Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine’s review published on Letterboxd:
In light of the poor rating and lousy reception this has received throughout the years, I wasn't sure if I wanted to try this one after enjoying the original so much.
And I see why people mostly hate this movie.
Look, while the “Escape From New York” is anchored in the B movies and its at times very over the top and ridiculous, but this one goes the extra mile and that’s the biggest mistake, since the first one strikes just the right balance, but this one toss that out the window for something that can only be described as "bizarre". The whole thing with the president's daughter just makes me scratch my head and yell at my screen "What the fuck is going on?". Also, Hollywood should stop making city surfing a thing, as that will never work. Then there's this transgender woman who appears out of nowhere, was that an old character or did I miss something?
Despite everything this movie does wrong, I wouldn't call it thrash. Steve Buscemi just randomly popping up and doing his schtick was pretty fun. Although I wasn't really invested in the story, I did enjoy the bizarre nature of this movie at times. Despite the poor materials Russell has been given, he still does an excellent job.
All in all, it's not as horrible as it's been painted as, but it's still a far cry from the first installment's incredible cheesiness. The main theme song still slaps hard!
TODAY SCHEDULE
White Squall
GI Jane
Escape From LA
Hard Target
