Escape Plan (2013) - Mikael Hafstrom

Ray Breslin is one of the world's experts on structural security.  If you want to know if your prison or security structure is secure and well-designed, contact Ray Breslin.  Ray is about to call it a career but when he is offered one last job that is willing to pay him double his typical wage, he cannot refuse.  He is asked to test 'The Tomb", a high-tech, ultra-secret facility designed to house the worst of the worst.  Soon after Ray's arrival he is deceived and wrongfully imprisoned, forcing him to recruit fellow inmate Emil Rottmayer to help him devise a near impossible plan of escape from the most fortified prison every built.  Mikael Hafstrom's Escape Plan is somewhat of a throwback film not only for its aging stars but its simple yet effective narrative.  Considering the film stars Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzeneggar you should know what type of film you are getting into, but I was hoping this film would be a little more fun.  Much like many of Sly's recent efforts the film takes itself a little too seriously, never venturing as far into B-movie territory like other great prison films like Fortress.  The cast is pretty great though, with James Caviezel taking full advantage of his role, chewing up scenery as the borderline sociopath with all the authority in Hobbs.  Caviezel seems to be the only actor who gets that this film shouldn't be taken completely seriously.  Sam Neil even has a small role, which is pretty awesome, but I wish Escape Plan would have been a little more creative in the design of 'The Tomb".  This is supposed to be the most high tech facility ever built and by-and-large the design is far too pedestrian and uninteresting.  I wish the filmmakers would have gone more out on a limb in creating a truly unique, tech-advanced facility instead of being so concerned with keeping the film grounded (this just isn't a film that needs to be concerned with that type of thing).  Escape Plan is pretty fun for no other reason than seeing Stallone and Schwarzenegger sharing lead roles but I wish it wouldn't have taken itself so seriously.
6/10

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