Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s underrated movieEscape Planis a must-watch now that it’s available to stream on Prime Video.Stallone and Schwarzenegger had previously worked togetherfor the first time inThe Expendablesa few years prior, butEscape Planis the first time the two are seen as a true duo on screen.Escape Planrevolves around the imprisonment of prison security tester Ray Breslin (Stallone) and his combined efforts with fellow inmate Emil Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger) to escape The Tomb —a notoriously inescapable prison.
Escape Planis far from the gritty and memorableaction films Stallone and Schwarzenegger are known for, but it is still a fun prison escape movie that’s been largely overlooked throughout the years.Escape Planhas earned mixed reviews from critics and didn’t perform well at the domestic box office, though it was a success internationally.Stallone and Schwarzenegger —who were famous rivals before warming up to one another and becoming friends— are a well-paired duo on screen, with strong enough chemistry to keep the movie pushing forward even in its weaker moments.
Escape Plan Is A Hidden Gem Featuring Schwarzenegger & Stallone
The Chemistry And History Of The Two In The Action Genre Make The Movie Worth Watching
Stallone and Schwarzenegger were each some of the biggest and most sought-after action stars during the 1980s and 1990s.Escape Plan’s script doesn’t fully utilize Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s charm in the genre, but the veteran action stars do just enough to make the movie a worthwhile watch for anyone familiar with their celebrated work, likeThe TerminatorandFirst Blood. The premise ofEscape Plancertainly doesn’t revamp the formula of prison escape films, butthe movie incorporates just enough solid twists to keep audiences invested and guessing until the end.
Additionally,Stallone and Schwarzenegger are supported by a strong group of actors who portray a variety of mysterious figuresthat make Ray and Emil’s planned escape a bit more difficult. Hobbes, the malicious owner of The Tomb, is played effectively by Jim Caviezel, and Vincent D’Onofrio appears inEscape Planas Ray’s business partner Lester Clark, who has a hidden agenda relating to the former’s imprisonment.
Escape Plannever takes full advantage of Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s ’80s fame in the action genre, making it a disappointment to those wishing to relive the intensity and energetic atmosphere of the actors' career-defining work. Yet, of theaction films Stallone and Schwarzenegger have made in more recent years,Escape Planis still one of the better-received movies in both actors' filmographies, reassuring audiences that the two are still fine forces in the genre decades after their prime.
There’s Actually An Entire Escape Plan Franchise
Escape Plan Spawned Two Sequels Without Schwarzenegger
Escape Planwasn’t a massive commercial or critical success, but it did spawn a franchise. Stallone reprises his role as Ray in the remainder oftheEscape Planfranchise, but Schwarzenegger doesn’t return. The sequel filmsEscape Plan 2: HadesandEscape Plan: The Extractorswere both straight-to-DVD releases, though they did earn theatrical releases in a few select countries outside the United States.The plots ofHadesandThe Extractorsare quite similar and straightforward, with Stallone’s Ray Breslin embarking on risky escape missionswith the help of people both inside and outside top-secret prisons.
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Escape Plan: The Extractors(2019)
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Of the three movies,Hadesis by farthe worst-receivedEscape Planfilmand earned largely negative reviews due to its uninspired characters and routine action sequences. Luckily, whileThe Extractorsdoesn’t necessarily surpass the spectacle and fun ofEscape Plan, it is an appreciated step up fromHadesand is a solid end to the franchise. WhileEscape Planand its succeeding films never became acclaimed staples in the action genre, they are still compelling prison escape movies that should be enjoyed for their digestible plots and the dynamic chemistry between Stallone and Schwarzenegger.
