User reviews

I loved Guy Pearce as snow, he was the perfect mix of quippy and action hero. The supporting characters were well cast and well acted. The storyline itself was unique and interesting and had a solid twist ending. The cinematography was well done on the still shots, but the CGI scenes played out weird. The main characters were lacking a bit of chemistry. But overall a solid action movie.

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.

***/*****.

It's fair to say Luc Besson has gotten a bit giddy ever since "Taken." The man who once upon a time brought us "La Femme Nikita" and "Leon: The Professional" has instead taken to lighter action fare, in this case recruiting amateurs James Mather and Stephen St. Leger to help write and direct his "original idea." Exactly—not a "story by" credit, but "original idea."

That's not to say "Lockout" isn't creative, but it's definitely not original. Some might dub it "Taken in space," especially considering it borrows that film's starlet in Maggie Grace, but it's much more akin to "Escape from New York in space." Either way, "Lockout" is another simple- concept action film from Besson, only it has a bigger ego that gets in the way sometimes.

"Lockout" is good for kicks, a fact of which it's very aware. Guy Pearce's Snow, the morally questionable and reluctant hero written so closely to the archetype he almost transcends it, weirdly. He has a sense of humor best described as abundant (though sometimes quite clever), and Pearce plays him especially wry; most actors (think Nicolas Cage) would've hammed it up too much or been unconvincing.

Snow is tasked with rescuing the president's daughter (Grace), who is stuck on a maximum security prison in space that has incurred a major security breach. These are the world's most dangerous criminals, plus they have been in stasis for any number of years, which has made them even nuttier. Joseph Gilgun as Rydell, one of two Scottish prisoners trying to run the uprising, is a particularly deranged fellow reminiscent of a demented Groundskeeper Willie.

Both Rydell and the other main baddie, Alex (Vincent Regan), have a cold-blooded edge that could have made for an effective R-rated ransom thriller reminiscent of late '90s films like Air Force One, but the devil-may-care attitude of the entire movie ultimately clashes with these darker moments, even though they do make you take the movie more seriously than you would otherwise.

After a little bit of context at the beginning to properly motivate Snow, both he and us are effectively shot from a canon. The story only slows down a bit toward the end, but it mostly plays out as a series of dominoes. The action doesn't satisfy so much as the pace and the threat of violence (now here's a good example of how you do PG-13 violence), but it's well done aside from an opening motorcycle sequence shot on green screen and outfitted with an effects job that really shows the budget.

Aside from that, the futuristic sci-fi elements stay pretty classy—nothing overdone or distracting. The gadgets provide some creativity to a number of the sequences and the script manages to inject some unpredictability into a story that could not have a more obvious trajectory.

Despite the self-awareness at points, with a lot of that credit going to Pearce, Lockout tries especially hard to be entertaining on too many fronts, aspiring to be the consummate popcorn flick rather than just identifying one tone and sticking with it. The final scene on the space prison strangely evokes the original "Star Wars" Death Star run, as if to make sure the audience gets to munch on some sci fi/fantasy before the credits roll.

It's hard to fault "Lockout" for aiming to please considering that that spirit seems to be the driving force behind the movie's strengths as well as its weaknesses. Although the number of attempts at humor might catch some folks off guard, "Lockout" offers what anyone interested in the film would expect, if for no other reason than its built upon tons of tropes from previously effective movies. In turn, "Lockout" is effective, but not too much more.

~Steven C

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In 2079, in Washington, the ex-CIA Operative Snow (Guy Pearce) is brutally interrogated, accused of treason against the United States. The chief of the secret service Scott Langral (Peter Stormare) believes that he shot the agent Frank in a hotel room.

Meanwhile, the idealistic daughter of the president of the USA, Emilie Warnock (Maggie Grace), is visiting MS One, a maximum security prison in outer space expecting to find evidences that the prisoners are actually guinea pigs of a huge corporation. When one of her bodyguards loses a hidden pistol for the dangerous prisoner Hydell (Joseph Gilgun), he subdues the staff in the central control room and releases the prisoners, including his brother Alex (Vincent Regan) that becomes the leader of the riot.

Now the veteran agent Harry Shaw (Lennie James) offers freedom to Snow if he succeeds in rescuing the president's daughter. But the idealistic Emilie does not want to leave MS-One without the hostages.

"Lockout" is a movie with a well known storyline and nothing new, but also highly entertaining. The story uses the idea of "Escape from New York" and "Escape from L.A" with "No Escape" ("Absolom") and other prison movies. The tough Snow is a cynical and selfish antihero visibly inspired in Snake Plissken and the stubborn Emilie has stupid attitudes, but at least is consistent. The haywire villain Hydell is funny. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sequestro no Espaço" ("Abduction in the Space")

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).

If you are looking for a film to pass (or waste) the time and don't want anything mentally challenging, this film is for you. It's not nearly as gory as it could have been (and that's not a complaint). The film does not tell us much about the characters' backstories, but somehow you don't really care--this is a film about dueling stereotypes.

The point of the film is that the characters are supposed to get through a veritable obstacle course filled with villains, to arrive at a rescue point, but in the film, you never have any real idea if they are getting any closer, or indeed, where they are in relation to their destination. The film also sets up various time limits--a race against the clock--but never gives you a real sense of a countdown.

The actual means of escape is so preposterous and scientifically impossible it's not even worth thinking about.

The acting was adequate. The script and direction had serious problems. This might be fine for background noise on the TV at home, when you don't really have the time or inclination to pay attention to it. I would not recommend that anyone go to a theatre and pay money to see this, as it is on the low end of mediocre.

It is the year 2079 and the worst offenders are sentenced to serve their time in stasis aboard the orbiting MS-1 prison. Emilie Warnock, the US president's daughter goes to the facility to investigate claims that stasis damages the prisoners' mental stability. She is allowed to interview one prisoner but things go badly wrong... he disarms her bodyguard, injures her and soon frees the other prisoners. The only thing protecting her is that they don't know who she is. Back on Earth a CIA operative named Snow is being interrogated on suspicion of treason; he is sentenced to thirty years on MS1 but when news of Emilie's situation breaks he is asked to undertake a rescue mission; he isn't keen but the one man who might prove his innocence is also there. Getting in, finding Emilie and getting out safely will not be easy.

This might not be the greatest of films but if you can suspend your disbelief it provides plenty of thrilling action. The plot is basically a version of that used in 'Escape From New York'... so much so that the makers of that film successfully sued for plagiarism; that shouldn't be a problem for the viewer though as is a solid plot device that works in both films. The cast is solid; most obviously Guy Pierce and Maggie Grace as Snow and Emelie. Also notable are Vincent Regan and Joe Gilgun as the leader of the prisoners and his psychotic brother and Lennie James as CIA officer Harry Shaw. The special effects are more the most part really impressive. Overall I'd say this film is definitely worth a watch if you enjoy action is a sci-fi setting.

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.

The only reason I didn't rate this higher than 7 stars is a few scenes, especially the ending could have been done with more action. That being said if you don't enjoy this, you've either never seen a real action movie or are too high and might to take it for what it is. This is a homage to the old days, when action movies knew what they were and embraced it, those with knowledge of the old days should recognize most homages instantly. Guy Pearce was a good lead for this, was he perfect? No I could think of a few guys who could do the role but it worked. Pearce stars as Snow...a chain smoking, hard nosed , wise cracking ex-special agent with one chance to regain his freedom. The movie is worth watching for the banter alone, it's constant and it's funny. There are some very nice action scenes, I expect no less from a guy like Luc Besson. However my main complaints are from a lack of brutality, an R rated movie centering around a prison riot should have plenty of that. My other complaint is the most memorable villain in the movie didn't get a very memorable send off. Overall I've watched this twice now and will again, take it for what it is. A homage to the old school action heroes, in that sense the film is near perfect

Summer must be coming around soon, as here come the popcorn blockbusters! Although … "Lockout" still might be a little bit "lightweight" to be considered a box office hit, in spite of the explosive and spectacular action sequences and a couple of familiar fresh faces. "Lockout", based on an original concept idea by the mighty respectable Luc Besson, initially feels overwhelming and imposing, but it's actually one of the most derivative action thrillers you'll ever see. The plot borrow its main story lines and characterizations from a series of world famous as well as lesser known Sci-Fi classics/gems. The setting of a (supposedly) inescapable maximum security prison floating around in space comes from the early 90's cult favorite "Fortress", the premise of a noble convict sent in to try and evacuate a presidential relative naturally comes from John Carpenter's legendary Sci-Fi monument "Escape from New York" and Guy Pearce's character Snow fires off as many witty one-liners as Bruce Willis did in all of the "Die Hard" movies combined. The year is 2079 and Pearce depicts an elite secret agent wrongfully accused of espionage and murder, but the only evidence that can set him free has gone missing. Snow is about to be sent to MS-1, a super hi-tech penitentiary in space, when all of a sudden riots break out. Snow is nonetheless sent to MS-1; not as a prisoner but as the last hope to bring back the president's daughter Emilie, who was there to investigate the effects of brain stagnation and accidentally caused the prison disorder. "Lockout" is definitely amusing while it lasts, but it's unmemorable and occasionally even too preposterous for its own good. The structure of the film is logical and most of the key sequences are easy to predict, but at least it's fun to behold the excessive violence and some of the over-the-top performances, like Guy Pearce and particularly the prototypical British scumbag Joseph Gilgun as the indescribably psychotic and maniacal inmate Hydell. The CGI-effects are surprisingly inane and laughable. There's one scene in particular that is quite terrible, namely near the beginning when Snow tries to escape from a crime scene on a motorcycle seemingly borrowed from "Minority Report". That sequence actually looks as if you're watching a video game. Premiered at the annual Belgian Festival of Fantastic Films.

Lock Out is a sci fi action movie with the familiar story of a rebel/criminal being tasked with breaking an important woman out of a high security prison facility. Though the story is clichéd, its a premise that I usually find interesting. The twist here is its the year 2079 in the future, and the prison is an orbiting huge structure above the Earth.

It wasn't as good as the trailer made it seem. The wisecracking got old after awhile, Guy Pearce's character seemed more like a video game character making tough guy jokes than a real person. His love interest in the film also was boring. I enjoyed the action scenes and the special effects of the orbiting prison but to be honest they were kind of routine. There was lots of macho posturing from sweaty neanderthal types who play the convicts and it was kind of amusing.

I liked this movie a lot more than my friend did, who thought it was terrible. I suspect that me being a "fanboy" of the sci fi genre makes me a bit biased to like it more than I should though. I would not be surprised to see this movie bomb at the box office to be honest. I enjoyed it as far as it went but its definitely not great, and unless you are a serious enthusiast of somewhat goofy scifi/action movies, then stay away.

I really liked Guy Pierce in this film. Without him, it would all have been a weak, implausible action movie. You will see that they knew that when they released Lockout, because all the trailers and teasers are about his character.

Now, the rest of the characters are stuck in casting holes they can't seem to get out of: Maggie Grace is the daughter that needs rescuing, Vincent Regan is a tough guy, Joseph Gilgun is a remorseless psychopath and Peter Stormare is an arrogant prick that turns out to be OK in the end.

Frankly I think they should give more of a chance to Regan. He has the looks and he has the acting skills to do something better than second rate villains. His latest films show him "trending" so I may be right.

Anyway, about the film. It was sort of predictable, especially if you have seen shows with the actors I was talking about, since they all do what they usually do to the dot. The special effects or the science were average, even subpar. The dry humour was nice, but not really enough to lift the film above average, while the backstory was pointless and vague. Bottom line: you might have fun watching it, but it is a forgettable film.

Lockout (2012)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

A former CIA agent named Snow (Guy Pearce) is framed for a murder he didn't commit and is about to be sent to a prison in outer space when something bad happens. It turns out that the President's daughter (Maggie Grace) was on the prison for a humanitarian effort when the convicts broke free and have taken her hostage. Now Snow is offered his freedom in exchange for getting on the prison ship and saving her. Yes, this is certainly a major rip-off of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK but without the charm, excitement and great characters. It's really a shame LOCKOUT turned out so bad because it could have worked on many levels. Back in the early 80s there were a whole slew of rip-offs coming out from Italy, Germany and various other countries and these would play in drive-ins or low-rent theaters. LOCKOUT could have worked like those films but the direction here is just so poor that it's really hard to be caught up in anything going on. It also doesn't help that the film is burdened with a PG-13 rating, which takes away any possible sleaze aspect and you can tell that certain scenes appeared to be cut down to avoid anything too graphic. This is really silly because there are points in the film where people are decapitated and there are jokes built around such events and yet it's all editing down. Another problem is that the direction just never packs any punch in regards to drama, action and even the fight scenes are boring. The characters are all standard stereotypes and none of them are interesting. This is especially true of the Grace character who is just downright annoying, stupid and you can't help but hope something bad happens to her. Pearce at least turns in a good performance even if it is rather sad seeing someone so talented appear in stuff like this. The one thing the film does have going for it are some pretty funny one-liners and they're perfectly delivered by Pearce. LOCKOUT could have been something but what it turns out to be is a silly, low-rent action movie trapped in a PG-13 universe with direction that just keeps bringing it down.

I just finished watching this movie for the first time, and having seen Elysium, RoboCop, and Ender's Game in the past few days, I have to say this was way more enjoyable than all three of those movies combined. During the movie, I was making comparisons with Elysium's special effects. Compared to that, this movie looked more like a B-movie, although it really wasn't one. It almost had the atmosphere of a futuristic version of the "Prison Break" TV show. It proves that to get a good movie, you don't need tons of special effects, but rather a good story and of course likable characters.

I liked the way the main character was cracking jokes all the time. It put a smile on my face a few times. I suppose if the movie had a darker tone, it would've been every bit as boring as Elysium. The acting was good, the sound effects were good, and it was believable in the sense that the technology was not too different from today's technology; no magic med beds, no humanoids, no drones, etc.

I got bored twice during the movie and had to pause it, even though the movie lasted only 1:30 minutes. It's because many of the scenes seemed repetitive; the corridors, the walls, the doors, the colors, etc. I think this is a problem with most of the movies that are confined to the inside of a spaceship. I didn't like the space station's poor lighting,, which made me as a viewer have to bear with so many gray, and black and blue scenes, which is one reason why the movie started to get boring and look like a B-movie after about 1 hour. They could have used more wide shots, too.

Despite its flaws, I think the movie was enjoyable, but it could have been much better if it didn't have the aforementioned problems. In my opinion, it's worth viewing once or twice.

7/10

Lockout is the story of a man named Snow (Guy Pearce) who goes into a space station prison, to rescue the presidents daughter (Maggie Grace), who is trapped in an prison outbreak.

Of course there is more depth to the plot, but not too much, the majority of the film is the two main characters running around and barely making it through doors, that can not be broken through. There is also a sub plot that could have been more interesting than the actual plot, and may be used in the hope of a sequel.

Lockouts action is good, and many of the prisoners look intimidating. However the movie fails to really connect with anyone, and the movies hero only delivers snarky comments instead of real dialogue, making him one sided. The movie is also entirely predictable leaving no room for surprises. There is the seasoned veteran man saving woman aspect, but unfortunately this is not taken.

I would say that Lockout is not a complete loss, but a better rental than movie trip. Despite being similar to other movies Lockout is not a remake or sequel, making it one of the few original works in the past few years.

If you are fan of olumpus has fallen and white house down type movies then...it belongs to you.it is a watchable movie thats all.

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.

Make no mistake, the humor in this film was quite amusing, and Guy Pearce's character was the center of attention. The movie seemed to lack a very well developed storyline, as there was only one thing to the movie- save the president's daughter. Therefor, it is predictable, although there are a few 'twists'. Also there is not much backstory or depth to the characters, and the viewers just learn as they go.The audience doesn't know a lot about how, what, why, and when everything with 'the case' happened. Although the action right off the back was gripping, there was no dimension. And for being set in the future with space prisons- the world didn't look too evolved- especially getting to see the inside of the hotel room.

If you have had a hard week and you had a job that drains your brain and you want mindless entertainment,then this is the movie for you. Luc Besson must have been paid a ton of money for his half developed story. The plot was pretty predictable and I saw every twist coming from a mile away. The characters seemed underdeveloped and their actions were nonsensical. The small talk between the two leads seemed unrealistic in a life and death situation. The danger was at an all time low and the ending was not the best. Not a big fan of Guy Pierce's tough guy act. It seems the part was originally meant for a young Bruce Willis. My week was very rough and I welcomed mindless entertainment.

sending criminals into the space prison? do you know how much it'd cost, you moron? nasa couldn't even continue the space projects since every launch cost so much. space travels from earth are only for those who are filthy rich but not for those who are guilty criminals. do you guys know how much it would cost to maintain the existing space station in the present orbit? sentencing criminals into the space to freeze them up is one thing, maintaining the life system with prison warden, security force, making the space prison a normal operation, the logistic cost would be larger than the defense budget. sending the president daughter with some mysterious ailment into the space prison on a humane social mission? are you kidding me? and why all the most vicious criminals are British citizens? why mr. besson didn't put some french criminals into the space prison? and why America is still playing the world/global police and has the jurisdiction and obligation to administer the outer space prison? and why the space prisoners turned loose and on killing spree, all of the Americans could only find one person to do the rescue mission? the cgi effects were one of the worst so far i've seen. and why all the rescue missions of all the movies in such genre got to be carried out in the air ducts? handguns, assault rifles, shotguns, grenades, explosives, dynamites can be always used in the outer space stations, yeah, right.

yo, you guys writing such kinda screenplays, you guys directing such movies, yes, you, can you do me a favor? yeah? okay? here's what i'm humbly asking: GIVE ME A BREAK! enough is enough.