Escape Plan (Blu-ray) (2013)

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General		Extras
Category	Action	Audio Commentary-Director Mikael Hafstrom and co-writer Miles Chapman Featurette-Making Of-Executing the Plan: The Making of Escape Plan (22:13) Featurette-Maximum Security: The Real-life Tomb (21:57) Featurette-Clash of the Titans (15:34) Deleted Scenes-Deleted Scenes (9:09) Trailer-1
Rating
Year Of Production	2013
Running Time	115:35
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Ads Then Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Mikael Håfström
Studio Distributor	Entertainment One	Starring	Sylvester Stallone Arnold Schwarzenegger Jim Caviezel Amy Ryan Vinnie Jones Sam Neill Vincent D’Onofrio
Case	Standard Blu-ray
RPI	?	Music	Alex Heffes

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.40:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Breslin (Sylvester Stallone) is a maximum security prison security expert; he is paid to be incarcerated in maximum security prisons and test their security by trying to escape. He is very good at his job, and has managed to escape more often than not. After his latest escape, he is approached by a C.I.A operative with a lucrative offer; to test an off the grid maximum security prison that has been created to hold the worst kind of prisoners including terrorists. Breslin accepts the assignment but when he is inducted he finds that he has been betrayed: someone wants him to disappear for good and Warden Hobbes (Jim Caviezel) will make sure that happens. So now, without any back-up, it is up to Breslin to use all his knowledge and skills to escape this escape proof prison. But is the mysterious Rottmayer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) a friend, or an enemy.

     While Escape Plan does include action in the climax, it is more like all those old Mission Impossible TV episodes; Escape Plan is a puzzle which relies on the resourcefulness of the stars and split second timing for the escape to succeed. Thus the plot of the film is far-fetched and stretches credibility to the extreme and is nothing new despite Mikael Hafstrom and Miles Chapman maintaining otherwise in the extras on this Blu-ray. However, the film is certainly well made and it is fun seeing how the plan will succeed and watching screen icons Stallone and Schwarzenegger together doing their stuff. The two have been competitors in the action genre for decades but apart from Schwarzenegger’s bit part in The Expendables films they have never co-starred together, until now. And they seem to have had a ball!

     Stallone’s character is the focus of Escape Plan and he is very good, and seems to be getting better and better with age in a role that requires brain and brawn, including engaging in a hand to hand fight with Vinnie Jones which shows he still can mix it up. Schwarzenegger has less physical action, although he still handles a machine gun with aplomb, but the joy of the film is their interplay as they plan the escape. Indeed, except for a good creepy turn by Jim Caviezel as the Warden, the rest of the cast including Sam Neill, Vinnie Jones, Amy Ryan, Vincent D’Onofrio and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson are almost superfluous.

Video

     Escape Plan is presented in the original aspect ratio of 2.40:1, close to the original 2.35:1, in 1080p using the MPEG-4 AVC code.

     The print is nicely detailed, with the blue / grey colour palate of the glass and metal prison looking very good. Elsewhere colours are natural, blacks solid, shadow detail good, skin tones natural, contrast and brightness consistent.

     Other than ghosting in an early sequence with a chequered background I did not notice any marks or artefacts.

     English subtitles for the hearing impaired are available in a white text. They come on automatically to translate sections of German and Arabic dialogue.

Video Ratings Summary

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Shadow Detail
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Audio

     The audio is English DTS-HD MA 7.1, plus an audio commentary in Dolby Digital 2.0.

     My system cannot handle a 7.1 audio, but even in 5.1 this audio is impressive and what you would expect from a recent action film. Dialogue was sometimes indistinct, when the subtitles came in handy. In the prison there is always ambient sound or music in the rears and surrounds while during the action sequences and riots the audio is fully enveloping producing voices, gunshots, ricochets, the helicopter engines and general mayhem. The sub-woofer added appropriate bass to the explosions, crashes, engines and music.

    Lip synchronisation was fine.

     The orchestral score by Alex Heffes sounded pretty generic, and could be for any number of action films. It was effective enough.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
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Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
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Trailer (2:17)

     A trailer for 1 plays at start-up. It cannot be selected from the menu.

Audio Commentary – Director Mikael Hafstrom and co-writer Miles Chapman

     Hafstrom and Chapman are sitting on different sides of America for the commentary, but you cannot tell as they interact together, asking each other questions and chatting. They talk continuously but this is not a technical commentary and they tend to describe what is on the screen as well as talk about locations, themes, plot points, casting and the reality of the situations. Certainly worth a listen.

Executing the Plan: The Making of Escape Plan (22:13)

     This consists of on set footage, film footage and interviews with the director Mikael Hafstrom, producer Mark Caton, other producers, the location manager and some of the cast including Stallone and Schwarzenegger. Items covered including the genesis of the project, the type of film they wanted to make, the director, the NASA plant location used for the prison and teaming Stallone and Schwarzenegger as leads for the first time. Pretty much an EPK but worth watching once.

Maximum Security: The Real-life Tomb (21:57)

     Various academics, architects who have designed prisons, a security expert, warden and prison guard discuss the history of maximum security prisons, designing prisons, controlling the inmates and why some of the stuff in Escape Plan was wrong, and would not be seen in a maximum security prison!

Clash of the Titans (15:34)

     The casting Stallone and Schwarzenegger together, their long-time rivalry and developing friendship, and their fight in the film. On set footage plus comments from Stallone and Schwarzenegger, other cast members, the director, producer, screenwriter and stunt coordinator.

Deleted Scenes (9:09)

     Eleven short deleted / extended scenes, each introduced by a text screen showing the scene number and name. Nothing essential, although a couple add more scenes with the doctor played by Sam Neill.

     Our release of Escape Plan is identical to the US Region A version except for some dub and subtitle options.

     Escape Plan is fun and the action well staged although the plot makes no sense and there are contrivances that would tax a Mission Impossible fan. But with Stallone and Schwarzenegger together, what else do fans need?

     The video is good, the audio excellent; the extras are worthwhile and the same as in other regions.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall