Movie Reviews

In an effort to post the reviews in a more timely manner, I've created a simple blog of just my movie reviews. Let's hope I can keep current. Make sure to check Robin's World (thebigfatcat.com) for the complete list.

Monday, November 25, 2013

October Movie #3: Escape Plan

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel, Amy Ryan, Vincent D'Onofrio, 50 Cent
Run Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Directed By: Mikael Håfström

Escape Plan is about a contractor named Ray Breslin (played by Stallone) who is hired by third parties to verify that a prison is secure. In order to do this, Ray must be an actual prisoner and break out of the prison like a normal prisoner would do. On his next assignment, Ray quickly discovers that he's been set up. He's an actual prisoner. Now he must figure out who set him up, why, and break out of the most secure prison he's ever been in.

I know Stallone and Schwarzenegger have reputations for not being able to act but I have never listened to that. This movie should sway any acting talent critic. They do a wonderful job. I was particularly impressed with the five minute scene where Schwarzenegger speaks German frantically, psychotically. It was actually amazing. (Although I did have to wonder if he does speak German currently or if he lost it over time from lack of use and thus had to re-learn it for this scene.)

I rather enjoyed this movie. I thought the acting was indeed pretty good. The overall premise of the movie was quite interesting. There were a few holes in the plot (mainly the reason behind Ray's incarceration) but I was willing to let those slip because I found the rest of it enjoyable. There were some twists that were fun, even one that I didn't see coming until the end. I found myself wondering how Ray would escape from an inescapable jail, wondering why he was there, and how all the other characters wrapped into the plot. I also absolutely loved Jim Caviezel's warden character. Evil without being over the top. I actually even rooted for the warden in a couple of scenes because he was so phenomenally diabolical and it was fun to watch that.

All in all, a good movie. It moved well. It had an attention captivating plot. I liked the characters. (And I was glad that the Muslim character wasn't in jail for terrorism - and that they allowed him to have a heart) If you like action movies, this is a great one.



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