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No Escape (1994)

post #1 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:13pm
Thread Starter 
Does anyone else enjoy this movie as much as I do? Granted, it's a failed attempt to market Ray Liotta as an action hero... but I'm into it more for the supporting cast.

Stuart Wilson does a impressive job as Marek, the psychotic leader of the Outsiders. Yes, scenery is chewed... but he's having fun with it.

And with a nod to the "bad accents" thread, his American is pretty passable.

The only weak link is Kevin Dillon for two reasons.

1: He sucks.
2: He will always be Matt Dillon's little brother... but Matt gets a shout out for doing my oldest sister in high school before he "broke out".
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post #2 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:17pm
No mention of the great Lance Henriksen? For shame!

I love this movie. It's fun and fast paced with many good action sequences in it. I remember being thrilled when it was announced that Martin Campbell was going to direct 'Goldeneye'; he showed a good visual flair in this film that I thought would suit the Bond series very well.
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post #3 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:20pm
Thread Starter 
I liked Lance's performance... but like Ernie Hudson, he seemed to be pushed a little off to one side in favor of the Robbins/Marek conflict.
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post #4 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:22pm
Maybe there is a movie, but I can't think of any one that Martin Cambell has directed that has not been an enjoyable one.

And, No Escape has one of my favorite kills ever. Torso-Speared!
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post #5 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:26pm
Stuart Wilson really does walk away with this movie. He's a good, reliable actor anyways, but he achieves a certain level of crazed evil in this film that is hard to take your eyes off of. It helps that he has all of the best scenes.

Marek: ...that's not funny
[he suddenly decapites his opponent]
Marek: HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! Now, that's funny!
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post #6 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:30pm
Martin Campbell's cinematic efforts, after 'No Escape':

Unstoppable (2011) (pre-production)
Green Lantern (2010) (pre-production)
36 (2009) (pre-production)
Edge of Darkness (2009) (post-production)
Casino Royale (2006)
The Legend of Zorro (2005)
Beyond Borders (2003)
Vertical Limit (2000)
The Mask of Zorro (1998)
GoldenEye (1995)
No Escape (1994)

I never saw 'Beyond Borders', but I heard that it was terrible. Most of that list of completed fils is pretty solid, though.
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post #7 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:33pm
Wasn't the Legend of Zorro pretty bad as well?
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post #8 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Allen View Post
Maybe there is a movie, but I can't think of any one that Martin Cambell has directed that has not been an enjoyable one.

And, No Escape has one of my favorite kills ever. Torso-Speared!
I wouldn't go so far as to say it wasn't enjoyable, but Vertical Limit sure was bad.

Legend of Zorro wasn't great either, but I had fun with it.

Its been a while since I've seen No Escape, but I remember it competing with Fortress on the straight to video front in this country. More people seemed to see Fortress, but I thought this was a better, more enjoyable film, albeit one without a real ending, no?
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post #9 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:35pm
A few years back my worn VHS recording of it got stuck in the TV. Completely shredded. It's safe to say a part of me died that afternoon. Great, ridiculous movie.
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post #10 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:38pm
You know? I need to see this again for details. But here's one that has always kind of stuck with me.

Once Ray Liotta reaches the insider's camp, I realized I was watching a revisionist action remake of The Smurfs.

Henriksen is Papa Smurf. The fat guy (I think it was Ian McNiece) is Vanity Smurf. Ernie Hudson is Hefty Smurf... (You could argue that Liotta fits this description too). Actually... Who builds the boat? Because that's definitely Handy Smurf. I coud go on, but I think you see my point. Really think about it for a minute.
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post #11 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:38pm
Thread Starter 
I really wanted to like Vertical Limit, but everything Chris O'Donnell touches turns to suck.

Scott Glenn was tops, though.

EDIT: Erix, I think Ian McNiece should be Hefty Smurf...

EDIT REDUX: And since McNiece's character was gay, does he also qualify as Smurfette?
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post #12 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:42pm
Chris O'Donnell was definitely a weak spot for 'Vertical Limit', but the movie that surrounded him was pretty decent as I recall. The scenery was great and the stunt work was pretty solid, and Scott Glenn was GREAT as the toe-less climber.

eta: echoing what Lima said.
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post #13 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:43pm
I've never seen No Escape all the way through, but what I've seen of it, I've liked. I actually really liked Kevin Dillon in the flick too. Sad when he has to get killed by Liotta.
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post #14 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:45pm
Thread Starter 
It's always in the bargain bin at Wally World, Rene...

Good B-action to have in the collection.
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post #15 of 21
3/16/09 at 3:46pm
I'm getting the fat guy (McNiece) confused with the effeminate fat guy in Demolition Man, I think, because I saw these movies at around the same time... Which one was the effeminate guy in No Escape? Was it Kevin J O'Connor? In any case, THAT'S Vanity Smurf.
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post #16 of 21
3/16/09 at 4:16pm
Pretty sure Glenn Shadix was the effeminate Associate Bob in Demo Man, and that it was McNiece in No Escape.

ETA: Erix, apologies if I misunderstood your post.
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post #17 of 21
3/16/09 at 4:36pm
So both No Escape and Demolition Man had effeminate fat guys?

Was this a mid-90s trend? What gives?

In any case, only No Escape had Vanity Smurf.
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post #18 of 21
3/16/09 at 5:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erix View Post
So both No Escape and Demolition Man had effeminate fat guys?

Was this a mid-90s trend? What gives?

In any case, only No Escape had Vanity Smurf.
Yeah, effeminate fat guys were de rigeur for awhile there.

Been years since I watched this; it almost seems that after this flick I didn't see too much of Ray Liotta. Whether that was due to his work in Goodfellas kind of typecasting him or something, I don't know, but he was great in this film.
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post #19 of 21
4/17/11 at 2:54pm

So Ray Liotta plays a soldier sent to prison after he murders his commanding officer over a botched airstrike that led to the massacre of innocent women and children. In Libya. In 2011.

 

Easily the most prescient film of 1994.

 

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post #20 of 21
4/21/11 at 6:49pm

I haven't watched No Escape in a while, but I really like the movie. Then again, I don't need much of an excuse to enjoy a movie where Ray Liotta is in full-on badass mode.

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post #21 of 21
4/22/11 at 2:27am

Such an entertaining movie. It has some killer explosions near the end.

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