No Escape

Owen Wilson stars as Jack – a former inventor who came very close to greatness, but failed. Now, he has taken a job working for a multinational corporation trying to bring clean drinking water to the poor in a Third World country located in Southeast Asia (Unnamed because they were they afraid of getting someone angry like The Interview did? This movie could use the publicity).

Along with him are his wife, Annie (Lake Bell), and two adorable kids, who aren’t quite sure what to make of this spot on the planet.

On his second day in the country, a violent uprising begins and mobs of people are hunting for foreigners. Little does Jack know, but he is a prime target because of the company he works for.

Will Jack, Annie and the girls escape?

No Escape is a very intense movie, so you can expect some bigger things from writer/director John Erick Dowdle down the road. I just hope he learns to go with it instead of second guessing himself and delivering a spectacle that is too movie-like.

The story, co-written by Drew Dowdle, has a raw intensity that could be a great Paul Greengrass movie (the guy who gave you the good Bourne movies, Captain Phillips and United 93) with gritty, chaotic action that feels like a documentary or like you are in the middle of every scene along with Jack and the family. At times, we do get that feel, but not enough, and often interrupted.

Director Dowdle tries to dumb it down a bit by constantly tugging on the heartstrings of the audience with supposedly meaningful music and slow motion takes to make a point we already felt from the situation. The audience doesn’t need any help getting the danger or getting the violence. It is a greatly harrowing situation every human being can feel in your gut as you watch No Escape. He might as well put a big sing on the screen stating, “This Is Poignant, So Pay Attention!”

When interrupted by these attempts to make No Escape a more traditional, and kind of old fashioned, movie, the story loses too much urgency and impact. It’s a reminder we are sitting in an air conditioned movie theater, rather than being on that rooftop with rebels chasing after us and being forced to decide if we will jump across the alley to the next building (BEST SCENE IN THE MOVIE!).

Plus, the Dowdles give us a big politically correct speech that would have Donald Trump screaming about how the PC Police are ruining America. In an attempt to avoid controversy, one major character wants to tell the audience that we shouldn’t hate the rebels violently raping, pillaging and murdering innocent people all throughout the town. Somehow, it’s not really their fault. It’s the fault of Whitey for moving into the country and trying to manipulate them.

Right or wrong, no matter what side of the fence you find yourself, it’s another example of interrupting an urgent, crackling movie. This time, it is to avoid controversy that would never exist.

No Escape is a shocker, and a welcome one in these dog days of Fantastic Four, Hitman: Agent 47 and American Ultra.

No Escape is rated R for strong violence including a sexual assault, and for language.