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| Pierce Brosnan and Owen Wilson |
"No Escape" could very well apply to those trapped inside the movie theater watching the mildly entertaining yet bland and highly improbable new thriller of the same name. Given the charming leads, it has a certain enjoyable intensity to it, but it also can't hide its immense predictability or mediocrity. The movie centers on an American businessman (Wilson) as he and his wife (Lake Bell) and family settle into their new home in Southeast Asia. Suddenly finding themselves in the middle of a violent anti-American political uprising, they must frantically look for a safe escape as rebels mercilessly attack the city. Directed by John Erick Dowdle ("Quarantine") and co-written by Dowdle along with his brother Drew, "No Escape" is a paint-by-numbers, contrived drama that could've easily been resolved with like, don't go. It's also a case where the movie is simply mishandled and a wrong fit for both director and stars; the Dowdle brothers are used to a different type of intensity with horror films such as "Devil" (a scary, underrated horror flick that got a bad rep due to its producer, M. Night what's-his-name), and both Wilson and Bell shine better in much lighter comedic fare, all of which hurts the film. There are a couple of brutal, very bloody scenes that are too dark for this type of thing, and I also had a hard time taking Wilson and Bell seriously, even when they're under considerable duress (namely getting shot at or beat up), which happens frequently from start to finish; I'm thankful the theater was dark because I kept inappropriately smiling at the wrong times thinking of the better roles that they've had in the past. Former "007" Pierce Brosnan has a nice supporting role here as some sort of operative that he's made a career of playing, and he easily steals scenes mainly because he's better at the whole shoot-em action piece than either of our likable but out-of-place leads. "No Escape" starts out OK, but the longer it goes, the more implausible and ridiculous it becomes, and I found it hard to believe that a common couple like this had the chops to really make it, and that he would be sent to such an unstable country in the first place. If you really believe there's no escape with "No Escape" then this "Argo"-wannabe is just for you though you'd be better off watching that 2012 Best Picture winner again, a much more satisfying, fact-based experience that will also save you a few bucks.
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