Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Lockout (2012)


JohnnyTwoToes finds Luc Besson - Guy Pearce Sci-Fi Actioner Insipid & Boring! 


I have been a long time fan of Guy Pearce and enjoyed most of the films he has been in. The key word here being "most". He can elevate any film and add energy to it, even when a film might be a dog. But, even he has his limitations. I mean he can only do so much. Lockout is a pathetic excuse of a film what is even more disheartening is that it comes billed as a "original" idea by Luc Besson who also cowrote the script with the film's directors Stephen St. Leger and James Mather. How three people could come up with such a tired retread made of better films is beyond me. 

Lockout tells the story of another wrongly accused man sent to prison who then gets the call to rescue the President's daughter (Maggie Grace) once a riot breaks out at said prison and she is taken hostage. The catch here is that the prison is in space. Guy Pearce does the best he can but no one could elevate this sorry film above a D grade action flick. The action is lame and the dialogue is stale and unfunny. The acting is decent but why populate the film with A list talent and give them nothing interesting to do or say? 

These films are only as good as the villain; or as bad as the villain. Alex (Vincent Regan) and Hydell (Joseph Gilgun) are the two baddies that could have been floated in from any other prison flick. There is nothing especially bad about these two as far as movie bad guys go. Yes, they kill but I watched them and started to think about Alan Rickman's deliciously evil performance as Hans Gruber in 1988's Die Hard. I was hoping he might come in and have a cameo and take the prison over. You only think this way if you are watching a turd of a movie. the direction by Mather and St. Leger has as much energy as frickin' pen light and all of the subtley of a brick through a plate glass window. 

About the only positive thing I can say about Lockout is the score by Alexandre Azaria. He was worked almost exclusively with Luc Besson and knows how to create an action score that is fresh. Lockout is a lifeless mass of celluloid that never gets going or has anything interesting to say or show us and is on my list as one of the worst films of the year. Lockout-* out of 4

4 comments:

  1. Your review is spot on. I watched the movie, because i heard names like Luc Besson, Guy Pearce, but this was a badly executed movie.

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    1. Thank you for your comment, Arun. I am glad you enjoyed my review and we are in agreement. Here's to watching better movies......checkout some of my other reviews and tell me what you think; good, bad or otherwise.

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  2. How can a film with such funny one-liners and a powerhouse character actor, like Guy Pearce not be a fun ride? I realize that some movies can’t be saved, but I still don’t believe this can be possible with this movie. When I first heard about this film from a co-worker at Dish, it was the idea of seeing Pearce again that really got me excited. Then I heard the plot and realized this would be an actual opportunity to be purely entertained with his humorous sarcasm. Since I have a wicked travel schedule, I love using my Dish Online when I’m away, since my laptop is my constant travel buddy. Being a fan of Pearce, I can’t see a problem hanging out with him when I’m away from home, and desire some company.

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    1. Sadie, if you are away from home and are needing a GOOD Guy Pearce film to watch then watch L.A. Confidential, Momento or The Proposition; 3 great films featuring the great acting of Guy Pearce. Lockout is not one of those films to watch, but if curiosity is getting the better of you, give it a try and let me know what you think; like or dislike.

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