Escape Plan (Stallone & Schwarzenegger)

Hande hoche!

Very entertaining film. A bit of of a slowdown in the middle, but well worth a watch. Cinema was fairly packed when I went to see it.

Just out of a screening and I have to say that it was an absolute blast. It's one of those great action films that has a whole lot more going on that simply having things go boom. Considering that it's stars Stallone and Schwarzenegger I expected something completely off the hook with the two stars trying to top one another in a manner that would match the absurd and completely over the top ridiculousness of the plat. Instead we got a rather more serious and inspired film that dialed things back a notch and let the stars try a little acting.

It's no secret that Stallone is a great actor, anyone who disagrees would be advised to check out his work in First Blood, all the Rocky films and his career best performance in Copland where he not only held his own against DeNiro, Keitel and Liotta but acted them off the screen so it's no surprise that he manages to take a role as one dimensional as Ray Breslin and make it interesting. What's more surprising is just how good Schwarzenegger is, sure his delivery is a little one note but he's obviously having a lot of fun and his laid back performance impresses in a way that he's rarely done before. Arnie is well served by the script and has all the best one-liners, including the so cheesy it's brilliant "You hit like a vegetarian." The last time he's been so much fun to watch was way back in 1994 in James Cameron's True Lies. What's most enjoyable about the film is that the two stars have so much chemistry together that you'd almost be happy to spend 2 hours just watching them shoot the shit.

Good as the stars are, the film belongs to Jim Caviezel who once more takes a generic and somewhat uninteresting role and blows it out of the water. It's obvious that he is having the time of his life and it's a shame that he isn't getting more week as there are few actors who are just so much fun to watch on screen. He chews the scenery where necessary but rather than go all out his performance is rather reined in and all the more menacing for it. There's a cold, callous, clinicalness about his character that would have seen him been remembered as one of the great action villains, had the film been released in the 80s.

The rest of the cast don't have a whole lot to do, with the wonderful Amy Ryan given so little to do that she may as well have stayed at home. Alongside her the usually reliable Vincent D'Onofrio is equally wasted and in a number of screens is out acted by 50 Cent, who proves that The Frozen Ground was no fluke.

Escape Plan ends with something of a bang aswell as a number of nods to the stars past triumphs, though regrettably at no time does Arnie scream "Get to the choppa." What is most striking about he ending is that, while a hell of a lot of fun it's also the films least interesting element. The subdued, laid back early scenes are where the film truly impresses and while it never comes close to greatness, for a late night distraction Escape Plan is a lot of fun and shows just how poor action fare such as Taken 2 is.

WHIP IT!

Deleted User wrote: »

It's no secret that Stallone is a great actor, anyone who disagrees would be advised to check out his work in First Blood, all the Rocky films and his career best performance in Copland where he not only held his own against DeNiro, Keitel and Liotta but acted them off the screen so it's no surprise that he manages to take a role as one dimensional as Ray Breslin and make it interesting.

Alrgiht Lad, don't lose the run of yourself now...

WHIP IT!

WHIP IT! wrote: »

Alrgiht Lad, don't lose the run of yourself now...

Stallone owns the film and there's not one scene where another cast member comes close to matching him. He gives a performance that pretty much any actor would kill for

Duggy747

When people think of Stallone, they think of his action fodder like Demolition Man or........eurgh, Judge Dredd.

He can very well act when he puts himself to it and Copland was definitely his peak in terms of him showcasing his ability. People assumed with him in a serious movie with Kietel or DeNiro that he would drag it down when he did the complete opposite.

Slydice

There's a sequel? :eek:

It doesn't look like it'll do great..

but it sounds like they have .. some?.. confidence in it because..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_Plan_3

Development was first announced in April 2017, when Stallone said while filming Escape Plan 2 that a third installment in this franchise was on its way. In August 2017, casting was underway for extras and speaking roles.

Agent Coulson

To be fair Sly looks well for a man who will be 72 next month.

p to the e

Fodder for the Asian market by the looks of it.

Hector Savage

No Arnie .... I'm out ..

Mr E

Looks great.

"Bad to be back" :pac:

Dr Brown

Its going straight to blu ray/download.

Dr Brown

Agent Coulson wrote: »

To be fair Sly looks well for a man who will be 72 next month.

Stallone looks like hes aged at least 10 years since the last Escape Plan film.

Dr Brown

Dr Brown wrote: »

Stallone looks like hes aged at least 10 years since the last Escape Plan film.

To be fair it has been 5 years since that came out and he is a man in his 70s, doubt many around here will look that good when they're the same age.


Really looking forward to this, seen a couple of behind the scenes images and heard quite a bit from the set from someone who was very involved in this getting made and it is shaping up well. Not expecting it to set the world on fire but it should be a solid action film and surprised that it is not getting a theatrical release.

TerrorFirmer

I'll have to re-watch Escape Plan first. For some reason despite having watched it at the time, I can't remember anything about it. Think I went to see Sabatogue around the same time (or even after) and remember that well enough.

Dr Brown

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

I'll have to re-watch Escape Plan first. For some reason despite having watched it at the time, I can't remember anything about it. Think I went to see Sabatogue around the same time (or even after) and remember that well enough.

Escape plan wasn't very good its only selling point was that it had Arnie and Stallone together in the lead roles.

_Kaiser_

Hector Savage wrote: »

No Arnie .... I'm out ..

Yea, seems a bit pointless making a sequel without the main point of the first one - him and Arnie together.

As for the trailer.. Solid meh unfortunately. Looks like another generic modern actioner. Sly should really stick to "event" movies like the first film, or Rocky/Rambo at this stage

Agent Coulson

Escape Plan 2 is a jumbled mess and very hard to watch and no fun at all compared to the first one.

Hande hoche!

They should have gone with Tango & Cash 2 instead.