MOVIE REVIEW - Escape Plan

I know, there's a whole lot of eye rolling out there, another Sylvester Stallone action flick.  This time he teams up with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Escape Plan.

In a nutshell, this is the story of a highly trained prison escape artist contractor named Ray Breslin (Stallone.)  He owns a company that is hired by the Federal Government to be imprisoned in maximum security Federal pens to see if they can be escaped from.  He has managed to break out of every one.  He turns in notes after each escape and shows the wardens where they are weak on security.  For this, he and his company are paid millions.

Trouble is, there are those out there that have been stealing his notes, and compiling all the information they need to build illegal prisons that are for profit. Where people can be incarcerated with no trial, or charges or any reason at all other than the prison is being paid to hold someone in this custom fortress.   Now the irony of it all.  They kidnap Breslin to keep him in his own prison forever, and off the streets.

In prison he befriends another inmate (Schwarzenegger)  and together they start to formulate a plan to escape the inescapable.   And in the process, try to find out who contracted them to be put away, and to bring down the prison and its leader Warden Hobbes (Jim Caviezel).  Can they somehow find their way out?  And we know who Breslin is, but who is his new friend?  And why have they hit if off so well in prison?

For those who are wondering why Stallone is still making these kind of movies, I would have to ask this. What is he supposed to do?   The Expendables series so far has turned out to be great fun, and this is OK too.  This is not a shoot-em-up blood fest. Yes, there is some gun play, and some blood, but there is also a real nice story here for this kind of movie.  They develop the main characters well, and the chemistry with Stallone and Arnold is pretty good.  The supporting cast with Caviezel, Sam Niell and Vincent D'onofrio too, is very nice.   This movie has a turn or two that you will absolutely not see coming and that really was a nice touch  - or two. Well done.

There are a few slow spots, plus some this this is a bit fat fetched, and a bit convenient.  But so what?  This is not supposed to be a documentary.  This is action-fiction period.   And to its credit, it goes to great pains to keep the story first, and the action, effects and stunts second.  To compliment the script, not become it.

Escape Plan.  For what it is, I liked it.