Review: ‘No Escape’ offers brutal thrills but film isn’t as deep as it wants to be

Posted on September 4, 2015

By MARK VIOLA

With all of the unrest and barbarity in the world, it seems like the chances of finding yourself caught in the middle of someone else’s war, especially if you go overseas, are on the rise. Although I’m sure the odds are actually extremely low–and I’m one who usually plays the odds–the idea does provide some interesting possibilities for a movie. As we’ve seen on the news, mob mentality can turn everyday people into a force just as destructive as any natural disaster.

Stepping in to fill this cinematic possibility is “No Escape,” starring Owen Wilson (“The Internship”), Lake Bell (“Million Dollar Arm”) and Pierce Brosnan (“The November Man”). The movie tells the story of a family caught in a foreign country when a coup breaks out and Americans in particular are being targeted for death.

When it comes to action thrillers such as “No Escape,” I have one primary test which must be passed before I even consider a film’s other strengths and faults. And while it is a quite simple one, it is one many fail to accomplish. The test is: Did the movie make me believe that any of the main characters could die before the end credits roll (and I don’t mean those characters obviously written to die at emotionally important or dramatically ironic moments)? Failing this test was among my major criticisms of recent movies like “San Andreas” and “Jurassic World.”

In the case of “No Escape,” however, I do have to say I believed at times major characters would be killed off and possibly in horrible fashion. I’m not saying such deaths did or did not occur in “No Escape,” but the fact that I believed it could happen is a major mark in this movie’s favor.

Unfortunately for “No Escape,” while it did make me believe anybody was fair game as the story barrels its way from one bloody encounter to the next, it never seems to be as deep or weighty as it thinks it is, or–in all honestly–it should be considering the very compelling performances from Wilson and Bell. So while the movie does provide a thrilling 100 or so minutes, it doesn’t hold up as well upon reflection.

In the end, “No Escape” is a film that earned quite a few points with me with its ability to keep me on the edge of the seat, especially during some of the most intense and brutal moments, but I still left the theater feeling like I should have felt more. And with a more polished script and more development of the antagonists, it could have done just that.

The movie is ated R for strong violence including a sexual assault, and for language.

(This is a shortened version of the full review available in our printed or e-edition papers.)

Subscribe to our e-Edition and read the rest of the story. Already a subscriber? Click here to sign in.