Escape Plan (R)

The latest film from Mikael Håfström, “Escape Plan’s” greatest accomplishment is not its action sequences or it’s budget, but, surprisingly, it’s story. Håfström, known for films such as “1408” and “The Rite,” here takes two powerhouse action icons, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Swarzenegger, and somehow makes them appear vulnerable, his narrative necessary and imposing. No easy task, given the plethora of action movies released recently, including a trilogy of “Expendables” films, which have upped the ante considerably on what moviegoers are expecting from the genre. However, following in the wake of last year’s “Bullet to the Head” and “The Last Stand.” “Escape Plan” provides genuine entertainment and a more tightly congealed story than one might expect.

In terms of plot, “Escape Plan” centers around Ray Breslin (Stallone), a prison breakout expert who wrote the book on making America’s fortresses impregnable. However, he comes across his greatest challenge when he is asked by the CIA to test the soundness of their new super prison, a facility designed to house the “worst of the worst.” The CIA’s desire to keep the location of the prison an absolute secret, it isn’t long before Breslin realizes he is incarcerated in the prison for real, sold out, with not even his supervisors able to locate him. He begins a fight for his life to escape from the prison and get to the bottom of his seeming double-cross.

Stallone is solid here as Breslin, bringing the gruffness necessary to the role while also making Breslin a likeable character we can root for. While the movie doesn’t pause much for exposition, Stallone brings a certain genius to Breslin that is functioning must aptly when he is at his worst. While most prisoners scramble for power or waste time on petty fights, Breslin tests the prison’s tightest area – solitary confinement – for weaknesses. The way his brain works, and the quickness in which it does are highlighted as he often explains how even the smallest weakness can be exposed for massive exposure.

“Escape Plan” has two unexpected delights in terms of acting. The first comes, surprisingly, from Swarzenegger himself who plays fellow prisoner Rottmayer, who brings a freshness to his usual tough-guy bravado that shakes the film up in a good way. His one-line toting style is abandoned here for a high-level enthusiasm that Swarzenegger seems to nail with ease. Becoming a fast ally to Breslin, the two form a bond as they attempt to take advantage of any weakness in order to break out of the super prison. However, as Breslin comes closer to piecing together their plan their spirits are lowered when he realizes the prison, may, in fact, have no way out.

The film’s other gem comes from the prison’s hard-nosed Warden Hobbes, played by Jim Caviezel with a skill that is as deft as it is sinister. With little motivation other than causing inmates to suffer and despair, we quickly forget his portrayal in the engaging “Frequency” or his impressive performance as Jesus of Nazareth in Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ.” He takes Hobbes here and makes him a force to be reckoned with. It’s a credit to Caviezel’s acting, as well as the script penned by Michael Chapman, Jason Keller, and Miles Chapman that Hobbes becomes an imposing enough character to intimidate even powerhouses like Stallone and Swarzenegger. With tactics such as waterboarding inmates, as well as keeping the constant level of fear high, Caviezel makes the movie far more serious than it could have been in the hands of a less capable actor.

“Escape Plan” is not without fault, as some plot issues find their way into the last act involving some of Rottmayer’s cohorts, as well as a shoot-‘em-up type ending that Håfström seemed ill-equipped to avoid. Additionally, the movie includes some confusing characters, such as Caitriona Balfe, who plays a CIA lawyer, British tough-guy Vinnie Jones (who is one-sided and wasted here), as well as “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” alum Vincent D’Onofrio, whose possibly mal-intentioned character Lester Clark is unfocused and given virtually no screen-time to resolve the issues the film presents around him. However, these are vindicated by the addition of some fun characters in the form of a doctor played by “Jurassic Park’s” Sam Neill, and rapper Curtis Jackson as an ally to Breslin (Jackson showing a surprising deal of acting chops).

At the end of the day, “Escape Plan” is, aptly, an entertaining escapist experience that many action films of today fail to provide. Stallone and Swarzenegger are well matched, and somehow work together in a way that is effective and engaging. Swarzenegger in particular really shines here; it’s a credit to the genre that action films of today are ubiquitously cast with these action icons of the past. “Escape Plan’s” plot is interesting and more or less believable, and there is an urgency to the film that grounds it in reality more than some recent efforts such as “Bullet to the Head” or “The Last Stand.” While suffering from some over-the-top scenes, that film’s action sequences, as well as its cast, more than makes up for it. “Escape Plan” is a fun way to spend 115 mins.

– by Mark Ziobro