Writer: Ezwan Mehzas

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Watch this if you liked: "The Last Stand", "The Expendables 2"

"Escape Plan" tells the story of Roy Breslin (played by Sylvester Stallone) who makes a career out of escaping prisons and finding faults in the security as part of a security consultant company. An ambitious man, he is soon offered a job that does not conform to his own safety guidelines and he takes it. However, he then realizes that he has been fed false information when he meet a warden who is different from the information he has been given. Now he has to find a way to escape from the extremely secure prison.

The film feels very much like a typical Hollywood film. It is so typical that it is really not something expected in this day and age as many now know that it is not possible to unlock a door with a gunshot without getting hit by the ricocheting bullet, and blowing up barrels of fuel with a hand gun is not very feasible. But still, the typical nonsense it has that most Hollywood films have does not dull the experience in the least.

The key feature of the film is the paring of two Hollywood legends, one who had a "Rocky" start and the other became known as the "Governator". It was indeed a great chemistry that held most of the film up. While Stallone gave his usual quality of performance, Arnold definitely stole the show! Fans of "The Last Stand" will love this film as Arnold brings humour into the mix once again. Faran Tahir, who plays a minor character, did not slack off either. Perhaps the funniest scene in the film, which involves a finger flick, succeeded because of him.

The character Roy Breslin, however, seems too resourceful to be realistic. Breaking from prison is one thing but being able to make a sextant, a navigational tool, is something beyond anyone's expectations.

The plot seems straightforward and simple. It is predictable and most of the time, we know what to expect. However, some or most of use might have been blindsided by this as there is actually a twist at the end. The film has few boring moments, which could be attributed to the plot's pacing.

Nothing special to note about cinematography and special effects as it is up to Hollywood standards anyway.

Overall, the show was very entertaining and is something that Arnold fans will appreciate. It may not be one of those must-watch films, but at the same time, it is one of those fun films to watch just for entertainment.

Cinema Online, 16 October 2013