LOCKOUT borrows a lot from other
science fiction films. It is like a remake of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK in some ways. Guy Pearce is the likeable jerk as ex-CIA agent Snow who is jailed for a crime he
didn't do. He is given the chance to rescue the President's daughter (Maggie
Grace) when she becomes trapped on the outer space Super Max prison known as MS-One.
One of the criminals gets hold of a gun and the prison is soon overrun by unthawed prisoners who have been in stasis. Despite the logic holes in the script, Guy Pearce mostly holds together
this film. Snow (Guy Pearce) is a rogue who cares and will get the job
done. He just has to face off against some very dangerous bad guys. MS-One has to be one of the worst maximum security prisons with no safeguards to prevent the
bad guys from running over the place and I don't understand why the bad guys so easily wake from stasis when they are freed
from their stasis containers.
So LOCKOUT is full of plenty of bad plot
bunnies that require you to leave your brain at the door and just enjoy Guy Pearce's performance as Snow. I don't know how Luc Besson let such a weak script get produced when he has produced and co-written
better films. The film does feature some good actors and some good use
of special effects, but I wish they focused on writing a better script before filming it in Belgrade, the capitol of Serbia. Then I don't see the point of a big space fighter assault on MS-One at the climax
of the film plus the action scenes are plagued by shaky camera action fights and cardboard stereotypical bad guys. The bad guys are pretty two dimensional and not the types you would love to hate. You are happy when they are gone. LOCKOUT could have
been so much fun and been filled with many interesting characters and situations, but instead we get some great scenes with
Guy Pearce while the rest of it is pretty crappy. Wait for rental to see LOCKOUT.
