Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Lenny Drake (Joseph Fiennes), Brodie (Liam Cunningham), Viv Batista (Seu Jorge), James Lacey (Dominic Cooper), and Frank Perry (Brian Cox) are escaping from prison. The movie also keeps switching back to flashbacks. Lacey is a new prisoner as Perry's cellmate. Perry is a lifer and desperate to visit his dying estranged daughter. He recruits a group of prisoners on his escape plan. Rizza (Damian Lewis) is the ruthless leader of a prison gang. His brother Tony causes trouble for the escape group.New director Rupert Wyatt has an amazing cast of actors captained by the great Brian Cox. These are terrific actors doing solid work. The production is a little unreal. The Kilmainham Gaol prison looks ancient which makes a modern prison movie feel artificial. The two timeline tracks take some of the intensity away but it does create a poetic ending. The ending is not completely unexpected. It is well done for the most part.

Watch this if... a very good and suspenseful prison break film is your thing. Not action packed by any means, but provides plenty of suspense and is a solid film.Acting/Casting: 8* - Great casting from top to bottom in this one. Cox and company play their roles well and the acting is above average. In particular, Cox gives arguably his best performance to date.Directing/Cinematography/Technical: 7* - Well directed and I must say the final product is quite impressive. The film takes place predominately in prison and you can almost feel the despair with the dull and dark lighting throughout the film. The cinematography and other aspects of the movie are on par. Although nothing new, I am a big fan of the past/present flipping that takes place throughout the movie.Plot/Characters: 7* - This is a well thought out and constructed prison break film. Although Cox plays a criminal, it has you rooting for him to get out to aid and resolve issues with his daughter. The characters are a bit stereotypical and this prison is far from running a tight ship, but it is still entertaining.Entertainment Value: 7* - A solid film that offers suspense and is well worth a watch. If you are in the mood for a good prison break film that keeps you guessing, then this is right up your alley. I will likely watch again at some point in the future.My Score: 8+7+7+7 = 29/4 = 7.25Email your thoughts to [email protected]

This film uses the tired old trick of flashing back to try and keep us thrilled. It is used as a substitute for a decent plot. There is no depth to any of the characters other than the lead.I'm also confused as to why someone would cast pigeon-chested effeminate guy as top-dog in a prison. Or how we are supposed to believe someone is able to manufacture Class A drugs in prison from an orange an a fruit-cake. Yes, I know we are supposed to suspend our disbelief, but I think the director could have met us half way. Of course, they do put in the rape scene, which seems to be obligatory in every film set in prison now. Yawn.When you get to the final twist in the wafer thin plot, you realise you've just wasted another 102 mins of your life. Perhaps a few more if your daft enough to post about on a website.

An harrowing, gritty, taut, tense, thrilling prison break/thriller that will captivate you until the shocking, bittersweet conclusion. The film was atmospheric and gloomy and the performances were solid but not showy and it did a good job keeping you in suspense. It never reaches to great lengths and it wont stay in your memory forever but this is probably the best prison movie I've seen since The Last Castle and It's better than most movies of its kind but it just wasn't that theatrical or amazing as I thought it would be. Overall this prison break movie has an heart and a soul and has an involving story and characters to root for and was quite an jarring experience but frustrating. Recommended! More of a 3.5 out of 5 stars.