Lockout

Lockout is the latest Luc Besson production (based on his own "original" idea) and he's got tired of having Liam Neeson beat people up and has returned to the world of sci-fi. He leaves the direction to relative newcomers Stephen St Leger and James Mather.

I say "original" because there is actually little original in the whole set up. The central premise - a rogue agent (Guy Pearce) is sent on a mission to a space prison in full revolt in order to rescue the president's daughter (Maggie Grace) - is basically Escape From New York in space. Once actually in the prison, the action becomes Die Hard in space with all the politcal conspiracy subplots of 24  in space, before a finale which just gives up and decides to be Star Wars and the attack on the Death Star.

Lockout is not a good film. It's stuffed full of cliches, far too many sub-plots for its own good and none of the action actually makes all that much sense - bits of dialogue seem inserted to make sense of what is about to happen, rather than relating to what has just happened which is what is ostensibly being discussed. And could somebody please explain to me why when people jump from a space station in space they fall? And why they don't burn up when they re-enter the atmosphere?

No, Lockout is not a good film, but it really quite enjoyable. (In other words it's a typical Luc Besson film). This is helped in no small part by a fantastically dry and sardonic turn by Guy Pearce who hogs most of the best lines, but also enjoys some good banter with a surprisingly unirritating Maggie Grace. Vincent Regan and Joseph Gilgun also add good value as the Scottish (of course) psychopaths who take over the prison.

Overall - 6.5/10 A true guilty pleasure - there's a lot wrong with this film, but it's still very enjoyable.