Set in 2079, Guy Pearce stars as Snow - a CIA agent accused of murder and aiding in the theft of top secret material. Of course, he was framed, and finds himself sentenced to 30 years in stasis (a form of hibernating sleep). However, his country needs him, again, when the president's daughter, Emilie (Maggie Grace), is trapped on an outer space prison where the inmates have awakened to start a riot (it's a long explanation, just go with it).
Snow will earn his freedom if he saves Emilie, but can he overcome 497 of the toughest, craziest, most violent prisoners known to mankind?
Without Pearce, Lockout would be nothing more than a cliché-ridden, overly predictable, brainless action film.
With him, it's a cliché-ridden, overly predictable, brainless action film with some funny one-liners thanks to his delivery and attitude.
Co-writers/co-directors James Mather and Stephen St. Leger aren't interested in spending a great deal of time explaining who each character is, how they ended up in the prison or what motivates them. That would require us to think too hard. Instead, Mather and St. Leger are ready to start shooting and blowing stuff up, which is the guilty pleasure of Lockout.
However, it is amazing to watch Pearce, who might be one hundred times better than the rest of Lockout. Pearce, like Sam Rockwell, is one of those amazingly talented actors who should be getting better and better roles (check him out in Memento or L.A. Confidential and get back to me). While just about everyone else in the movie is some campy, extremely cliché character, Pearce makes Snow the guy who is above the fray.
In the few moments where he is challenged to show Snow's fear or react to the possibility of failure, Pearce is fantastic. And, when he has to make us laugh at his blasé responses to nuttiness all around him, he's the funniest thing in the movie, in a good way.
Lockout isn't much, but it is entertaining enough thanks to Pearce.
2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4)
Lockout is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and language including some sexual references.
With him, it's a cliché-ridden, overly predictable, brainless action film with some funny one-liners thanks to his delivery and attitude.
Co-writers/co-directors James Mather and Stephen St. Leger aren't interested in spending a great deal of time explaining who each character is, how they ended up in the prison or what motivates them. That would require us to think too hard. Instead, Mather and St. Leger are ready to start shooting and blowing stuff up, which is the guilty pleasure of Lockout.
However, it is amazing to watch Pearce, who might be one hundred times better than the rest of Lockout. Pearce, like Sam Rockwell, is one of those amazingly talented actors who should be getting better and better roles (check him out in Memento or L.A. Confidential and get back to me). While just about everyone else in the movie is some campy, extremely cliché character, Pearce makes Snow the guy who is above the fray.
In the few moments where he is challenged to show Snow's fear or react to the possibility of failure, Pearce is fantastic. And, when he has to make us laugh at his blasé responses to nuttiness all around him, he's the funniest thing in the movie, in a good way.
Lockout isn't much, but it is entertaining enough thanks to Pearce.
2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4)
Lockout is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and language including some sexual references.
