Sequels to beloved films are always a gamble. For every follow-up that elevates the story, there’s another that leaves fans wondering why it was made at all. Back in the ’90s, one legendary director set out to prove the sceptics wrong… only to be met with a critical and commercial cold shoulder. Yet, decades later, he still insists the second instalment isn’t just good – it’s vastly superior to the original. Now, you can judge for yourself, thanks to a streaming rival to Netflix.
John Carpenter’s unlikely favourite
In 1981, John Carpenter delivered Escape from New York, a gritty sci-fi action film starring Kurt Russell as the eye-patched antihero Snake Plissken. The dystopian adventure won over critics and audiences alike, earning 86% on Rotten Tomatoes from the press and 77% from viewers, plus a solid 7.1/10 on IMDb.
Fifteen years later came Escape from L.A. – or Los Angeles 2013 for French-speaking audiences – bringing Snake back for another mission, this time in a post-apocalyptic California turned into an open-air prison. The set-up was bigger, the satire sharper, and the action even more over the top. But when it premiered in 1996, the reception was brutal: 54% from critics and a mere 39% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
Carpenter, however, has never accepted that verdict. He’s called the sequel “ten times better” than the original, describing it as richer, bolder, and more thematically mature.
A plot that doubles down on the chaos
The premise mirrors the first film’s structure but with a fresh political edge. This time, Snake is tasked with recovering the remote control to a stolen super-weapon – swiped by the president’s own daughter – before it falls into the hands of a revolutionary leader. The stakes are global, but the tone stays pure Carpenter: cynical, anarchic, and laced with dark humour.
Despite its commercial failure, the film has slowly been reassessed over the years, gaining cult status among fans of both Carpenter and ’90s action cinema.
Where to watch it now
If you’re ready to revisit this misunderstood sequel – or discover it for the first time – it’s now streaming on Paramount+, also accessible through Amazon Prime Video via the Paramount+ channel. Whether you end up agreeing with Carpenter or not, there’s no denying that Escape from L.A. is a wild, unapologetic ride from a director who’s never been afraid to break the rules.
Sometimes, the films that miss their mark on release are the ones that age the best. And if Carpenter’s right, this might just be the perfect time to give Snake Plissken’s West Coast misadventure a second shot.
