No Escape

Going to watch a movie with Owen Wilson starring, you usually expect some kind of comedy or romance. Not this time. I was really worried that he would not be up to the task with this one, but this was not true, not true at all!

The movie was fascinating, completely plausible, filled with amazing scenes that keep you at the edge of your seat. The things that this family goes through were unimaginable but very well executed during filming.

Owen was that good that you could actually empathize with his suffering and anxiety and put yourself in his position struggling for his family. Pierce Brosnan was AMAZING! Just the right amount, just as much as needed, to complement a really thrilling movie!

Recommended for sure! Can't wait to see more stuff like that from Owen Wilson!

I always enjoyed Owen Wilson's comedies but I still recall his Behind Enemy lines role and he did it so perfect! In this movie too, I did expect him to do a fantastic job in a serious role and he just crosses all your expectations! Pierce Brosnon was was amazing in this movie, though not that much of a screen time he shares, but shines in whatever time he gets on screen. The child actors and the female lead did their job fair n square. The slow motions used are so perfectly timed in this movie and go so well with the background scores.

It was intense and captivating throughout! A perfect "escape movie" with tensions not subduing for any time at all. Excellent editing and direction with good enough production values and cast. There are some very intense action scenes throughout! This movie is I guess one of the underrated gems! Do watch it.

NOTE: I've skirted around some of the key thrilling episodes that occur within the film, but I feel I've talked about them without actually giving anything away. I don't think this review requires a spoiler alert!

I watched this having heard absolutely nothing about it, and having not even heard of it. I caught the picture of the cover art, and it seemed like it was Wilson and Brosnan, so thought I'd take a look.

Right from the off - it had the feel of something everso slightly different from the normal action film fodder. I won't ruin the surprise beginning, and then it cuts to the Wilson based family heading into this unnamed Asian country for a job-move.

From almost upon arrival and for the rest of the film, it's something of a thrill ride. I found myself particularly enthralled when Bell was trapped in their hotel room at the beginning of events - something about the acting and the filming really conveyed real fear and this totally hooked me in. It was clear that this was going to be a decent film from this moment on. It has a slightly "handicam" film-making quality about it, but in this instance, it absolutely adds to the feel imho.

From the hotel rooftop to the adjacent, again, it conveyed real fear. Would you do that with your family? Shocking from a parents point of view, but believable in that you'd have no choice. From a parental perspective - totally shocking and enthralling. My wife happened to walk into the room just at this point, and she was definitely mentally scarred by what she saw!

And there it goes on - for me, the only real slight let-downs in the movie are when Brosnan re-finds the family which in such a scenario really isn't likely to have happened, and indeed what Bell does whilst they are hiding in the old man's garden. I don't feel that a mother, protecting her children would have done that.

Apart from these small elements of storyline which probably allowed a little too much implausibility, along with just how much difficulty with the local rebels Wilson's character was realistically likely to overcome and deal with, particularly towards the end of the film - even with full adrenalin running were the only small faults.

Still, having said all that - I'll be watching this again soon. It was quite a thrill ride and most certainly not wholesome family entertainment. There's some really quite surprisingly graphic scenes of violence, which totally suited the film, but definitely not for young eyes.

I walked into this movie with very low expectations and I was tired. This movie stars Owen Wilson in an Action/Thriller...not a comedy. That's not saying his comedies are that great, either. But this film wow-ed me. I literally said, "wow" out loud in the theater.

The start of the movie was very captivating. Enough action was in before the titles even came on, then unexpected humor. Kenny Rogers even showed up (not really, but you'll see what I mean)! Overall, Owen Wilson and his family are placed in extremely difficult situations to which it seems that there is little to no escape. The plot alone deserves at least a 4.5 of 5 stars. Coupled with the 5 star acting of not only Wilson, but the children! These kids were absolutely astounding and very convincing! Even Pierce Brosnan was a wonderful addition to the movie, with his excellent comedic timing. I will say that the comedy's placement messed with me because the movie was that stressful. Perhaps the only issue I had was the ending. It just could have been better writing. Direction and acting get 5 stars from me, and the soundtrack about a 4 for its excellent suspense addition. I did not expect this movie to be great, but I had trouble getting to sleep afterwards because I was so stressed out! This movie deserves at least a 4.5 of 5 stars! I would pay to see this movie!

An American family moves to a country in Southeast Asia that borders Vietnam but suddenly find themselves in the midst of a coup. Owen Wilson plays the father and Lake Bell the mother. Pierce Brosnan is on hand as a Brit that helps them out.

"No Escape" (2015) is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that tackles a real-life possibility. What happens if you're unexpectedly thrust into a situation where you HAVE to protect your family? Would you kill to survive? This is like "The Killing Fields" (1985) in the modern day, albeit way more compelling and succinct.

It's nice to see Owen in something serious; he plays the every-man role well. Meanwhile Lake ain't no slouch and Brosnan kicks axx in a peripheral part.

The film runs 1 hour, 43 minutes, and was shot in Thailand.

GRADE: A-/B+