Rating of
2/4
Despite Action Icons Uniting, It's a Bland Plan
Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/29/14
I could make so many jokes about the first pairing of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger (co-headlining their first film together) - like how Stallone is more likely to break a hip than break out of prison or how I hope Medicare covers torture sessions... but such jokes are in bad taste so I will forgo anymore for the remainder of this review.
Escape Plan would have been a blockbuster... if it had come out in the late 80s, early 90s when Rocky and The Terminator films were still fresh in the mind of audiences. Both Stallone and Schwarzenegger have been trying to put together a revival of sorts. I have to admit, I do like The Expendables - a great idea that actually captures the essence of where these actors are at at this point in time (that is, a little older, but still trying to kick some butt). But other films haven't had that success - Bullet to the Head, The Last Stand and - yes, Escape Plan. The issue is the plot is all over the place and it relies way too much on the characters - and they're not given nearly fleshed out enough to make this more than a standard action film.
We start off with Ray Breslin (Stallone) in prison - of which he soon liberates himself - and we learn that he has made a living by breaking out of the seemingly "escape-proof" maximum security facilities nationwide - with the reason being to make them much safer. He has a team (though we really don't get much of sense of any of them) played by Vincent D'Onofrio (a bit on the slimy side), 50 Cent and Amy Ryan. He is soon called on a super secret infiltration of a black site facility run outside of normal channels - and though he team has doubts, he takes on the mission. Of course, things don't go at all as planned as he finds himself inside, but his contact doesn't exist and his code to get out doesn't work, either.
This massive prison is run by Warden Hobbes (a devious Jim Caviezel) and his main grunt Drake (an imposing Vinnie Jones), keeps people in line. It doesn't take long for Breslin to hook up with Emil Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger) - a man who can "get things" and realizes he's not supposed to be in here with the rabble. But in order to escape this prison, he's going to have to really put his skills to the test - made much harder when he realizes it's not an accident he's been left to fend for himself.
My main issue with Escape Plan is that the plan to get out would have failed if this massive prison - run by some of the tightest security (cameras, metal detectors, mask-wearing guards) has simply performed a routine pat down. I mean, the characters smuggle a freakin' sextant (homemade of course) across three different people and it's never discovered. It just blew my mind that this facility housing the "worst of the worst" would fail to do a basic check. But, plot holes aside, Escape Plan has far too many cliches to be considered anything more than a routine action film.
When it comes down to it, Escape Plan looks great on paper - two action icons finally together - but it's a bit too late for this ship to sail and in the end, it's a stand action film - entertaining, but not memorable.
