Lockout

We watched this movie more or less by chance last evening. We normally do not have Canal+ in our “bouquet” but they are making a drive right now so everyone can watch Canal+ for a couple of weeks and this movie looked interesting, at least compared to the rest of the choice available that evening, so we watched it.

It was a surprisingly entertaining evening movie. It is pretty much a standard Hollywood nonsensical pop-corn movie but it is a well done one. It makes no pretence of being anything else than it is. The story is a fairly predictable action story. Hero gets framed during the introduction scenes. Quick flip to the space prison that is going to serve as the scenery of the bulk of the movie. Dumbass thinks he is more clever than everyone else so he breaks the rules. Goes bad. Prisoners break out. President’s daughter just happens to be there at the same tame. Our hero is sent in to save the day. Action time!

There are a few more complications to the story but that is pretty much it. It is a simple and solid story that pretty much holds water. It would have been a fairly standard, even mediocre, movie if it was not for our hero which is doing an admirable job of playing hero and tough guy. The dialog, as nonsensical as it is, definitely lifts the move. The action is fairly good and so are the special effects although it is by no means a movie that is held up by its effects. The main bad guy is a really irritating psychotic son-of-a-bitch. The actor is doing a good job of portraying him but the character itself bugged the hell out of me when watching the movie. He is a bit over the top that has to be said.

Anyway, the movie was quite entertaining as an evening pop-corn flick and since we picked it more or less by chance and did not know much about it before hand it was indeed a fairly pleasant surprise.

Nobody smokes anymore, Snow!

I was kind of inclined to headline this as being the movie guaranteed to make highbrow film fans froth with incredulity. That anyone could enjoy such a derivative, tongue-in-cheek, low ambition piece of schlock, is surely cause for venomous spleen venting from the serio film brigade. They call them guilty pleasures, but thing is, I just don't feel guilty about having such a wonderfully fun filled great time with the Luc Besson produced Lockout.

Plot? Well it's the future and basically Guy Pearce (Snow) is wrongly convicted of a crime and sentenced to do stir in stasis until whenever. But up in space at the MS1 prison facility, home to all the maniacs found in "Demolition Man", the president's daughter, do-gooder babe Emilie Warnock (Maggie Grace), is suddenly taken captive and it's a big hostage situation. This looks like a mission for a serious hard bastard type! Well "Snake Plissken" wasn't available, so they get Snow, who is bulked up, full of wise cracks and has a point to prove. Guess what follows? Yep, complete popcorn frenzy as Pearce and Grace cut a swathe through MS1 and have a date with coolness personified.

On the way, via a truly gorgeous sci-fi affected Blu-ray print, we will tick off the homages and influences and compare notes with our viewing partners about how it's a "Snake Plissken" movie but with Shane Black type dialogue. While those who are partial to a bit of sci-fi design are well served here. Because even though there might be the worst CGI effects ever during a chase scene (that mercifully only runs for 50 seconds), the space ships, sets and Torsion System sequence, prove that you don't need Michael Bay type bucks to please the eyes. From the quite brilliant and hilarious opening interrogation beat down, to the big reveal and punch line, this Besson produced piece is serving popcorn with a smile to a certain segment in the film watching populace.

With bits of the "Snake Plissken" movies, "Fortress", "Die Hard", "Commando", "Demolition Man", "Minority Report", "Last Boy Scout" and any other quip laden dude/wronged man on a mission movie, Lockout clearly lacks originality. But seriously! Was anyone involved playing it as anything other than a sly homage movie? No, they wasn't. Pearce is great fun in the role, but he isn't trying to worry the highbrow crowd's votes for films of the year. Anyone viewing it expecting something cerebral should feel more guilty than those who stand up to say they had a great time watching it. Ingem Ferem. 7/10