Exoticalot
People are voting emotionally.
Cleveronix
A different way of telling a story
Plustown
A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.
Frances Chung
Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
AverageJoesDriveInPodcast
This one was a favorite of mine back in my High-School days. I watched it countless times. In fact, I even had the movie poster on the wall of my room at one time. The last time I watched it was probably about 15 years ago. I was going through my VHS collection and trying to find something to watch I hadn't viewing in awhile and saw this. So, I grabbed it and threw it in.This one actually holds up fairly well. It wasn't quite as good as I remembered, but it's still a solid film. I think the premise is actually interesting. Kind of an adult version of Lord of The Flies but they are there for more nefarious reasons. The cast is great. A lot of very solid actors, both ones you'd know by name and others you'd recognize by their faces. There are some fairly good action sequences, but for the most part, it's not overly heavy on that aspect. This is a very story driven movie. The FXs are solid and the score fits the film well. I think the listing of the film as an Action, Drama, Sci-Fi is right on the button. Very heavy on the Drama and Action, light on the sci-fi, but those elements are all there.It's a longer film which is one thing that might put a damper on viewing for some people, especially if you're going in expecting a mile a minute action thriller. It does have some weaker points, but they're not anything that would ruin the movie for you. I think most of those things are also subjective to the person watching's personal taste.I'm glad I finally saw this again. While I remembered a lot of it, there were a few moments I didn't. While I did enjoy it, it isn't one that I need to have on DVD or Blu-Ray. I might snag a copy and upgrade if I could find it for cheap, but for the time being my VHS copy still serves its purpose.My Rating: 7/10
Neil Welch
There was a spate of movies which centred around people wrongly banged up in escape-proof prisons in some sort of alternate reality quasi-sci-fi setting. In this case, the prison is on an island, and those sent there have split into two groups. One group, the goodies, simply wants to mind its own business and get on with the job of surviving. The other group, the baddies, is savage and warlike and wants to persecute / steal from - wipe out the first group.Shenanigans ensue.This is tosh, but entertaining tosh. Production values are high, there is loads of action, decent performances from a high profile case, treachery when you least expect it from someone from whom you least expect it (or perhaps you do), a performance of eye-rolling pantomime villainy from Stuart Wilson, and satisfying payoffs when you want them.Good fun.
xredgarnetx
Martin Campbell, whose name is synonymous with action movies, directed the action-driven and often-violent NO ESCAPE in 1994, with Ray Liotta as a new arrival on an island penal colony. Prisoners have divided themselves into two factions: a jungle-dwelling cluster of cannibals, led by versatile Brit thespian Stuart (LETHAL WEAPON 3) Wilson, and a fortress-building group of basically civilized souls led by the one and only Lance Henricksen. The cannibals not surprisingly keep attacking the gentler souls, which the island's warden (Michael Lerner) does nothing to stop. Liotta, a disgraced special ops, doesn't care about either faction, he just wants off the island. And while he waits to get off the island, he fights. Liotta may seem an unlikely action hero, but being a terrific actor, we never once doubt his ability to defend himself and make bloody mincemeat of his enemies. Wilson makes for a loud, pop-eyed killer and literal eater of men while Liotta is a quiet but extremely deadly individual. They make for an interesting match at the end. The film is not always on the money and gets pretty preachy at times, but it is quite colorful, mostly believable in a "Lord of the Flies" way and was beautifully photographed Down Under. See it for Liotta and Wilson.
Jakethemuss
I've seen this film many times over the years, as it has great re watch value. It is actually surprisingly good for a reasonably unheard of movie, and would be fair to say this is one of those gems your lucky to find.John Robbins (Liotta) is a decorated marine sent to a ultra strict maximum security prison for killing his superior officer. He does not stay there for long however, as he is banished to 'Absolum' a monitored island in a guarded stretch of water. Here, prisoners are no longer really prisoners, as there are no rules, no bars, no guards, just you and them. By them I mean "the outsiders", a bunch of savages desperately struggling for survival under the leadership of the vicious dread-locked Walter Marrik (Wilson).Then there are "the insiders", a society of former and somewhat rehabilitated inmates who live a peaceful and structured life, in a makeshift but well guarded fortress. They live under rules and respect each other, unlike the feral outsiders who have no code of honour.Classic lines, likable characters and solid action make this a film in its own right. The film boasts many good combat/battle scenes, and the gripping feel of the film sets in early and stays till the end.