LOCK OUT
The U.S. government strong-arms a man accused of treason into rescuing the president's daughter from a maximum-security space prison that's been taken over by the inmates in a brutal riot. Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, and Peter Stormare star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: James Mather
Cast: Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, Vincent Regan, Joe Gilgun, Lennie James
Release Date: Apr 13, 2012
Rated PG-13 Language, Intense Sequences of Violence, Intense Sequences of Action and Some Sexual References
Runtime: 1 hr. 35 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
There’s not an original note in Lock Out’s runtime. Every element is “borrowed” from somewhere else with the most obvious being John Carpenter’s Escape from New York. Director James Mather shoots his film with a choppy hand. Occasionally he’ll hit a fun note but it’s rarely sustained. His biggest failing is never getting much out of his actors. Guy Pearce, who I’ve always thought should have been a bigger star, does the best he can even if his dialogue comes off clunky from time to time. Maggie Grace is equally stiff and shares very little chemistry with Pearce. Peter Stormare mugs through a few scenes adding very little. Even with its obvious failings, Lock Out is extremely watch able as pulp sci-fi fun. The first 2 acts breeze easily with the film coming to a screeching halt in the final act which saps the film of any energy it had.
C-
I love the trailer of this film as everything about it screamed CHEESE!!
ReplyDeleteIt looks fun but it's disappointing that it ran out of steam in the final act.
I was hoping for something fun along the lines of Taken? A C- is a low score.
If I get bored of The Avengers I will squeeze it in......
It's cheesy and the first 2/3rds is good fun but man when that final act hit, just kind of dies, still worthwhile and it's short.
Deleteugh. that's too bad. guy pearce deserves better
ReplyDeleteI agree, Pearce is a solid actor hopefully better roles will come his way.
DeleteGuy Pearce is a terrific actor, but recently, he seems to choose the wrong roles. His performance in Don't Afraid Of The Dark was lame, and he also seems to be quite mediocre in Lockout (according to what I saw in the trailer).
ReplyDeleteReally hope he'll choose better projects in the next time.
Yeah this could have been a lot of fun and it almost pulls it off, Pearce can be very good if he's more selective about his roles and directors.
Delete