The Escape Plan: Arnold Is Back

The Escape Plan belongs in the 1980s. It is a throwback action film that works because of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s relaxed performance. Gone are the meta jokes of The Expendables and in their place  we get a blue collar escape film full of quirks, strategic facial hair and several big laughs.

The movie revolves around Stallone’s prison break extraordinaire stuck in a state of the art installation of glass, steel and a sneering Vinnie Jones. Eventually, he teams up with Arnie and they hatch a plan of awesomeness and convenience. Together they have to  defeat the overacting Jim Caviezel who channels every quirky villain ever.

The Escape Plan is worth the watch because of Arnie’s character Rottmayer. He is a friendly yet deadly man who always seems relaxed. For instance, when Sly needs a prisoners eye glasses Arnie makes it happen. The next scene Sly gets the glasses and the prior owner has a massive black eye. My favorite scene is when Arnie starts preaching like an evangelist in order for Sly to climb out of solitary without being heard. You can see the joy in Arnie’s eyes as he lets his sermon fly. It is at that moment when you buy into the film and enjoy the ride.

The movie is fun, non-pretentious stuff of cable television glory. The characters all have weird quirks (Hand lotion, clean clothes, bad cooking) and some plot lines go nowhere (Amy Ryan and 50 Cent are good but wasted). However, it was made solely to entertain, tells a refreshingly linear story and features a revitalized Arnie performance.

Watch the Escape Plan. Appreciate the wonderful Arnie performance. Be entertained.