Disc Reviews

Escape Plan Blu-ray Review

23rd Mar 2014

After careers that have run (often in direct competition), with each other for decades; Escape Plan finally brings Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger together in a way that has been somewhat hyperbolically likened to the De Niro/Pacino teaming of Heat. Well, in the same way as how if De Niro and Pacino teamed up at this stage of their careers; no-one would be quite as excited as they had been when Heat came about in 1995; Sly and Arnold’s pairing at this stage is not quite the tectonic blast wave it would have been, had it happened some time in the 1980s or 90s. Regardless, there is still a cool aspect to these two guys actually co-starring in a movie together (discounting Arnold’s catchphrase festooned cameos in the two Expendables films of course).

The film did well in theatres on its initial release in October last year, and now we have the Blu-Ray release in for review.

Here’s a quick synopsis, in case you didn’t catch it at the cinema.

Stallone plays Ray Breslin, who has built a very successful career being the world’s leading authority on Prison security. He does this by being planted anonymously in to the world’s highest security prisons and stockades, and then escaping from them. His skills are put to the test when he is framed and thrown for real in to a highly illegal, and top secret ultra-max prison. He is going to have to escape this nightmarish place (that his own experiences in the field actually helped design), and find out who put him there.

Although many aspects of the film seem cliche, and well trodden (the obvious frame up, and Jim Caviezel’s sadistic warden, just two examples); the movie works very well. It avoids the merciless exploitation of it’s leading men’s propensity to rest on their personas, and actually presents a story in which both Stallone and Schwarzenegger are actually acting. Arnold in particular is refreshingly un-Arnold in some key ways. I could wax lyrical about his distinguished grey goatee’d look, or his measured and considered (for him) performance; but all you really need to know are two things:

1. This is not an action movie per se; rather it is a prison escape drama with action scenes.

2. Arnold never says “I’ll be back!” or “I’m back” or any other cheesy riff on his hackneyed old catchphrase.

It seems to be taking the idea of it being Stallone/Schwarzenegger’s Heat at least seriously enough for the viewer to enjoy the verbal interplay between the two men, even if the writing is nowhere near the tight and exciting standard of Michael Mann’s movie.

Stallone of course has already done a prison break movie with Lock Up way back in 1989, and there are times when one is reminded of this a little, but it’s certainly not a deal breaker. My main issues with the movie are relatively minor ones, revolving around unexplained plot points, and the criminal underuse of many of the supporting cast; particularly Sam Neill’s prison doctor character, and to a lesser degree Vincent D’Onofrio as well. Oh, and nobody should hire Vinnie Jones ever, just…ever, as he is proper rubbish.

Caviezel’s prison warden is obviously the latest in a long line of what has become a real trope of the genre, which we can date back to at least Patrick McGoohan’s warden of Escape from Alcatraz in 1979, and includes the aforementioned Lock Up (where Donald Sutherland personified the trope so well). His character is intriguing, and has some disturbing personality traits that are frustratingly left unexplored.

I also think that it might have been more effective to really relax in to the more adult themes, and make the film grittier. It’s not without its grit and grime, but I feel the peril and threat level that the movie presents is never permitted to be quite as distressing as it could be.

The questions of morality and obvious allusions to real life ‘Black Site’ operations, not to mention GitMo, are also left unasked and unexplored. However, we must remember that this is not a political thriller, and doesn’t set out to ask such things.

Disc and Extras:

The Blu-Ray presentation is a decent package. Picture wise, the transfer is clean and crisp (although not top draw good), with an effective, if a little predictable colour palette (particularly inside the prison). The movie was shot in 235:1 scope too which is always a winner for me. I actually thought when watching the film that it looked wider than 235:1, but it’s certainly a nicely cinematic look.

Audio is excellent, with a dynamic 7.1 DTS HD Master mix that pops and fizzes in all the right places. It manages to present an audio image that conveys the enormousness of the prison’s interior volume without obscuring important dialogue with unnecessary cavernous reverb, which is a neat little bit of attention to detail in sound design.

The extras on the disc include a Commentary track with director Mikael Håfström and co-writer Miles Chapman, which is interesting and engaging, even if one misses the entertainment value that an Arnold/Sly commentary would have undoubtedly brought.

We also get a short (22 minute) ‘Making of’ doc, which although is pretty standard talking head + clip stuff, is fairly informative. Again though, a feature length doc would have been much better.

Next up is a 20+ minute documentary on real life prisons. This is actually the more interesting piece, although politically it rings a little right of centre (no surprises there).

Next is a 15 minute profile piece on Arnold and Sly, which is fun.

Finally, we get a bunch of Deleted Scenes, most of which are trims and shaves from scenes actually in the movie.

All video extras are present in 1080p

Summary:

All in all, and with an admission that after both Stallone’s disappointing Bullet to the Head, and Arnold’s limp The Last Stand; expectations going in to watching this movie were staggeringly low. I was very pleasantly surprised with how well Escape Plan works, despite the shortcomings already mentioned. For me, man of the match plaudits go to Arnold, for actually managing to keep some of his personality in check really rather well.