Escape From L.A./YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Broken Base: Some people think the movie's a piece of garbage, others think it's just as good as Escape from New York, and still others actually think it's better (Rumor has it that last camp includes John Carpenter himself).
  • Complete Monster: The President. His new rule system can be summed up thusly: "Act exactly as I do say, or you die."
    • Not to mention he was ready to kill HIS OWN DAUGHTER.
  • Crowning Moment of Awesome: How does Snake Plissken react to the President's final demands? He hits the trigger for the "Sword Of Damocles"... without specifying a location. The result? An EMP that wipes out every electric device on Earth. The most awesome screw-you ever? Perhaps.
  • Crowning Music of Awesome: "Snake's Uniform". Yes, at this this point, Snake is Badass enough to have his own Leitmotif.
  • Fridge Horror: Sure, Snake shuts down Earth is a Badass act to say screw you to the president, but with this one act, Snake possibly kills millions of people. Picture this: where do are electronics most vital? Hospitals where people are in ICU or getting treated, as well other stuff to help people like peacemakers or iron lungs. What the fucking hell, Snake?
    • If you think Snake gives a shit, you haven't been paying attention.
  • Fridge Logic: Most government buildings have Faraday Cages and are completely protected from EMPs, at best you would turn the lights off for a few minutes and then the generators would kick in. Second, why was their no failsafe for this doomsday device nor a secondary controller in-case the first one gets damaged? Lastly, why didn't they just invade L.A? In Escape from New York they try, but the gangs threaten to kill the president, displaying a severed finger as proof. In Escape From L.A. the president makes it clear that he doesn't care if Utopia lives or dies and would actually prefer her killed; he's even disappointed when she survives, remarking that Snake "didn't finish the mission."
    • The President didn't care about Utopia. However, Cuervo Jones had the Sword of Damocles and could have shut down all of America if angered and even threatens to do so during his broadcast if he sees any US military forces approach LA.
    • Not important, but where are movies produced now that LA is out of the picture?
  • It Was His Sled
  • Narm: Snake surfing a tsunami down a spillway.
  • Special Effects Failure: They apparently had a CGI budget of "ten bucks and an old Amiga", and hoo boy does it show.
  • Uncanny Valley: The plastic surgery addicts.
  • What Could Have Been: Shortly after the movie, one interview with Carpenter brought up the question of where Snake would escape from if there was a third one. While Carpenter said he didn't really plan to make another film in the franchise, if he did the third one would see Snake escaping from Earth. Now that Kurt Russell is pretty much retired from action roles, it's more unlikely than ever.
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