Lockout Review

Given how many action films have spun the Die Hard model, it’s perhaps surprising that relatively few have re-purposed Escape From New York. This effort does however, stranding the President’s daughter (Maggie Grace) in an orbital prison and sending maverick Snow (Guy Pearce) up to get her. Pearce proceeds to kick ass, take names, crack wise and thoroughly charm, in a role several degrees lighter than his usual form. He’s up against nut-jobs, cooler psychos and doubting feds; they never stood a chance. The problems are in the direction: a whole swathe of effects work near the beginning is below game standard, and the action scenes never quite achieve the pace and zing they need. Pity: with some extra character beats – or at the very least extra quips – they might have hauled this into cult classic territory.