Michael_Elliott No Escape (1994) ** (out of 4)Futuristic sci-fi/action film has Ray Liotta playing a man who is sentenced to prison for murdering his commanding officer. This isn't your normal prison however. In the future prisoners are basically dumped off an on remote island where you never get to leave. You are forced to defend yourself and there are two groups of convicts and before long Liotta is in the middle.NO ESCAPE is a film that was disappointing in 1994 and time hasn't been overly friendly to it. The movie was meant to be one of those actions films that took off but sadly that just never happens here. You've got some graphic violence as well as some good action scenes but overall the film is just too dull for its own good.The biggest problem with the film is the fact that the screenplay really doesn't offer up any interesting characters. The characters are all rather bland and there's really nothing fresh or original to any of them. I'd also argue that the story itself isn't the most original as it's pretty much a cross between PLANT OF THE APES and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, two much better films.Liotta is certainly good in his role as he isn't really the type you'd expect to see in an action picture like this. I thought he at least managed to keep the film slightly watchable as his acting was certainly the best thing about the film.

Leofwine_draca The MAD MAX influence is clear in this so-so adventure film which boasts a prison with a difference: there are no cells, no walls, no bars, no guards. Instead the location is a remote island, where there are no hopes of escape (as the title would suggest). This makes the film a bit more interesting, besides which we've had more than our fill of traditional prison films throughout the years and continue to do so.Unfortunately, though, with such an interesting premise, this could have been a lot better. As it is, the film is fairly plodding, with long scenes of dialogue broken up occasionally by action. There are two reasons for this, a) the film runs for two hours when an hour and a half would be a lot slicker, and b) there are so many different characters involved that it takes a lot of time to go from one to another, to chart their different lives and experiences.Thankfully, what could have been a totally dull and boring film is saved by an ensemble cast of cult and mainstream actors. Taking the lead is Ray Liotta, once again doing his intense persona role he uses in everything from GOODFELLAS to TURBULENCE. Liotta's character has a more developed personality than you might imagine, and for much of the film he disagrees with and opposes the good guys, it's not all smiles and hugs as with many other action "heroes". Liotta is well supported by Lance Henriksen, who plays the village elder and is surprisingly frail, especially considering that he usually plays tough guy roles.Other familiar faces pop up from time to time, including Kevin Dillon as a young and impressionable warrior, Ernie Hudson, the oft-forgotten fourth of the GHOSTBUSTERS, and a surprising amount of British actors including Don Henderson and Jack Shepherd. Often, though, characterisation is replaced with scenes of violence and warfare, some quite gruesome for a 15 certificate film, namely a graphic decapitation. The baddies in the film are a group of warriors clad just like the baddies in the MAD MAX trilogy, and are aided and abetted by some jungle-dwelling cannibals for good measure.However, the problem is that the action sequences pale in comparison to the likes of BRAVEHEART, the plot is clichéd, obvious (the traitor's identity is glaringly so) and unremarkable, and the running time is just too long to maintain any suspense or excitement. Still, if prison films are your thing then this is a pleasing atypical alternative to the more usual fare, bolstered by a nice cast who give it their best and with some fun special effects.

NateWatchesCoolMovies No Escape is the type of flick that Stallone or Schwarzenegger would have headlined, had it been given a higher budget and major studios presence. It's almost better that it didn't, because instead we got a scrappy little post apocalyptic actioner starring a cheeky, roughneck Ray Liotta, who you just can never say no to when he shows up. He plays J.T. Robbins here, an army official who's been disgraced and stripped of his title following an incident involving a superior officer. He's being shipped off to Absolon, a remote island that's been fashioned into a massive prison for convicts who are never to be released. Two groups of prisoners inhabit Absolon: a piratical group of violent miscreants led by flamboyant Walter Marek (Stuart Wilson commands attention with his uproariously weird performance), and a peaceful tribe of hut dwellers, presided over by father (Lance Henriksen). Robbins wants only to escape, a prospect that has been fervently shot down in his face by Absolon's overbearing Warden (Michael Lerner). Using his military cunning and inherent brute force, he tries to start a war between the two factions and raise enough of a commotion to make a break for it. What he doesn't count on is his fondness for the people within Father's group, and his eventual need to get some of the, out as well. It's pure aged mid 90's dystopian action cheese, and a delight for any lovers of the gourmet dish. Liotta is strong, silent and nasty when provoked, a great antihero. Henriksen is unusually compassionate and reserved, and Wilson struts around without any inhibitions, wearing his best grade school play face chomping scenery like a wildebeest. Watch for work from Kevin Dillon, Ian McNeice and Ernie Hudson as well. A lighthearted romp with its heart in the right place and the competence to back it up.

ccthemovieman-1 On the surface, this looks like a dumb movie which is overly violent and too seedy because it features nothing but hardened criminals plus the normal sadistic warden Hollywood always shows in all modern-day films.But....it turns out the story isn't as sordid as it looks and the violence, although plentiful, is somehow not overdone. Also, the chief villain " Walter Marek" (Stuart Wilson) is a man with a good sense of humor. The comedic relief he brings is a real plus to the story. By the way, Wilson doesn't look like Mel Gibson but his voice sure sounds similar."No Escape" is strictly an action movie with an all-male cast that has a grim atmosphere of convicts fighting it out on an inescapable island in the year 2022.Profanity isn't as much as you'd except in a tough film like this and - in a real oddity - Lance Henriksen is the nicest guy in the movie! He never utters a bad or angry word. If you know the characters Henriksen usually plays, you know this is a rarity. Ray Liotta, Michael Lerner and Ernie Hudson also star, so it's a decent cast.You could do a lot worse looking for two hours of "escapist" fare.