Directed By: John Carpenter
Written By: John Carpenter, Debra Hill & Kurt Russell
Based On Characters Written By: John Carpenter & Nick Castle
Cinematography By: Gary B. Kibbe
Editor: Edward A. Warschilka
Cast: Kurt Russell, Cliff Robertson, Stacy Keach, Steve Buscemi, A.J. Langer, Pam Grier, Bruce Campbell, Valeria Golino, Peter Fonda, Michelle Forbes, Breckin Meyer, Robert Carradine, Leland Orser
The year is 2013 and Snake Plissken is back but this time it's L.A., which through the agency of earthquakes has become an island of the damned. But something has gone wrong in this new moral order, because the President's daughter has absconded to L.A. with a detonation device, and Snake is commandeered to retrieve it. But just below the surface there is a coiled Snake ready to strike.
I really wanted to like this film. I think it’s ok, But it could be so much better. I remember when Carpenter made original unforgettable films that were challenging. With this film you see the familiar spark of imagination and style here and there, But it feels like a smorgasbord and reminds you of how much better it could have been. It reminds you of how much better it could have been. It is a reminder that once upon a time carpenter’s films were memorable. Now his later one’s where he admits he’s burnt out. Even some films that weren’t made when he claims he was like VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (Remake) aren’t memorable or are memorable for the wrong reasons. After THEYLIVE other then IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS and episodes of MASTERS OF HORROR and maybe VAMPIRES. It has been good took material.
The first film ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK was gritty and interesting it came from a mixture of Sci-fi and exploitive elements. In this film it is more about lampooning and satirizing L.A. While this feels more polished with less direction and not as interesting supporting characters. This film feels exactly like the town it is satirizing Shiny and empty. It has way too much fake looking CGI. At least the film stays true to it’s nihilistic view. The film was held up for 10 years as John Carpenter felt the script originally written in 1985 was too campy and silly. It seems like it still is.
John Caprenter says that the making of GHOSTS OF MARS exhausted him. I find that hard to believe as this film seems more like a film that would grind you down. Just from the size of the production, Which is really grand.
The character of Snake Plissken seems like a superhero with a bad attitude in this film not the bad ass he was in the first film. Kurt Russell just doesn’t feel as inspired in his performance in this film either. He stays true to the character in the end though. Which Kurt Russell has gone on record as saying is his favorite character. In fact it was through his persistence that the film got made.
Another major weakness is that the villain of the film, Who is not that interesting and feels like a generic Che Guevara rip off revolutionary who wants popularity and power more then inspiring a movement or helping the public like he claims.
The first film felt like a deep action adventure extravaganza that had shades of being a futuristic western. This film feels like it was put together too fast without ideas being fully thought through. It feels like a knock off insincere and plastic. It’s too shiny. It needed to go through a few more drafts.
The most exciting scene is the one set in Beverly Hills. Snake fighting his way through the location which is overrun by plastic surgery Zombies who keep wanting more upgrades. It is what the film does well the action set pieces are good and so are the many cameos by character actors in bit roles.
GRADE: C
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