 In 1988, the U.S. turned Manhattan, New York into a maximum security prison where the most brutal criminals are residing for life, due to the 400% rise in crime rates. There s no way for them to escape, as the bridges are filled with mines, a large wall is built around the shoreline, and a police force army is based there to take out any attempted escapees. In 1997, Air Force One is hijacked, so the president escapes in a pod, landing in Manhattan. Ex-special forces war hero/bank robber Snake Plissken is offered his freedom if he can rescue the president, who was on his way to a Hartford Summit meeting as well as a cassette tape (CDs weren t around in 1981) that contains important information regarding Nuclear Fission within 24 hours. Just to make sure he goes through the mission, Snake has been implanted with two microscopic capsules that will explode within 24 hours, meaning that he ll be dead if he s a little late.