Starring: Owen Wilson, Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan
Directed By: John Erick Dowdle
Yes, it’s a non-stop suspense fest. Somehow, I felt myself not really caring. And while I totally felt the commitment from Lake Bell, I didn’t feel it either from Wilson or Brosnan. Brosnan pulls on his usual smolder and charm, and it feels odd in a supporting role. On top of the fact that he’s playing a spy. I know that’s a spoiler, but come on now. Can we stop casting Pierce Brosnan as a spy? He can do other things, and other people can play spies.
Wilson hasn’t been required to do anything dramatic in a while, and he’s off his game. He came off looking more confused than anything else, like he couldn’t remember his lines, or what to do in the next scene. Some scenes he didn’t feel like the father of children, and others he did. Lake Bell, great job. Seriously. Loved her.
This film could have been more brutal, but it hid most of the brutality from us. I feel like, oddly enough, this film should have been more brutal? Is that a weird thing to say? I don’t want to suggest we needed more violence to enjoy a movie, but a movie of this subject matter, it actually counts. It’d be like seeing Saving Private Ryan, but the PG-13 version. It would lack some brevity.
No Escape isn’t a terrible movie, and it definitely does not have pacing issues. A fast movie that might catch you a few times with some surprises and twists.
FINAL GRADE: C+
