Lockout

Come on people, watch it for what it is. Yes it's silly, it's supposed to be. It looks great and slides down easy. Guy Pearce is a blast to watch as he struts and mouths off throughout the film in a manner I haven't seen since Bruce Willis in the Last Boy Scout. This is an 80's action movie at it's core set in space. One of failures of recent action movies trying to be an 80's action flick is that they forgot that the hero needs to go up against a memorable villain. In this we get 2 brothers that actually deliver the goods. Add in a fancy Star Wars inspired ending and you have fine Friday night escape.

Don't think too hard and enjoy the trip.

I found this to be a great, fun, well-acted, funny, and "unique" take on the typical action films of our our past. I say "unique", because it is not, in any way, unique. I give that the setting is something new, but all in all, this movie pulls from great movies past, and in doing so, made off with a seasoned, enjoyable film.

Guy Pearce was flawless and oddly fresh as the standard "I don't care" action hero. The Snake Plisken-gone right character was the driving point of the whole film, and definitely the best part. Maggie Grace pulls off her best performance yet, even well above her LOST and Taken characterization, showing that a "Taken"-style damsel doesn't have to be in distress. The villains were all over the board in this film, with neither one taking complete center stage. All of them equally hold the necessary torch for the situation.

This is a story that has been told before, but in a new way that is fresh and fun. The acting makes this movie truly what it is, and with solid action, and excellent pace, I believe this subtle action film may be the best yet of the year (future films not comparable).

First off, Lockout is not meant to be taken seriously. It is a fun action sci-fi movie that breaks the boundaries of what it physically possible. Remember when you were a kid playing with your little action figures in the sandbox, well that is how they designed Lockout. They forgot about what is real and what can actually be done and simply had fun.

Guy Pearce is hilarious and teamed up with Maggie Grace the laughs just keep rolling. It is an action, sci-fi, comedy that is amazingly well crafted if you can take your thinking cap off and just have fun. There are a few plot twists, but nothing you didn't see coming. While Lockout doesn't really bring anything completely new to the table, it is very entertaining and well worth multiple viewings.

Due to mixed reviews I did not expect much, but Lockout really impressed me with its style and fast paced action. Other reviews has said that the special effects looked terrible, that is simply because of the style. One thing Lockout has is style and solid direction and cinematography. They knew what they were doing with this movie and they pulled it off perfectly.

The PQ & AQ were great on Blu-ray and while the special features were lacking, it is still a solid Blu-ray release.

Recommended!

I believe that the enjoyment of a movie is directly proportional among other to your beforehand expectations about it. So with that in mind, let me tell you about this movie; It has a completely unoriginal story, terrible special effects and acting that will never be considered, even in a slow movie year, Oscar wordy. In short it's an action / science fiction that should leave you empty.

Yet, it is not boring, quite the contrary. It has a very special 'Je ne sais quoi' to it. I so wanted to use that in a review for which I want to apologies to you.

I enjoyed it more than most films I have seen this year. Perplexed to explain what makes it unique without spoiling it for you and considering my first sentence, I will say after much reflection, seeing it with very low expectations would be the best. It will allow you from the start to get into the world the directors are painting for you, couple that with a possession of a twisted sense of humor and you will find a gem of a movie in there.

In short, for what it is, it is a gem.

Caught this late Friday night with my girl after the Drake gig and had a good night overall. After being on my feet for hours it was good to sit on my arse at twelve on the night and just switch off and enjoy a mindless bit of action. And that's exactly what 'Lockout' offers. If you've seen Luc Besson's Europacorp action flicks you know what to expect. I love all of them and this was no exception. Guy Pearce is the show stealer as Agent Snow, the John McClane of the space age. His wisecracks and mindless violence keep your attention. Maggie Grace is as good as ever as the damsel in distress and the supporting actors do a bang up job as well. Almost stealing the show from Pearce, but not quite, is Joseph Gilgun as the nutty Scot, sure to make you laugh once or twice, even if you're hating the film. The effects are well done, the action over-the-top and exciting and it's overall good late night entertainment. As with all these sorts of films, I'm sure critics and serious Sci-fi nuts are going to hate. But as I always say, for people who can switch off and enjoy a bit of brainless fun, this is a must. Let the haters hate and the watchers watch.

***/*****.