The former soldier and current convict tasked with rescuing the President is named Snake Plissken, played by Kurt Russell. Plissken is offered a full pardon in exchange for completing the mission, which involves infiltrating the prison, finding the President, and getting him out alive before a doomsday device implanted in his body detonates.
Along the way, Plissken encounters a range of dangerous characters, including a crazed gang leader named "The Duke" played by Isaac Hayes, and a band of resistance fighters who seek to overthrow the corrupt government officials running the prison.
Escape from New York was directed by John Carpenter and written by Carpenter and Nick Castle. It was released in 1981 and has since become a cult classic, known for its gritty, dystopian vision of New York City and Russell's iconic performance as the surly, eyepatch-wearing Snake Plissken.
The film was followed by a sequel, Escape from L.A., in 1996, but it was not as well-received by critics or audiences. Despite this, Escape from New York remains a beloved and influential action movie that helped to establish the careers of Russell and Carpenter.