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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Escape Plan (2013) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
80s action stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone have teamed up to power a 21st century prison break in the new film “Escape Plan”. The film was originally to be called “The Tomb” but underwent a title change during production.
Stallone plays Ray Breslin, a former prosecutor who now runs a company that evaluates the security of maximum security installations throughout the country. As such Ray has himself incarcerated under an assumed identity and devices ways to escape from the institutions so they can better understand flaws in their security systems.
Ray is very good at what he does and has been able to escape from every facility that he has tested. While this does not make him popular with Warden’s he is in high demand and as such charges a premium for his services.
Following his most recent escape, Ray and his associated are approached by the government to test a new ultra security facility, one that houses the most dangerous and undesirable elements the world has to offer. Ray is told that the inmates in the facility are there to essential disappear as they would be game changers to security if they should ever find freedom.
Despite the concerns of his staff, and buoyed by the double his usual fee payment, Ray agrees to be taken to the facility under the guise of an explosives maker.
Ray is soon captured in New Orleans and has his tracking chip removed before he blacks out and awakens in a glass walled prison with no windows to locate his position.
During his orientation with a brutal guard named Drake (Vinnie Jones) who killed an inmate during his trip to the facility and sadistic warden named Hobbs (Jim Caviezel), Ray learns that he is in serious trouble as he attempts to trigger his removal from the facility by uttering his extraction code to the Warden. What should have resulted in an immediate removal from the prison is instead greeted by scoffs as Ray is informed that he is there as the people who put him there do not want him ever to see the light of day again.
Enter Emil Rottmayer (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a fellow inmate who takes an interest in Ray and eventually wins over his skepticism. Emil is in the facility as he was a top lieutenant for a crime figure and the Warden is convinced that if he leans on Emil hard enough, he will give up the location of his boss and former associates and thus usher in a huge payday for the Warden.
Despite the bleak, brutal, and seemingly hopeless life in the prison, Ray and Emil work with one another to devise a plan to escape from the facility and the dangerous Warden and his minions before it is too late.
What follows is a tense thriller with some good action in the final act as the two veterans deliver what they have been known for. The film is more a drama than an action film as aside from a few prison fights, there is not much action until the finale when the guns come out.
Faran Tahir does some very good supporting work to the film as a fellow inmate named Javed and it was refreshing to see a person of Middle Eastern origins play a criminal for something other than terrorism. He is a very interesting character who despite having a past and a dangerous side to him is a man of faith who never lets the bleakness of his situation undermine his faith.
Caviezel is very good as the cold and evil Warden who places profits over the lives of his inmates as he is truly a loathsome individual who is every bit the match for the stars.
Stallone and Schwarzenegger seem to be having a great time working with one another and there is some humor filled moments in the film especially during some of their disagreements where jokes are bantered back and forth which seem to also play upon their age and action images.
The audience went crazy during the finale when in trademark style; Schwarzenegger grabbed a massive gun in slow motion, and with a knowing smirk, mowed down waves of bad guys. He is very aware of what audiences expect from his characters and he wanted to ensure that he is still up to the task of piling up the body count.
Sam Neill is sadly underused in the film as the facilities doctor. He has a small part and my wife and I had to wonder why he took the part when an actor of his stature would likely not be interested in something that small.
While action fans may be disappointed with having to wait for the big guns to come out, the film is a very good drama than gets good performances from its stars and supporting cast and is a very enjoyable outing which shows that the two stars still have gas left in the tank.
http://sknr.net/2013/10/18/escape-plan/
Stallone plays Ray Breslin, a former prosecutor who now runs a company that evaluates the security of maximum security installations throughout the country. As such Ray has himself incarcerated under an assumed identity and devices ways to escape from the institutions so they can better understand flaws in their security systems.
Ray is very good at what he does and has been able to escape from every facility that he has tested. While this does not make him popular with Warden’s he is in high demand and as such charges a premium for his services.
Following his most recent escape, Ray and his associated are approached by the government to test a new ultra security facility, one that houses the most dangerous and undesirable elements the world has to offer. Ray is told that the inmates in the facility are there to essential disappear as they would be game changers to security if they should ever find freedom.
Despite the concerns of his staff, and buoyed by the double his usual fee payment, Ray agrees to be taken to the facility under the guise of an explosives maker.
Ray is soon captured in New Orleans and has his tracking chip removed before he blacks out and awakens in a glass walled prison with no windows to locate his position.
During his orientation with a brutal guard named Drake (Vinnie Jones) who killed an inmate during his trip to the facility and sadistic warden named Hobbs (Jim Caviezel), Ray learns that he is in serious trouble as he attempts to trigger his removal from the facility by uttering his extraction code to the Warden. What should have resulted in an immediate removal from the prison is instead greeted by scoffs as Ray is informed that he is there as the people who put him there do not want him ever to see the light of day again.
Enter Emil Rottmayer (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a fellow inmate who takes an interest in Ray and eventually wins over his skepticism. Emil is in the facility as he was a top lieutenant for a crime figure and the Warden is convinced that if he leans on Emil hard enough, he will give up the location of his boss and former associates and thus usher in a huge payday for the Warden.
Despite the bleak, brutal, and seemingly hopeless life in the prison, Ray and Emil work with one another to devise a plan to escape from the facility and the dangerous Warden and his minions before it is too late.
What follows is a tense thriller with some good action in the final act as the two veterans deliver what they have been known for. The film is more a drama than an action film as aside from a few prison fights, there is not much action until the finale when the guns come out.
Faran Tahir does some very good supporting work to the film as a fellow inmate named Javed and it was refreshing to see a person of Middle Eastern origins play a criminal for something other than terrorism. He is a very interesting character who despite having a past and a dangerous side to him is a man of faith who never lets the bleakness of his situation undermine his faith.
Caviezel is very good as the cold and evil Warden who places profits over the lives of his inmates as he is truly a loathsome individual who is every bit the match for the stars.
Stallone and Schwarzenegger seem to be having a great time working with one another and there is some humor filled moments in the film especially during some of their disagreements where jokes are bantered back and forth which seem to also play upon their age and action images.
The audience went crazy during the finale when in trademark style; Schwarzenegger grabbed a massive gun in slow motion, and with a knowing smirk, mowed down waves of bad guys. He is very aware of what audiences expect from his characters and he wanted to ensure that he is still up to the task of piling up the body count.
Sam Neill is sadly underused in the film as the facilities doctor. He has a small part and my wife and I had to wonder why he took the part when an actor of his stature would likely not be interested in something that small.
While action fans may be disappointed with having to wait for the big guns to come out, the film is a very good drama than gets good performances from its stars and supporting cast and is a very enjoyable outing which shows that the two stars still have gas left in the tank.
http://sknr.net/2013/10/18/escape-plan/
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Debbiereadsbook (1469 KP) rated Relentless (Somerton Security #2) in Books
Jun 17, 2018
excellent follow up!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book two in the Somerton Security series, and I STRONGLY recommend that you read book one, Defenseless, first. Because it will give you a better picture of Ethan, and his team. And because, I mean, FIVE star read people!
And again, this is a 5 star read!
Ethan Somerton, head of Somerton Security needs to find out where a certain member of his team is still being held. He needs insider information, and that information comes not from the younger Vega sister, but the elder, Natalia. Natalia had been doing her uncle's bidding to keep her sister safe. But Ethan promises things, things she never thought she could have. She just needs to get her sister out, and Ethan's team member free, first.
I loved that, right from the start, Natalia had Ethan pegged. She KNEW he wasn't who he was supposed to be! Loved that Ethan, very quickly, realised that Natalia was the one to watch, not her sister. Loved that Ana Maria surprised EVERYONE! Me included!
You don't get the full picture, of Natalia's mother and father's murder by her uncle, not all in one go. And it kinda threw me off balance, once we DID get it all! Love being kept on my toes!
The team member is STILL missing but they are closing in on him and fast. I have a feeling once THAT story comes, it's going to be little bit different to what the team might be expecting. Especially after what they find. Vague, I know, but no spoilers from me!
I have no idea who might be next, since one idea I had was totally wrong, but hey, I don't really care. I WANT to read it, because I need to know what's going to happen!
An excellent follow up!
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book two in the Somerton Security series, and I STRONGLY recommend that you read book one, Defenseless, first. Because it will give you a better picture of Ethan, and his team. And because, I mean, FIVE star read people!
And again, this is a 5 star read!
Ethan Somerton, head of Somerton Security needs to find out where a certain member of his team is still being held. He needs insider information, and that information comes not from the younger Vega sister, but the elder, Natalia. Natalia had been doing her uncle's bidding to keep her sister safe. But Ethan promises things, things she never thought she could have. She just needs to get her sister out, and Ethan's team member free, first.
I loved that, right from the start, Natalia had Ethan pegged. She KNEW he wasn't who he was supposed to be! Loved that Ethan, very quickly, realised that Natalia was the one to watch, not her sister. Loved that Ana Maria surprised EVERYONE! Me included!
You don't get the full picture, of Natalia's mother and father's murder by her uncle, not all in one go. And it kinda threw me off balance, once we DID get it all! Love being kept on my toes!
The team member is STILL missing but they are closing in on him and fast. I have a feeling once THAT story comes, it's going to be little bit different to what the team might be expecting. Especially after what they find. Vague, I know, but no spoilers from me!
I have no idea who might be next, since one idea I had was totally wrong, but hey, I don't really care. I WANT to read it, because I need to know what's going to happen!
An excellent follow up!
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
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