by Mike DiBella
review
Escape from L.A. certified the rapid decline of the once-esteemed horror/action/sci-fi director John Carpenter. An attempt at a sequel some 15 years after a successful original is a clear cry for help; this sequel hits the skids early on and can never fully steer itself out. Kurt Russell attempts to breathe life into the picture with his rendering of a hip anti-establishment hero, but even with all the cult-camp provided by Peter Fonda, Steve Buscemi, and Pam Grier, he can't save this disappointing dud. The film's finer moments of self-reflexive laughs are tempered by a perplexingly ridiculous ending. The stylized homages to B-movies are a waste as well, but the bottom line is that Escape from L.A is simply not entertaining.
