Lockout : A movie out of time.

Recently, I caught Lockout (2012) with Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace streaming on Netflix. I remember wanting to see it when I saw the trailers, but was too busy when it came out in theaters last spring. The basic premise appealed to my fascination with prison planets–this one is a prison in low earth orbit, but it was close enough to appeal. When it first showed up Netflix I tried to watch it and was so disappointed by the first five minutes that I turned it off. This time I made myself give it ten minutes. By the ten minute mark I was much more entertained.

Disappointing CGI
The  CGI in the big action scene in the beginning is really NOT good. It has a low budget video game feel. If you can get past that, and the fact that the kick-off to the disaster is roll-your-eye-stupid, the story and the style are reminiscent of the blockbuster action flicks of the late 1980s – early 1990s. They were brilliant for the time, but I’m not sure why this modern incarnation went back to that style. As a fan of those old blockbusters, I was eventually able to enjoy this movie as a good popcorn flick, but I can see why more modern audiences didn’t lap it up.

The Strong Women of the 80s Have Gone to Cliché
Like those beloved movies like, Die Hard, Commando, Demolition Man and Hard Target; it featured a rugged ‘good’ soldier in trouble and a beautiful female sidekick who starts out in a business suit and ends up toting guns like a professional. In the 80s that was progressive but it seems a bit cliché now. Still, those were the movies that fired my imagination and fed my need for strong female characters in a time where they were in short supply. I’m glad I didn’t spend the money on seeing this movie in the theater, but it was a nice watch for a lazy weekend morning.

12 thoughts on “Lockout : A movie out of time.”

  1. Hi Charlee —

    I really enjoyed Lockout. I hadn’t heard anything about it but was looking for an action flick one Friday night. It wasn’t perfect but if you want a fun, B-grade, sci-fi action movie then this is it.

    • Hi! I think that is probably the best way to approach the movie – without expectations. There were some very funny moments. But didn’t you wonder why they put the woman’s bodyguards on the side of the glass with the prisoner? So easy to fix, but oh well. It led to some great action and one awful haircut!

  2. Huh. I vaguely remember the trailer but the movie didn’t look all that interesting. Not even campy enough to be interesting. Maybe when it shows up on the Scify channel I’ll watch it.

  3. I forgot all about this movie I had wanted to watch it too…I am so bad with movies I forget all the time. Thanks for the reminder. I am such a action movie junkie and throw some scifi in there and I am loving it.

  4. We missed this when it was in the theater. But I’ll look for it on Netflix. I am very surprised in this day and age that the CGI was poor. Considering the competition, that’s not where you want to skimp.

    • Well the CGI would have been great for 5 years ago, but it doesn’t kill the movie too much. After the first 10 minutes it is mostly practical effects.

  5. “In the 80s that was progressive but it seems a bit cliché now.”

    Don’t you know it! Thanks for the 411 on this. I’m giving Netflix a try on a trial basis so maybe I’ll check this out before my trial is up.

Comments are closed.