Review: Lockout


  • Starring:  Guy Pearce (Memento), Maggie Grace (Taken), and Peter Stormare (Dancer in the Dark)
  • Directed by: James Mather and Stephen St. Leger
  • Rated: PG-13 for language, violence, and action sequences
  • Trailer:


Ah yes! Let me tell you. This is a movie that you must undoubtedly turn OFF your brain before entering the theater. Forget everything you learned about gravity, speed, and space in physics class, everything you learned about acting in drama class, and everything you learned about the Secret Service and special agents from the History channel and James Bond.

Lockout definitely sets out to entertain while ignoring certain key elements of a believable course of events. With a storyline that seems slightly ludicrous as it resembles a slight mixture of 1992’s Fortress and 1986’s Escape from N.Y., Lockout has one, and one thing going for it in its favor: Guy Pearce.

Below is my rant of a review as to why Lockout is one of the most ridiculous movies of the year to date. Bear with me as I share my thoughts! haha

There was so much wrong with this movie. There really should be a dropoff box for viewers’ brains outside of the theater for you to check them out and retrieve them back after the show.

Okay, so we have a falsely accused convict who, apparently, is our only hope to help rescue the President’s daughter from a den of psychos in a maximum security prison in outerspace. Under pretense of being cleared of all charges (much like in XXX), Pearce’s character, Snow, must achieve this mission against insurmountable odds.

Nobody smokes in the future, that means Snow is even more of a bad rebel!

Oh, and somehow, his partner in “crime” also ended up in the maximum security prison after his gun discharges after being dropped and hits a police officer. He needs to see his partner to clear his name, but let’s talk about why he is in a maximum security prison. I’d hate to see the penalty for lifting a pack of gum from a convenience store! (FIRING SQUAD, ready, aim, FIRE!!)

While the laughable plot and horrific CGI scenes (close  your eyes during the horrible motorcycle chase) tend to make you want to throw your popcorn at the screen, Guy Pearce’s performance as the overconfident, capable, and quick-witted rogue works well as he tosses out clever one-liners and always seems to know exactly what to do. He pretty much saves the film and is the ONLY reason worth watching.

There was just too much wrong here. A predictable turn of events, a girl who tries to be tough but makes some of the stupidest decisions (sorry, but it’s true), a maximum prison full of convicts that do nothing but hangout with each other instead of searching for escape pods, the random increase of oxygen in a room where oxygen is depleted, an apparent infestation of gravity in outerspace as people and objects can fall, an expected ending that tries to place importance on characters who weren’t important the entire time, and more!

And I'm Free...Free-Falling!!!

Like I said at the beginning, check your brain at the door when you go to see this movie. I couldn’t help but almost laugh at myself for sitting there as I got bored, disappointed, and sat there in disbelief. I guarantee you, in the first 10 minutes (even with your brain checked at the door) you will know what to expect from the film, who the bad guys are, and where the film will go.

Lockout attempts to keep your attention teased as one plot and storyline begins the movie, weaves its way through the almost inconsequential main mission, and then rematerializes at the end for a sense of closure. As a result, you may find that you care less about either story and just want to see how Pearce’s character tries to survive and clear his name. Guy Pearce makes a film that should have gone straight to dvd a semi-entertaining experience.

He sure can take a punch!

Without him, the movie would get a far worse rating than what I give it. I dunno, perhaps this was supposed to be a comedy instead. Eh!

Score:  1 out of 5 stars for Lockout

Thanks for reading! Happy Watching!

T, The Focused Filmographer


  1. Oooooh. The bullet. LOL

    I had my brain in the Off position, for sure. 😀

    Pretty much all of those things you’re pointing out as bad, I thought this. “Uh huh huh. Huh. Dumb” Munch Munch Munch (<— Popcorn sound effect. Hey, its about as high tech as this movie was.)


  2. I’m glad you also think the motorcycle scene was awful.
    The thing is is that some “check your brain at the door” movies can still be fun. But this was so poorly executed, it wasn’t. At all.


  3. Wow, sounds like Lockout sucked hard! I remember seeing the trailer and thinking “Is that really Guy Pearce? Why is he trying to sound like Jason Statham?” I had no interest in seeing it and reading your ruthless review I’m glad I didn’t waste my money.

    Infestation of Gravity! Lol! I now have images of tiny gravity bugs riding atop an apple as it falls on to Newton’s head!


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