Released in 1996, JOHN CARPENTER’S ESCAPE FROM L.A. was the highly anticipated follow up to the fan-favorite hit Escape from New York. Kurt Russell returns as anti-hero Snake Plissken, who is called upon to save the world from a doomsday device after a 9.6 quake levels most of Los Angeles.
Experience every outrageous and eye-popping moment of the post-apocalyptic classic in stunning 4K Ultra HD, including Snake surfing Wilshire Blvd., shooting hoops at the Coliseum, and dive bombing the Happy Kingdom theme park. The film also features a wild assortment of friends, fiends and foes from a supporting cast that includes Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, Pam Grier, Stacy Keach, Cliff Robertson and Bruce Campbell.
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Video Quality
Escape From L.A. makes its 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with a wondrous 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer that lets the film shine. This particular release only comes with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray, so direct comparisons are a bit difficult, but everything we have gathered about the old Paramount Blu-ray leads us to believe it needed a major overhaul. Scream Factory rescued the film in 2020 with its lauded Blu-Ray release derived from a 4K scan of the original camera negative which is also the basis for this new 4K UHD Blu-Ray release. While fans were no doubt impressed by that release, even those with the Scream Factory Blu-Ray will find reasons to cheer for this full harnessing of the 4K goodness.
This new 4K UHD Blu-Ray has a lovely amount of natural film grain that brings out so much pleasing texture and detail to the transfer. With production design as distinct and varied as this, you want a transfer that allows you to clearly see specific ridges and divots in the environment. Throughout this film you are gifted with a miraculous amount of depth that makes the landscape feel more sprawling and three dimensional than ever. The command over contrast and overall clarity is outstanding, especially when you start looking closer at the objects littering the ground and the outfits of various characters. Character makeup also provides more texture than ever before. The practical effects mostly hold up well under the scrutiny of the format. Admittedly, some of the effects that have always looked cheesy can appear very dated by today’s standards, but the improvements in contrast hides some of the deficits for a more seamless experience.
The UHD disc contains very complex colors throughout even with the dystopian environment in play. The most exciting moments of Dolby Vision implementation are in the black levels that showcase a much greater depth and control without any crush. This allows for much greater details in the darkest segments of the picture. This is helpful due to the film taking place so much at night. White levels are brighter and offer a more assured stability without veering into blooming. The red of the car serves as a high point of the visual presentation, along with the glorious orange of the fire from explosions. Skin tones look natural and detailed. The clarity of the transfer gives you a great amount of facial detail, and nearly all print damage has been cleaned up. Paramount has done wonders for this one.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track instead of getting an upgrade to Dolby Atmos like some fans probably wanted. This is not a dealbreaker since the original track is far from poor and it aligns with the original creative intent, but it is worth noting. The track we get opens up this world sonically with gusto from beginning to end. Nary a scene goes by that you are not provided with distinct sounds that creep through the surrounds to provide some distinct ambient details. All of the elements of the mix seem precisely placed with great accuracy so that nothing ever feels askew. The subwoofer is put to good use with some action set pieces that provide a healthy low end response. Dialogue comes through clearly without sound effects or the score overwhelming important information. The soundtrack comes through with perfect fidelity that complements more subtle elements without issue. This track should be considered a winner from Paramount. There are an array of subtitles included such as English, English SDH, French, Spanish and more.
Special Features
- Theatrical Trailer: A fun minute-and-a-half trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Escape From L.A. is by any measure a huge step down from its predecessor, but it is not completely irredeemable when viewed as its own thing. First and foremost, you get to see Kurt Russell back in this iconic role, even if he cannot match the swagger of his initial outing. The perverse humor and other heightened elements bring this more into the realm of satire which replaces the thrilling seriousness with some campy fun. John Carpenter is not a filmmaker who is beyond reproach, but he at least usually offers something dynamic within his filmmaking that is worth exploring. Paramount Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray which offers a dazzling A/V presentation but next to nothing in the way of special features. If you simply want this film in the best presentation possible, this is the way to go. Recommended
Escape From L.A. is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.