(SPOILER WARNING!!! This article does contain spoilers, if you haven’t seen the movie, just see the first paragraph to be informed without spoilers!!!)

No Escape is a decent survival movie with some intense scenes, however, in the end it just got too predictable and cliched.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Owen Wilson is an actor that does give a lot of charm in his roles that he plays. Almost every movie it seems like he is the cool, calm, and collected dude that likes to charm the ladies with his intellect. Even though I’m not sure how he got acting roles with that jacked up nose of his, but his nose and voice is very recognizable. My gripe with him is that he always seems to be a typecast in almost every movie. As a sidekick it’s cool, but as a lead, it can get annoying. I loved him in The Wedding Crashers which shows how good he can be in comedies, but he never really did an action movie. (The only one I can think of is Behind Enemy Lines which he was good in.) So when I saw him in the trailer for No Escape, it immediately intrigued me, cuz I’m seeing him in a role out of his norm. I want to see if he really has what it takes to branch out his acting chops. I believe he can with the right role and script.

What I Like: The movie, especially the first two thirds of it, was very thrilling. Seeing Owen Wilson, playing Jack Dwyer, a family man who moves to an uncertain place in Asia, and when rebel savages attack, he is trying to save himself and his family from certain death. You keep asking yourself, how are they going to get through? Will they survive? Who will die? At the beginning, the movie keeps you guessing. There are some really intense scenes that got me at the edge of my seat. The jumping from one roof to another scene was intense. The close calls with certain death. When they were about to violate Jack’s wife, Annie Dwyer, played by Lake Bell. Also, when one of the savages tried to make his own daughter kill him. The violence wasn’t gruesome but enough to make you twist and turn with uncomfortableness. For Owen Wilson, I though he did a good job. He was convincing as a desperate man trying to save his family, and doing whatever it takes. It was good seeing fear in his eyes in his acting. It was truly convincing. He also didn’t lose his charm in his role, it showed with his great chemistry with his family. He shows why he is a good father and husband, and the love he gives them. Those scenes showed some true fell good moments that were appropriate and needed to calm you from the intense scenes. I enjoyed the ending where he finally told his family the story of his first daughters birth, and shows why it was appropriate and appreciated by his family.

The So So: Pierce Brosnan played a guy named Hammond. A very minor role where he played a free spirited guy at the beginning, but on the end, he was a government agent that really helped Jack’s family survived. His role played a big part of cliches as a nice guy to a sort of hero. He was also the guy to explain what was going on in the country they in to make it a political approach which wasn’t that effective, but it brought some clarity to the story. Hammond continued the cliche of a hero by showing up when the rebel savages was about to violate Annie, and killed everyone in the process. The fact that he admitted that he was the cause of the rebellion, and died saving Jack was cliched as well. It pertained well to the story, but it made the third act so subpar compared to the first two thirds of the movie. Director, John Erick Dowdle, who is known for making horror movies, did a decent job directing this suspenseful movie. My only gripe is that he took the Bourne movies approach with the shaky cameras which was too much in my opinion. Also, the roof and helicopter scene was too CGI’d fore to enjoy the scene.

What I Didn’t Like: There were some parts where the writing was just lazy. Like when Jack looked to be trapped with the rebel savages, Annie decided to turn herself in which was a really stupid idea. I mean, what was she thinking. She could of screwed her while family with that decision and almost did, if it wasn’t for the Hammond becoming the hero cliche. Also, in the other scene where Jack’s daughter was being forced to kill her dad, and finally Annie comes to whack the rebel in the head. My question is what took so long? Also didn’t the other rebel savages see her coming with a big stick? Lastly, it was BS when Hammond shot a guy on a tower a block or two away with only a handgun. Not even a navy seal can do that.

Overall: The movie is a decent watch that is very intense and thrilling. It may be cliched and predictable, but I believe it is a good watch. It shows that Owen Wilson can branch out to other type of movies and still keep his charm that seems to be his trademark!!!

Rating: 3.5 Stars

(Sidenote: Woman in Gold- This movie stars Helen Mirren as Maria Altman, a woman who is fighting to get her family artwork back that was taken from the Nazi’s during their takeover of Austria, and now it is in their national museum. Ryan Reynolds plays Randol Schoenberg, Maria’s lawyer in helping her achieve her lawsuit. The movie is very interesting with not only the court scenes, but with the history it brings especially about the country of Austria. It may have its slow points, but it does have some powerful and emotional scenes. It shows how important art is when it comes to family and patriotism of your country. A good watch for the history and aw buffs.
Rating: 4 Stars)