Old fashioned values...

I often enjoy revisiting the good old action films of the 80s and 90s.  The wise cracking good guy, the (usually English) bad guy, with pet/sidekick/shady boss person at the other end of a video link in tow.  The good guy always wins, gets the girl, then the credits roll.

Why do I enjoy the trip down cinematic memory lane?  Because it's good fun.  Simple.  Mindless.

I'm not always in the mood for a Requiem for a Dream, The Piano, or Momento style trip to the outer reaches of my psyche.  Sometimes after a hard day at work, I want to relax, crack open a beer, but most importantly, not have to think to hard.

With the above in mind, Lockout is a return to good old fashioned 'action film making' values.

Elevated from B movie status, in my opinion, with the inclusion of Guy Pearce, it offers, thrills, spills, wise cracks, and is strictly uncomplicated.  Add to that, a seemingly genuine chemistry shared by Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace, especially in the closing scenes (see my post 'High School Drama Productions' http://brightsidegerman.blogspot.com/2012/04/high-school-drama-productions.html for why this scores points with me) and you have good value for money from your trip to the cinema.

The only fly in the ointment is a decidedly dodgy motorbike chase at the beginning.  With it's heavy use of CGI and wild camera work, it feels like an amusement ride at Universal Studios.  It could quite easily have been left out, at no detriment to the film.

Parallels to Snake Plissken, and John Carpenter's Escape from New York and L.A films have been drawn in a great many reviews.  It's understandable why.  Guy Pearce's wrongly accused and disgraced CIA agent Snow is forced into a seemingly suicidal rescue attempt of the President's daughter (sounds familiar).  Only this time it's in space, and instead of the deadly threat of Plutoxin 7 as an incentive to play ball, Snow has a space station cum prison facility full of psychotic, escaped convicts for motivation.

The antagonists come in the form of brothers Alex and Hydell.  The latter played by Joseph Gilgun, who is a particular favourite of mine from shows such as This Is England, and Misfits.  Apart from a hideously out of place scottish accent from Gilgun, his character has menace still without taking himself too seriously.  The main of the two brothers, Alex, then ends up seeming a damp squib by comparison.

It's not a hot tip for the Oscars, and it won't be breaking any records at the box office.  But long live films like Lockout.  Making regular trips to the cinema enjoyable since 1983.