Lockout

Plot synopsis:
2079. Washington, D.C.CIA agent Snow (Guy Pearce) is captured by Secret Service director Scott Langral (Peter Stormare), who has security footage of Snow killing infiltrated CIA agent Frank Armstrong, who was investigating a mole that is selling governmental secrets. Snow claims he's innocent, and later directs his friend, CIA agent Harry Shaw (Lennie James), to find Snow's contact and friend, Mace (Tim Plester), and find the location of a briefcase containing the information that Armstrong had acquired about the mole.Meanwhile, Emilie Warnock (Maggie Grace), daughter of President Warnock (Peter Hudson), travels to M.S. One, a maximum security penitentiary in Space, where convicts are kept in suspended animation, to investigate claims that the stasis might affect prisoners' minds, leading to psychopathy and dementia, and that they're being experimented on by the government. One of the prisoners, Hydell (Joseph Gilgun), is awakened so Emilie can interrogate him, but he steals a gun from Emilie's bodyguard, Hock (Jacky Ido), and escapes. Hydell releases all the prisoners and starts a riot, led by his brother Alex (Vincent Regan). Emilie and her associates are captured, and Alex decides to kill one of them to prove their point. Hydell quickly kills the warden before he is able to tell Alex something important, and Alex begins to grow impatient with Hydell's excessive sadism.Hydell destroys all the ships aboard M.S. One against Alex's orders, preventing the Secret Service from sending a team to rescue the hostages. Langral then decides to send Snow alone to rescue Emilie, and leave with her in an emergency shuttle on Level 3. Snow is initially reluctant, but accepts the mission after Shaw tells him that Mace is in M.S. One, and could help Snow prove his innocence. Snow heads there, hidden in a spaceship transporting a hostage negotiator.During their meeting, the negotiator, knowing that Emilie has a wounded leg, attempts to convince Alex to release an injured female hostage as a sign of good will. Alex agrees to surrender Emilie, but Hydell shoots Emilie's friend Kathryn (Anne-Solenne Hatte), so Alex is forced to deliver her instead. Realizing Hydell has become obsessed with Emilie, Langral tells Snow to infiltrate the prison, but he's spotted by Alex's men. Realizing what has happened, Alex kills the negotiator. He soon realizes that Emilie is the President's daughter, and decides to isolate her from Hydell, but she manages to escape with Hock's help and they hide in a storage room, damaging the electronic lock in order to prevent Alex's men from reaching them. However, this causes their oxygen supply to slowly run out. Hock sacrifices himself in order to leave more air for Emilie.Snow is guided by Shaw through the air ducts, and manages to enter the storage room and rescue Emilie before Alex's men break down the door. Realizing Snow is being guided, Alex cuts his communication link with Shaw. Meanwhile, Snow takes Emilie to the medical bay, where he treats her wounds and changes her appearance so they can blend in with the other prisoners. They quickly find Mace, but learn that the statis has caused dementia. Their cover is blown by Alex, who reveals that Emilie is the President's daughter and orders the convicts to capture them.Snow, Emilie and Mace attempt to reach the escape pod through the inferior levels, but a satellite crashes against M.S. One, separating Mace from them. He utters the words "Lullaby" and "I see you, I foresee you" to Snow before the room he's in depressurizes, killing him. Although Emilie claims she knows the briefcase's location and promises to lead Snow there if he helps her rescue the hostages, Snow takes her to Level 3, only to learn that the pod only has one seat. Realizing he was sent there to die, Snow sends Emilie on her way and stays behind, but she climbs out of the ship before it departs. Unbeknownst to them, the crash has shifted M.S. One out of its orbit, and it'll soon enter Earth's atmosphere, where all inside will be burned alive in re-entry.Hydell approaches Emilie through the comms and requests that she reveals her location in exchange for the hostages' lives. She tells him she's in Level 3, but he murders the hostages anyway, forcing Snow and Emilie to run to another part of the station in order to escape from him. They discover a second medical bay where the prisoners were being illegally used as test subjects. Alex finds them there and captures Emilie after overpowering Snow and leaving him for dead. Upon learning Hydell has killed all the hostages, Alex beats him and contacts the President, threatening to allow Hydell to rape Emilie if they're not released. However, Langral relieves the President of his duties by claiming he's emotionally compromised and orders an air strike to destroy M.S. One.Hydell prepares to rape Emilie, but Alex stops him. Infuriated, Hydell stabs Alex dead. He returns to Emilie, but Snow stops him and escapes with Emilie as Hydell and the others chase them. Meanwhile, a bomb is planted on M.S. One. With Shaw's guidance, Snow and Emilie find skydiving suits and jump out of M.S. One as the bomb explodes, killing Hydell and all the others.The suits allow Snow and Emilie to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and parachute to safety in New York City. Emilie is taken to the hospital, while Snow is arrested. At her bed, Emily realizes Mace had actually given them the code "ICUI4CU", which opens the briefcase, hidden in a locker in a subway station with the word "Lullaby" spray painted on it. Emilie then finds evidence that the footage of Snow killing Armstrong was forged and delivers the briefcase to Shaw during a meeting with Snow. Shaw opens it, but finds nothing, then realizes that Emilie hadn't told him the code. Realizing Shaw is the mole, Langral arrests him and releases Snow.Snow retrieves the lighter that Armstrong had given him before dying, only to realize that the microchip with the true evidence and the secrets that Shaw had stolen are hidden inside. Snow decides to keep it for himself in case he needs to use it as leverage, and is then approached by Emilie, who has learned his first name is Marion. She thanks him for saving her life and they begin a romantic relationship.

Tags: comedy, humor, murder, flashback

Review:
It's fair to say Luc Besson has gotten a bit giddy ever since "Taken." The man who once upon a time brought us "La Femme Nikita" and "Leon: The Professional" has instead taken to lighter action fare, in this case recruiting amateurs James Mather and Stephen St. Leger to help write and direct his "original idea." Exactly—not a "story by" credit, but "original idea."That's not to say "Lockout" isn't creative, but it's definitely not original.
Some might dub it "Taken in space," especially considering it borrows that film's starlet in Maggie Grace, but it's much more akin to "Escape from New York in space." Either way, "Lockout" is another simple- concept action film from Besson, only it has a bigger ego that gets in the way sometimes."Lockout" is good for kicks, a fact of which it's very aware.
He has a sense of humor best described as abundant (though sometimes quite clever), and Pearce plays him especially wry; most actors (think Nicolas Cage) would've hammed it up too much or been unconvincing.Snow is tasked with rescuing the president's daughter (Grace), who is stuck on a maximum security prison in space that has incurred a major security breach.
Joseph Gilgun as Rydell, one of two Scottish prisoners trying to run the uprising, is a particularly deranged fellow reminiscent of a demented Groundskeeper Willie.Both Rydell and the other main baddie, Alex (Vincent Regan), have a cold-blooded edge that could have made for an effective R-rated ransom thriller reminiscent of late '90s films like Air Force One, but the devil-may-care attitude of the entire movie ultimately clashes with these darker moments, even though they do make you take the movie more seriously than you would otherwise.After a little bit of context at the beginning to properly motivate Snow, both he and us are effectively shot from a canon.
The gadgets provide some creativity to a number of the sequences and the script manages to inject some unpredictability into a story that could not have a more obvious trajectory.Despite the self-awareness at points, with a lot of that credit going to Pearce, Lockout tries especially hard to be entertaining on too many fronts, aspiring to be the consummate popcorn flick rather than just identifying one tone and sticking with it.
The final scene on the space prison strangely evokes the original "Star Wars" Death Star run, as if to make sure the audience gets to munch on some sci fi/fantasy before the credits roll.It's hard to fault "Lockout" for aiming to please considering that that spirit seems to be the driving force behind the movie's strengths as well as its weaknesses.
From the quite brilliant and hilarious opening interrogation beat down, to the big reveal and punch line, this Besson produced piece is serving popcorn with a smile to a certain segment in the film watching populace.With bits of the Snake Plissken movies, Fortress, Die Hard, Commando, Demolition Man, Minority Report, Last Boy Scout and any other quip laden dude/wronged man on a mission movie, Lockout clearly lacks originality.
Some of the non-Besson films/TV series that Lockout reminded me of are Army of Darkness, Cowboy Bebop, Die Hard, Escape from New York, Fortress, Firefly / Serenity, Minority Report, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.I can see that Lockout, like most of the other movies I previously specified, can also have a cult following.
Yes it's a re-tread of Escape from New York but who cares.Good pace, strong acting (Pearce is a given but Gulgun the real revelation - genuinely emotional stuff) Anyone who slates this movie has lost their inner child (or mid-teen) watch it for what it is, not for what you think it reminds you of.Enjoy, and make up your mind before you let others do it for you...
I loved this fun thriller, especially Guy Pearce as a wise-cracking agent sent to rescue the President's daughter from outer-space prison, where she's been making a charity visit.There's lots of humour (especially in the first scenes - it's like Pearce is doing a Philip Marlowe impression) and the action is non-stop.
I give that the setting is something new, but all in all, this movie pulls from great movies past, and in doing so, made off with a seasoned, enjoyable film.Guy Pearce was flawless and oddly fresh as the standard "I don't care" action hero.
Lockout is the story of a man named Snow (Guy Pearce) who goes into a space station prison, to rescue the presidents daughter (Maggie Grace), who is trapped in an prison outbreak.
The setting of a (supposedly) inescapable maximum security prison floating around in space comes from the early 90's cult favorite "Fortress", the premise of a noble convict sent in to try and evacuate a presidential relative naturally comes from John Carpenter's legendary Sci-Fi monument "Escape from New York" and Guy Pearce's character Snow fires off as many witty one-liners as Bruce Willis did in all of the "Die Hard" movies combined.
The structure of the film is logical and most of the key sequences are easy to predict, but at least it's fun to behold the excessive violence and some of the over-the-top performances, like Guy Pearce and particularly the prototypical British scumbag Joseph Gilgun as the indescribably psychotic and maniacal inmate Hydell.
Lock It Up and Throw Away the Key. Lockout (2012) * 1/2 (out of 4) A former CIA agent named Snow (Guy Pearce) is framed for a murder he didn't commit and is about to be sent to a prison in outer space when something bad happens.
Besson's films are always entertaining, and his better ones invariably become cult classics.Unfortunately, despite the fact that Besson both co-wrote and produced Lockout, the film just doesn't live up to its billing.Guy Pearce stars as Snow, a former CIA agent convicted of murder and sentenced to 30 years in stasis aboard an experimental orbital prison.
When things go wrong and the inmates take over the prison, Snow is offered a chance at redemption if he agrees to go in and rescue Emily before she gets killed.It's a pretty good concept despite some similarities to Escape From New York, but the execution is poor.
There are a couple of effects near the beginning that are so bad that they pull the viewer completely out of the movie, something unforgivable in a modern action film.Grace is adequate as Emily, a typical more-than-she-seems-to-be damsel in distress.
There is no rhyme or reason to a lot of what goes on, which would be less noticeable in a film with more intriguing action.The film's supporting characters, including the inmates, are given no development, so even though the performances are fine, they lack depth.In fairness, the film makers do get a few points for tossing in a couple of curveballs that actually make sense and don't seem out of left field, but in the end, the lack of interesting set pieces makes the film's other flaws stand out even more.
With great special effects, a surprisingly good amount of comedy, a great cast, great acting, a decent story, and mediocre action this 2012 sci-fi pseudo action flick is a movie with a simple plot that gets pulled off.There's nothing really pulling this movie back except the action isn't pulse-pounding and I think the creators knew this, throwing action in at every turn where it didn't feel like it should've been.Guy Pearce does a fantastic job as Snow, who is a great character.
In the middle of the movie is a memorable humorous exchange between Snow and Emilie (the two main characters, played by Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace), after which jokes smartly step aside and allow for the more serious action to culminate towards the big finale.The action consists mostly of shooting with a couple of fist-fight sequences, which are brief and entertaining.
The movie is well edited, with scenes happening outside the station providing some surprising twists to the classic "Lone hero rescue mission" plot.Supporting actors are playing their cards close to their chests, enough so that when the big reveal in the end comes, it may catch you by complete surprise, without sounding corny.Big recommendation!.
Life's too short to spend it watching the credits of poorly made pulp.If you've seen Escape from New York or Escape from L.A., imagine them set in space and you've seen Lockout, albeit with Kurt Russell doing his best rather than with Guy Pearce taking the money and putting most of his effort into not smiling about the ratio of $$$ earned to effort exerted.It's the 'near future' and the world's governments have decided the best way to deal with criminals is to spend millions (billions???) of dollars flying them thousands of miles to a high security, but lightly staffed, American prison in space whereupon they are put into stasis until their sentence is served and they are flown home.
'LOCKOUT': Four Stars (Out of Five) Guy Pearce tries his hand at a B action movie tough guy role in this Sci-Fi adventure flick.
It sort of plays like 'DIE-HARD' or 'ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK' in space and is very reminiscent of 80's action films (the kind I grew up on and loved).
Feeble plot, lousy script, a huge bunch of sci-fi/action movie clichés and a cast of clowns - Guy Pearce aside, who made a pretty good job of the sardonic hero with the smart one-liners.
It is good to see Guy Pearce again in an action film and leading role.
The idea of a prison break in space, in the right hands, could have been a quality action film with a juicy story and evil bad guys.
Of course the script isn't a grand discovery but on the other hand we've been telling the same stories since ancient times.Even though you know from the beginning how the story will unfold (more or less) the acting and characters in this one are what keeps you watching.Guy Pearce, Joseph Gilgun and even Maggie Grace did a great job.
The camera work and directing are both very good as well so all in all this was a thrilling movie to watch.So if you're a fan of Escape from XX, Die Hard and such you will definitely enjoy this one..
In the spirit old school action films directors James Mather and Stephen St. Leger deliver a fast paced, slick, sci-fi which lets loose an astonishingly pumped up Guy Pearce against 500 convicts.
With visual and story elements reminiscent of Escape from New York (1981) and Outland (1981) the script delivers an abundance of one liners that even Schwarzenegger would be proud of.Lockout is a straightforward, entertaining, sci-fi actioner that proves Guy Pearce can turn his hand to just about anything..
That's what you get with Lockout, a sci-fi actioner that takes its cues from the action flicks of the 90s.Guy Pearce is funny as Snow, the lone rogue operative agent sent into rescue the President's daughter, who's on a fact finding mission to MS One, a security prison up in space.
After the recent over-humanization of action characters like James Bond, it's wonderful to see a REAL tough guy, who even smokes cigarettes, back on the silver screen.Lockout has the standard plot devices and sundry villains, but they don't really matter, like minions in a video game, they just give Snow someone to shoot, or something to overcome.
In the end it is nothing more than a B grade action movie that is very well made with utterly rubbish screenplay.Not kidding when I say that the story is like the work of the undergraduate film student.
I love Sci fi and guy Pearce and i like Maggie grace and luc beson but lockout....well I don't love or even like you and it was painful to last till the end which just became sillier until my eyes bled and my brain melted from the sheer stupidity.This is not enjoyable popcorn filler or a bit of action fun....this film is barely lost in space or event horizon which had redeeming qualities.Who knows what was going through the makers heads and I hope this film fails to make its total budget so people will try harder in future.
The plot is simple and owes a debt to Die Hard as much as it does to Escape from New York and it sets the scene for good action and fun one-liners which stop you taking it too seriously.
I'm not joking that literally the keyword to find the movie online if you don't know the name of an action movie "Lockout" starring Guy Pearce as the main character in 2011 and for people who love all the Die Hard knock off this movie is a much watch or at least aware of its existence.It fun,cheesy and Guy Pearce look convincing as the ex-badass CIA guy while the target he need to rescue Emilie Warnock is surprisingly good at the strong female role when she not full out the usual Mary Sue trope so the back and forth between her and Pearce not come out forced but enjoyable.
to thread together an original story of rescuing the president's daughter from a convict space station going havoc, but then again not havoc enough, with face-keeping actor Guy Pearce letting completely loose in the leading role as mercenary-like conspired convict Snow, who makes surprisingly entertaining matches with constant-gear-shifting actress Maggie Grace as Emilie, known as abducted daughter from Liam Neeson owned also recommendable "96 Hours" (2008), here for another quick pumping mood visuals in favors in media out-looking action audiences.© 2018 Felix Alexander Dausend
Taking a page from 'Escape from New York' (too many pages according to John Carpenter and the courts), 'Lockout' doesn't hold up to much logical scrutiny, but if you just sorta go with it I think it's pretty fun.Guy Pearce makes for a surprisingly effective action hero as the cynical and sardonic Snow, and he's complimented by a solid cast of "I know I've seen him somewhere..."-type of lesser known actors who take the material to another level.Breezing by at just over 90 minutes, 'Lockout' doesn't overstay its welcome, and delivers a nice throwback actioner with plenty of loaded quips and empty clips..
Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace share some chemistry, the effects get better and I actually wanted to see our main characters get out of this movie alive.Make no mistake, it's still "Die Hard" in a space jail (with an equal portion of"Escape from New York" baked right in), but Pearce's mouth finally takes the wheel and makes this thing pretty cool; dumb, but some good go-with-it action (of "The Transporter" mold) with a charismatic action anti-hero.
It's a dumb movie, but it offers some mindless sci-fi action and a winning performance by Guy Pearce, who may just be the most versatile actor alive.
Only reason i watched this movie was because Guy Pearce was in it and also Maggie Grace is pretty hot.
Plot seems simple enough, Snow (Pearce) is a CIA agent who does something wrong and is asked to rescue the presidents daughter when a space trip to a space prison goes awry.I wasn't expecting too much from the film because you have to take it for what it is, an action film.
It isn't anything more because the script lacks any drama or substance to separate from other action films- the characters were all slightly 2D and there was not that much action (and also an anti-climatic ending) I did enjoy Pearces take on Snow as a witty mercendary with a lot to say and also Grace as the presidents daughter did a pretty good job in the film too.
Maggie Grace's Emilie doesn't appreciate Snow's antics, so watching them go one up against another, with that inevitable romantic development amongst their characters as a given, gives Lockout a different flair, since their chemistry worked.Forget about the effects used in the Star War-ish finale with space fighters going all out against a Death Star like installation, or other special effects that look more animated than to augment real life action, or that the fights here happen to be more of the usual way with fisticuffs being used to settle disputes.
In 2079, Snow (Guy Pierce) is falsely accused for treason, but offered a get out of jail free card if he can rescue Emilie (Maggie Grace) the president's daughter, a reporter who gets taken hostage when a prison revolt happens about a penal space station.Copletely and totally derivative of certain other action films of the '80's (and while I won't name them, you'll figure it out fairly early on) but I didn't mind much as the film as a whole was enjoyable if very VERY familiar.
Basically the same premise as the classic Escape from NY - bad dude tasked with saving the President (or his daughter, in this case) from a maximum security prison (a space-station prison in as opposed to Manhattan).Luc Besson did the screenplay so right away you know this will be a well-executed film with lots of interesting characters and awesome set design.
This B action film from Luc Besson, producer of Taken & The Fifth Element, is in the vein of Die Hard and Escape From New York.
Guy Pearce is so good as Snow, I think in time he may go down as one of the coolest action heroes in film.
The film was very enjoyable, and I hope to see Guy Pearce in more movies as the same characterI don't really like Maggie Grace, and I didn't really like her in this film either, but she does act well.
If you've read the synopsis of this movie, then you know it's about Guy Pearce saving the president's daughter from Space Jail (TM).
Overall, a pretty fun watch.Why You Might Not Like It: I am a Guy Pearce fan, but I thought his character wasn't fitting and full of bad jokes in this movie.
Guy Pearce is the star and he was very good, however his character plays like John McClain in Outer Space.