The Movie
It happened to Freddy, it happened to James Bond: These iconic movie characters started out dark, with a bit of humorous lilt, but before long they just went for cheap laughs, which was to be the undoing of their franchises. Escape from New York didn't make a whole lot of sense but it had a novel charm, way back in 1981, as opposed to Escape from L.A.--its only sequel--which immediately put obvious gags above story, character or genuine cool. This is Los Angeles, so here are would-be arch spins on plastic surgery! Surfer dudes! Drive-by shootings! Are you laughing yet?
It's 2013 and a devastating Earthquake has physically separated Los Angeles from the continental United States. A zealous, possibly insane president predicted the cataclysm and has been named Commander in Chief for life, whereupon he uses the island as a deportation site for all undesirables, according to his strict definition. But when his own daughter absconds with the ultimate weapon into the depths of L.A., and a military recovery team fails, the feds send the notorious super-criminal Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) to do things his way. Which, if you saw him escape from New York, you can pretty much figure out ahead of time and save yourself almost two hours.
The Picture
In 1996, digital special effect has still not gone mainstream in Hollywood, but Escape from L.A. uses a lot of them and, well, they look horrendous. They simply do not holdup in HD, and would be laughable even in a made-for-TV movie. The simulated helicopters are not even videogame-quality, and the bizarre cross-hatch pattern over one long shot of L.A. sets a new standard for Blu-ray nastiness. Blacks vary, but in process shots with multiple layers they are mushy indeed, with additional noise and compression artifacts. As is often the case with John Carpenter's trademark widescreen, areas of the 2.35:1 frame are frequently out of clear focus. All in all, L.A. ain't pretty.
The Sound
The Dolby TrueHD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack however is a full mix that stands up well to high volume. The surround speakers are utilized extensively throughout, and the subwoofer kicks in to add oomph to the many explosions and the occasional earthquakes and aftershocks. Firefights tend to be large-scale (funny how many guns and how much ammo these "criminals" come by inside an isolated gulag) and punchy, coming at us form all sides.
The Extras
The only "extra" here is a moderately clever theatrical trailer in widescreen MPEG-2 and Dolby Digital 5.1, running 90 seconds.
Final Thoughts
Among the least necessary sequels in cinema history, Escape from L.A. is a goof for the most ardent fans of the first movie, and a goof on anyone expecting originality, high-definition video or serious bonus material.
Product Details
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