Film: Lockout

A convicted special agent gets the chance to earn his freedom in this futuristic action adventure from producer Luc Besson.

Guy Pearce (Memento, LA Confidential) is Snow and his mission is to rescue the president’s daughter from an orbiting maximum security prison where the inmates have just woken from a drug induced state of limbo.

This is Escape From New York in space but where Kurt Russell excelled as anti-hero Snake Plissken, Pearce’s constant wise cracks and uncooperative manner quickly irritate making for a character that’s hard to root for.

Also irritating are the main villains, two brothers convicted for various reasons who speak in a weird Scottish / Irish accent. Whatever it’s meant to be it doesn’t work, they just sound silly, not scary.

Lockout lacks the tension expected from a prison action film and suffers from the obvious comparison to Escape From New York but it’s easy viewing and will appeal to anyone not familiar with the John Carpenter classic.

For a recent prison thriller check out the brilliant Cell 211 which is reviewed elsewhere here.

Lockout is in UK cinemas now.

Ric’s Rating: Dodgy