Escape from L.A. (1996) - 6.5/10
Much better than I remembered it. I actually think it plays better now than it did in 1996. I remember when I saw it in the theater with a buddy and we were so pumped for it and then it was just almost *too* goofy with effects that were so bad even at the time. For those who remember after T2 and Jurassic Park the 90's really had that feel of the sky being the limit with regard to visual effects and that we were entering an era where everything was going to look photo-real.
Yeah, that didn't happen with Escape from L.A.
But all the things that turned me off then (the bad effects, life or death basketball game, plastic surgery gang, etc.) I freaking love now.
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When do you ever see a movie where the director/writers just go "we're going to come up with the most off the wall scenes and stunts, budget be damned?" But they did. "We don't have the budget to make his CG submarine look convincing." "I don't care I want him to arrive in a CG sub." "We don't have the budget or hell even technology to make it look like he's really surfing a tsunami before jumping onto the back of a convertible." "So what, that's what Snake would do, put it in the movie." I love that! Not that I would want that approach in all movies of course but for this one it really worked.
An interesting counterpoint to Suicide Squad. Because in decades past the premises for films like these were always so far beyond what could actually be produced, and with SS we're actually finally "there." But the flip side is that it has to be less hardcore than the "Escape from" movies because of the larger audience it needs to appeal to to earn back its budget. So you've got that give and take. Very interesting.
Escape from L.A. was hella fun and I look forward to watching it more often in the years to come. Usually when a main character in a satire plays it serious it comes across as him not knowing what movie he's in. But Kurt's portrayal of Snake is perfect and actually enhances the commentary of not only the respective social issues it addresses but also that entire film genre as well.