Escape from L.A. is a significant improvement in areas

Escape from L.A. is a significant improvement over the first Snake Plisskin adventure. The action sequences are better paced and directed. The erratic, tongue-in- cheek comedy of New York is back, but, in this picture, it is supplemented by a barbed satire of family values and political correctness. Best of all, however, the basic premise is satisfactorily explored rather than just existing as a jumping-off point. In the previous outing, Snake was dropped in the midst of a generic New York that could have been any abandoned city. Here, Los Angeles is clearly Los Angeles (or, more appropriately, what's left of Los Angeles), and we are given a tour of both the changed geography and the bizarre cultures rising from the ashes. This aspect of the movie, rather than any other, makes Escape from L.A. a more fascinating piece of film making.

There's a shade less atmosphere in L.A. than in New York, but the production values and set design in the sequel are still top-notch. There are some truly breathtaking sequences, such as the spectacle of a tsunami bearing down on the coast or an overhead shot of what became of Disneyland. Borrowing from Blade Runner and other futuristic features, Carpenter has made Escape from L.A. visually striking, and, if audiences aren't already exhausted by this summer's other action fare, it should play well.

The only returning actor is Kurt Russell, who slips effortlessly into his character as if a decade- and-a-half hadn't passed. Little has changed -- Snake still talks with a Clint Eastwood-like rasp, sports a heavy five o'clock shadow, and openly despises authority. It's a tribute to Russell that, after so long, he can accurately and effectively re-create his first action role. Though Snake may have aged, the self-deprecating, angry core that makes him more than a mere caricature hasn't changed one bit.