Escape Plan (2013)

[Silver Nemesis]

So far this year, all the film's I've been looking forward to have disappointed. But I'm still holding out hope for this one.

Good r-rated action is a rarity these days. With any luck, this movie will deliver a level of quality we haven't seen in a while. It certainly has a strong macho cast: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel, Vinnie Jones, Vincent D'Onofrio, Sam Neil...and 50 Cent. The premise sounds intriguing too. Sort of a mix between Fortress (1992) and the TV show Prison Break.

Is anyone else looking forward to this?

[Paul (ral)]

Yep looking forward to it. Nice to see them acting their ages - Arnie looks great!

[Silver Nemesis]

This has been getting a very mixed response from critics. So far it has a 47% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 50% rating on Metacritic. Audiences seem to have reacted more positively. The CinemaScore poll has it rated as a B+, the IMDb rating is currently 7.4, and the Metacritic user score is 8.2.

I just saw it today. Having lowered my expectations based on some of the reviews, I was surprised by how good it was. The story is surprisingly complex for this sort of film and features a couple of neat twists I didn't see coming. It's very much a throwback to the type of violent action movies made in the eighties and early nineties, and depending on your point of view that can be either a good thing or a bad thing. Personally, I liked it. The director didn't do what most filmmakers do nowadays when they drown the colour palette in murky oranges and greens. Instead the distinctive look of the film is conjured by lighting, set and costume design. And this gives the film a nostalgic clarity we don't see too often these days. There's also a pleasant lack of shaky cam and unconvincing CGI. It all feels a lot more "practical" than most contemporary action films.

Contrary to what some of the reviews are saying, the characters are not one dimensional. They may not be terribly deep or unique characters, but they are fairly well rounded. And there are things you learn about them over the course of the film that alter your perspective on their actions and motives. I can't say more about that without touching upon spoilers, but trust me when I say the plot and characters are more intriguing than some of the critics are letting on.

There are some impressive performances in the film too. Sam Neil plays a relatively small supporting role, but is perfectly convincing in his scenes. Jim Caviezel is brilliantly sadistic as the villain. But the actor who really steals the show is Arnold. The trailer gives the impression he's doing his old winking-at-the-camera one-liner routine, and there is an element of that in the film. But his performance impressed me by going beyond his familiar routine. There are two scenes in particular – one where he goes off on a huge screaming rant in his native tongue, and another where he's tenderly offering to carry a dying inmate to freedom – where I was taken aback by how good his acting was. All in all, I'd say it's his best film since True Lies (1994).

This all being said, I'm baffled by how dismissive some of the critics have been of this film. I enjoyed The Expendables movies and The Last Stand (2013), but I think Escape Plan is definitely a superior film; if for no other reason than the fact it more successfully recaptures the spirit of the era those films were trying to evoke. So if you're a fan of cheesy action movies like The Running Man (1987), Tango and Cash (1989) and Demolition Man (1993) then you should definitely go and see Escape Plan. It's not as good as Arnold and Sly's best movies, but it's a lot better than most other action films released this year (Die Hard 5, ugh). And after a summer filled with disappointing movies, I was pleasantly surprised to see a film that actually surpassed my expectations instead of falling short of them.

[Silver Nemesis]