No Escape (1994)

Director:

Martin Campbell

Writers (WGA):

Richard Herley (novel)
Michael Gaylin (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

29 April 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

No guards. No walls. No escape.

Plot:

Robbins is sent to prison for the assassination of his general officer, a prison you only get out of when you die...

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Island | Escape | Imprisonment | All Male Cast

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ray Liotta	...	Capt. J.T. Robbins
Lance Henriksen	...	The Father
Stuart Wilson	...	Walter Marek
Kevin Dillon	...	Casey
Kevin J. O'Connor	...	Stephano
Don Henderson	...	Killian
Ian McNeice	...	King
Jack Shepherd	...	Dysart
Michael Lerner	...	The Warden
Ernie Hudson	...	Hawkins
Russell Kiefel	...	Iceman
Brian M. Logan	...	Scab
Cheuk-Fai Chan	...	Skull
Machs Colombani	...	Ratman
David Argue	...	Cellmate

Also Known As:

Escape from Absolom (Australia)
The Penal Colony (USA) (working title)
The Prison Colony (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

118 min | South Korea:103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | South Korea:15 (cut) | Argentina:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (cut) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

There are strong similarities between the plot of this film and that Robert A. Heinlein's short story "Coventry". Both feature a protagonist who is a convict sent to a futuristic penal system which is actually a wilderness outland whose inhabitants have split off into two warring social factions. In the movie, the hero befriends a character known as The Father; in the short story, the protagonist befriends a man named Fader, which resembles the Dutch word "vader", which means "father".

Quotes:

Robbins: You want it? Come and get it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) (VG)

Soundtrack:

SON OF A PREACHER MAN

Goodfella. Badfella.

Decent enough action flick about a futuristic island penal colony that no one has ever escaped - enter murderer Robbins (Ray Liotta) who manages to break all the rules and band together with a group of fellow escapees (Kevin Dillon and Lance Henriksen). Together they try to leave the island but find themselves faced with no escape, hence the title of the film.

Ray Liotta ("Goodfellas") is quite good in the action hero role - one that might usually be reserved for a Schwarzenegger or Stallone. But the real flaw of the film lies in the long sequences in between the good escape sequences and action sets - such as all the extremely unbelievable, plot-driven, corny dialogue.

Dillon (Bunny from "Platoon" and Matt's brother) is OK but his character isn't quite as "cool" as the filmmakers think he is. Henriksen ("Aliens") is good as usual but really the film comes down to Liotta's performance. It drives the movie forward but I can't really say it's anything tremendously special.

3/5 stars.

- John Ulmer