John Carpenter's Escape From L.A.

A poisoned love letter to Los Angeles, this sequel to Carpenter's 1981 cult hit ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK is more accurately characterized as a remake. It not only recycles the first film's premise -- a major city has become a maximum-security prison -- but also resurrects characters, plot points, sight gags, low-rent special effects and running jokes. It's the year 2013, and an earthquake has separated Los Angeles from mainland America. The mainland is a prosperous, straightlaced stronghold of puritanical Christian fascism, while L.A. is crawling with low-riders and lingerie-clad babes. Snake Plissken (Russell) is shanghaied into rescuing the rebellious daughter (A.J. ...