No Escape

An interesting film about a caring American dad, who takes his family on an exciting trip to Southeast Asia, where various competitive events such as running, parkour, shooting at static and moving targets, baby throwing, mud wrestling, and much more, take place. Owen Wilson was extremely convincing, Pierce Brosnan looked better than his younger self and the kids were, as expected, annoying beyond words. The ending was supposed to be moving but it made me laugh my head off. The only thing funnier would have been a Palestinian terrorist asking for asylum in Israel. (2017-08-24)

An intense and suspenseful flick that I am ashamed to have put off for so long. A family with kids on vacation in Asia find themselves in the middle of a coup in which the locals are hunting Americans, and it's an incredibly atmospheric ride. I loved the brilliant two leads, the reasonable running time that doesn't bore for a minute, and, most importantly, the ubiquitous action, paranoia and frantic escape from the attackers. A simple but beautifully functional whole, whose greatest strength is its ability to pin the viewer in their seat, and that doesn't happen to me all that often. (2022-08-26)

Slight disappointment. On the plus side, No Escape moves quickly and doesn't let up until the end, but it doesn't have much to impress. The action is mediocre, the blood is scarce, Owen Wilson is not a good fit here, Pierce Brosnan on the other hand enjoys his role but doesn't get much space. I appreciate the topical and unorthodox theme. All in all, a pleasant entertainment that does not offend. 65% (2015-11-03)

It's a bit of a buzzkill when a film invites you out to a bar with a drunken old free spirit with a gun and a boring family man, then as the partner for your ensuing vacation chooses the latter. Because as soon as genocide is unleashed, we realize that this time we won't just be watching the protagonists deal with their various predicaments, but each situation will have a prologue where everyone will be yelling at each other that no way in hell and then all right fine, and of course an epilogue, where after each situation everyone will still have to pat each other down and ask if they're okay. And Dowdle doesn't offers no rationalizations for it, because he's making a genre film, not a raw realistic drama about a horrific conflict somewhere far away, but simply a thrilling spectacle with all the flaws and crutches that go along with it. And which features nothing but the walking mausoleum Pierce Brosnan referencing not only his most important film role, but also his legendary singing performance in Mamma Mia! Here the truth is actually preferable. (2018-02-20)

What’s great about No Escape is that it absolutely realistically portrays a situation that could occur at any time now in any shaky country, and it wouldn’t even have to be in Asia. You simply go there once in good will and all of the sudden you are public enemy number one without really knowing why. And what’s really cool about this film is that it’s trying to suggest why such a coup had occurred and how USA-led globalization affects the rest of the world. Obviously, nothing will change through a movie like this, but sometimes it’s good to watch a movie like this and think about the world for a while. On top of that, I was really surprised by Owen Wilson, who after a pretty long while made another appearance in a serious movie and convinced me once again of what a good actor he is. (2016-10-18)