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Parents' Guide to

Escape from L.A.

By Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Violent, semi-spoofy action sequel is too dark for kids.

Movie R 1996 101 minutes
Escape from L.A. Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

After events in Escape From New York, a harsh USA has gone from bad to worse as a fundamentalist Christian (Cliff Robertson) gets elected president-for-life in ESCAPE FROM L.A. He relocates the White House to Lynchburg, Virginia, proclaims a new "moral" country, and turns the ruined Los Angeles -- a wrecked island after a massive 2000 earthquake and ongoing aftershocks -- into a deportation zone, not only for criminals, but also atheists, Muslims, nonconformists, illegals, and anyone else not in step with Family Values. But the president's rebel daughter has stolen an American world-domination weapon control and fled to LA to hook up with revolutionary terrorists she met online. Ruthless US authorities once again capture slippery outlaw-war hero Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) and force him to go into Los Angeles and retrieve the gadget -- and kill the First Daughter, on her dad's orders.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (3 ):

It almost helps not to have seen the earlier Escape From New York (1981) to enjoy this ludicrous sci-fi actioner. Even though supposedly a sequel, Escape from L.A. is more akin to an alternative version of the original (like YA author Gary Paulsen's published what-if riffs of his classic novel Hatchet). Hot-and-cold running filmmaker John Carpenter hits absolutely the same marks subplot-for-subplot, character-for-character, only with quirky West Coast substitutes, i.e. a ghoulish Beverly Hills gang/cult addicted to plastic surgery, who cut up fellow Angelenos for spare parts. There's a visibly bigger budget, yet the CGI f/x are stiff and fake-looking. The social satire and cynicism of the first movie are also cranked up high, especially hostility toward Christians -- but at least the knowingly over-the-top stunts, absurdity, and weirdos make it easier to laugh this one off.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Snake Plissken. Is he a hero or a character with no redeeming social value? Is what he does at the end of Escape from L.A. justified?

  • Ask viewers of the back-to-back movies which Escape they liked better, New York or LA.

Movie Details

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