York" still holds up as a darn fine low-budget sci-fi/action flick. Snake Plissken (as played by Kurt Russell) is still one of the coolest anti-heroes ever to grace the silver screen, and the story still contains some great scenes and dialogue . . . so who cares if parts of it look like low-budget cheese? As long as you can appreciate great low-budget cheese, you'll be fine.<br /><br />"Escape From New York" is set in the supposedly dark future of 1997, where the island of Manhattan, completely overrun with criminals and terrorists, has been walled off and turned into a Federal prison colony by the United States government. The most vicious and ruthless criminals in America aren't sent to regular prisons anymore . . . they're simply dropped into the walled confines of Manhattan, where they face the choice of being killed by the other criminals living on the island or being killed by government sharpshooters if they try to climb the walls and escape the prison colony. So, New York has been transformed into a lawless hellhole where murderers rule the streets, and from which escape is impossible . . . and exactly where Air Force One has just crash-landed, with the President of the United States (Donald Pleasance) aboard. To rescue the President -- and the President's unknown but valuable cargo -- military man Bob Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) decides to send the best man for the job into the heart of this lawless hellhole. That man is Snake Plissken (Russell), an ex-soldier and former war hero who no longer takes orders from any man -- but who faces execution unless he can bring the President back from New York alive . . ..<br /><br />"Escape From New York" features a terrific plot as its foundation and a great cast for support. It's the details, though, where the film starts to slip. Some of the details -- both in terms of story and production -- are quite good, others . . . well, they'll make you wince. Director (and script co-writer) John Carpenter is smart enough to keep things simple and to keep everything moving along at a rapid pace; whenever things start moving into the realms of the laughably stupid, something new and cool happens onscreen to wipe that stupidity away. It's a story painted with very broad and vivid strokes; everything seems very cool and makes sense as long as you don't dwell on the details. Carpenter also takes what advantages he can from his low budget and low production values -- almost everything is filmed in the dark, and a lot is filmed indoors; also, everything (props, costumes, etc.) are deliberately given a cheap and dirty look, rather than attempting to make things look good with no money. Not only do these moves let "Escape From New York" look as good as it possibly can, but it also fits the feel of the "gritty, dark future" that already permeates the film.<br /><br />The characters in "Escape From New York", though, are what really make the film shine. Donald Pleasance is perfectly cast -- and perfectly scummy -- as the President, who is little more than a weasel in a three-piece suit. It's great to watch Pleasance strut around pompously in the beginning of the film -- hey, after all, he's the President of the United States -- and then eventually be reduced to a pathetic, animal-like, gun-wielding thug, no better than any other criminal trapped within the walls of Manhattan. Ernest Borgnine serves up some welcome comic relief as the cheerful Cabbie, who's possibly the only happy person still living in New York. Isaac Hayes, of all people, turns out to be very good as the "A-Number One Duke of New York"; he's not exactly what you'd expect from a movie villain, but he definitely makes the part distinctly his own. Lee Van Cleef is great as the no-nonsense Bob Hauk; he plays Hauk in a low-key but menacing manner that stands out nicely against the over-the-top performances put in by nearly every other actor. But "Escape From New York" is really Snake Plissken's movie, and Kurt Russell is THE reason that Snake Plissken is one of the best movie anti-heroes of all time. Partly borrowing from Clint Eastwood's "Man With No Name" character, Snake Plissken is a man who's going to do whatever he feels is right or necessary, and orders be damned. He doesn't say much -- he usually lets his guns or his fists speak for him -- but when he does speak, he doesn't mince words. It's interesting to note that nearly every other character in "Escape From New York" is a liar of some sort with selfish hidden agendas . . . not Snake. He always speaks his mind, he nearly always speaks the truth, and ironically, he's the most dangerous character in the movie. Kudos to Kurt Russell for making Snake Plissken one of the best sci-fi/action characters of all time. For Snake Plissken alone, it's a genuine pleasure to watch "Escape From New York".<br /><br />Director John Carpenter will probably never be appreciated for what he is -- the master of the modern B-movie. Along with "Halloween" and "They Live", the film "Escape From New York" stands as one of the greatest modern B-movies ever made. Carpenter's films often look like they have the budget of a high school musical production, but they usually at least manage to be original and entertaining . . . which is something more than a lot of recent $100 million dollar so-called "blockbusters" can claim. (Forget the production values; I'll watch "Escape From New York" over the soulless, spectacularly unoriginal "Tomb Raider" any day of the week.) "Escape From New York" might not be one of the slickest or best-produced action films ever made -- but it is one of the coolest action films, and certainly one of the most memorable ones. It might seem cheesy in places, or a little raw and crude in others . . . but it's got heart, and it's got guts, and in the end, that's what really matters. A great action flick, and one of the best "B" movies ever made. Grade: A-.