COLUMN: Don’t close the door on ‘Lockout’
Buckle your seatbelts. “Lockout” will take you on an exciting, action-filled ride.
It’s 2079, and the world hasn’t fallen apart, been destroyed or gone back to the Middle Ages. Instead, the world has banded with the United States to create the most secure prison ever.
Except, the prison isn’t on Earth; it’s in space.
In the United States, an ex-CIA operative, Snow (Guy Pearce), is being interrogated by the U.S. Secret Service as they attempt to discover the truth about a mysterious suitcase and a dead colleague.
Snow’s a no-nonsense tough guy with a smart-aleck attitude and a problem with authority who enjoys mocking his interrogators at every question.
Meanwhile, the first daughter, Emilie Warnock (Maggie Grace), takes on a humanitarian project to evaluate the treatment of the prisoners on MS1, the largest supermax prison ever built, housed in outer space. The goal of MS1 is to hold up to 500,000 of the worst scum in the solara system. The reason all those prisoners can be kept? They are put into stasis.
While Emilie interviews one of the prisoners, Hydell (Joseph Gilgun), Hydell steals the gun off of Emilie’s bodyguard and proceeds to kill as many people as he can.
Fortunately, Emilie escapes. Soon after, though, Hydell releases all 500 prisoners from their cells.
One of the prisoners, Alex (Vincent Regan), an older man, deftly assumes command of a considerable portion of the prisoners. He has an understanding unparalleled by the others of his group of how the police system works and how he can ensure the safety of the criminals. He moves quickly to capture as many on-board guards, scientists and engineers as he can to hold for ransom.
Once notified of the situation, the president of the United States summons Snow for his special assignment of retrieving his daughter.
Reluctantly, Snow accepts and is transported to the facility and begins an exhilarating rescue mission.
“Lockout” is a great thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep the audience on their toes.
Unfortunately, it was under-advertised and was shadowed by “The Hunger Games” and the re-release of “Titanic,” which reduced audience participation.
Despite this, it’s definitely a movie worth your time. Snow delivers a plethora of comedic lines to offset the intensity of the danger. Emilie is kind and sympathetic, although she has a lack of understanding criminals of the caliber contained in MS1, which became frustrating.
Through the challenging experiences, Emilie adapts and is forced to grow up and accept the harsh realities of life. Thankfully she didn’t forget what she learned after the conflict had been resolved.
I liked the futuristic feel the movie gave. It wasn’t over the top, but slowly immersed the audience into a realistic world that could exist in 70 years.
In a super high-speed chase scene, the graphics suffered somewhat in depicting Snow on his one-wheeled motorcycle, and his pursuers and the urban landscape had more of a stylized look to them. That was a weak spot for the film. It’s understandable, though, given the risk of the stunts if that scene were attempted in real life.
“Lockout” is full of B-list actors, which is favorable in a movie of this caliber because it allows for more enjoyment of the plot without focusing on the reputation of the actors.
I like every role I’ve seen Pearce play. I’ve seen him play everything from a cop to a cad, and a genius to a fool. Famous for his participation in “The Time Machine,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Memento” and the upcoming “Prometheus,” he always fits himself to the positions required of him. I thoroughly enjoyed his portrayal of a smart aleck, talented rogue.
Grace could be the next president’s daughter, if she chose to run. She plays a believable character that learns and develops, which was great to see. Best known for playing Kim in “Taken,” she’s also recognized for her involvement in “Knight and Day” and the television series “Lost.”
English actor Gilgun makes a breakout performance into the American culture in his memorable role as the insane criminal desperately trying to find the president’s daughter. His character is somewhat a cross between the Joker from the Batman universe and Cyrus Grissom from “Con Air.”
Luc Besson originated the idea and assisted in writing the screenplay of “Lockout.” As the writer and producer of many high-action films, such as “Colombiana,” “From Paris With Love” and the upcoming “Taken 2,” he is no stranger to introducing new ideas to the thriller genre. He does not disappoint with his latest feature. Besson truly is a force to be reckoned with in the action film industry.
Composer Alexandre Azaria once again joins forces with Luc Besson as he did for “Transporter 2” and “Transporter 3.” He beautifully creates a unique score perfect for a thriller – intense, ominous and orchestral.
With finals looming ahead, “Lockout” is a great avenue and a sci-fi action thriller you don’t want to lock yourself out of.
– Spencer Palmer is a graduate student working toward an MBA with a recent bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. He enjoys watching all sorts of movies. Email him at spencer.palmer@aggiemail.usu.edu