Title: No Escape
Age: 15
Released: 4th September 2015
Director: John Erick Dowdle
Genre: War, Action, Thriller.
Rating: **** (4/5 stars)
About: American businessman Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson), wife Annie and their two young daughters arrive in Southeast Asia to begin a new life. As his company plans to improve the region’s water quality, the family quickly learns that they’re right in the middle of a political uprising. Armed rebels attack the hotel where they’re staying, ordered to kill any foreigners that they encounter. Amid the utter chaos, Jack must find a way to save himself and his loved ones from the violence erupting all around them.
Review: So the reason to why I first brought this film was because my dad saw it being advertised on another film that he watched and because I was going into work that day, he tells me that if it’s cheap I should get it for him. Well it was only a fiver, so I got it for him (I’m still waiting for my money back but oh well, it was only a fiver I guess).
This wasn’t actually a bad film. I mean I like Owen Wilson, and I did think he did a good job in this more ‘serious’ film. But I can’t not see him as the funny guy and the only funny thing he does in this film is that he makes a dad joke. You know what I mean by this. His joke was the whole thing where the kid goes ‘I’m hungry’, so the dad goes ‘Hi Hungry, I’m Dad’. Yeah, not very funny.
I mean this film isn’t meant to be funny, it’s a serious film about a father trying to protect his family (and the family protecting each other – it does not send the message that woman can only protect themselves if they have a man in their life).
In my mind though, it’s just too serious. In every scene they almost die, get beat up, walk right into a group of the bad guys. I’m really suprised by how on earth they survived and yet Pierce Brosnan who is the guy who can handly a gun doesn’t do so well as them?
Also what’s up with Brosnan’s accent? It reminds me of the time when he tried to sing in ‘Mamma Mia’ – you can’t sing or do accents, end of story (although I do love him as an actor so please don’t hate me).
The little kids were kind of annoying as well, like in one scene the father is throwing them onto another roof and the girl clings on to him, almost pulling them both overboard.
Also in that scene there’s a random guy who is really polite to them all by waiting for Wilson to chuck all his family onto the other roof. Correct me if I’m wrong but if I was being chased by some bad guys who wanted to kill me, I wouldn’t wait for someone to sort his kids out. Sounds harsh, but I’m clearly a selfish person.
The reason to why I gave this film four stars (even though now you’re probably wondering why?) is because it’s a very easy film to watch and not think about. You know how it’s going to end and you know how each scene is going to play out BUT this is a good thing.
I was watching it with my family last night, whilst we ate dinner and there were times when we so worried for the family, that are food was forgotten for a moment. It does draw you in and although thinking about it now the characters annoyed me, it was a very good film.
I mean it’s just your typical thriller film, nothing hugely special about it. But I think for the five pounds that I spent on it, it was definitely worth it.
CastlesandTurrets 