LockoutMovie Reviews

So-so

Avg. Critic Score: 48 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

OK for kids 14+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

75

Boston Globe | Tom Russo
If you're an "Escape From New York" fan, you might have wondered about those rumors about a possible remake...Well, wonder no more. Producer Luc Besson's action factory has beaten everyone to it, stylishly. They're just calling the thing Lockout, and setting it in outer space. Read full review
75

Movieline |
Lockout is derivative and ridiculous and a good time, provided you can turn off higher brain functions along with any other part of you that might want to lodge a complaint about liberal borrowing from better movies. Read full review
63

Philadelphia Inquirer | Steven Rea
Lockout is genre all the way. The film wears its colors proudly, but it also, alas, wears out its welcome. Read full review
63

Slant Magazine | Nick Schager
Luc Besson's producing career has been so geared toward lean, tough genre films that it's somewhat apt that he'd ape--or, if we're being kind, pay homage to--John Carpenter's preeminent sci-fi actioner Escape from New York with his latest, Lockout. Read full review
63

Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert
The idea of the president's daughter being held captive isn't blindingly original (it's an alarmingly dangerous occupation), but placing the story on a space station is a masterstroke, since we're about filled up to here with prison movies set on Earth. Read full review
60

The Hollywood Reporter | Frank Scheck
Directors Stephen St. Leger and James Mather fill the film's obvious narrative gaps with enough witty banter and tongue-in-cheek humor for audiences to overlook the subpar special effects used throughout. Read full review
50

San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle
Most of the time Lockout is pleasant enough, not something to recommend to a friend, but enjoyable in the moment. Guy Pearce has a lot to do with that, as the most impervious action star imaginable. Read full review
50

Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum
With no thriller cliché left unused, the gaily outlandish plot is matched by tin-eared dialogue, ripe tough-guy overacting from the very game Pearce, and best-that-she-could acting from Grace. Read full review
38

USA Today | Scott Bowles
A putrid film that comes dead-weighted with hammy one-liners and a plot so silly it borders on comedy? Read full review
20

New York Daily News | Joe Neumaier
Directors James Mather and Stephen St. Leger stage a few good action set pieces, but unlike the 1981 midnight movie classic it imitates, the blandly titled Lockout never busts out of its cheesy concept. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for Lockout on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says OK for kids 14+ Outer-space rescue adventure has lots of action violence.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that Lockout is a futuristic action movie with almost constant fighting and chasing, as well as shooting, dead bodies, and some blood. The main male character is a cocky scoundrel who treats the main female character with disrespect (including punching her), even though she's shown to be brave. She winds up becoming a damsel in distress and a romantic interest for him; as a result, there's sexual tension and innuendo between them. Language includes one "f--k," many uses of "s--t," and more. The main character also regularly smokes cigarettes, mainly -- it seems -- to annoy others.

Families can talk about Lockout's violence. Does it create tension and thrills, or is it disturbing? What's shown and not shown? Which has more impact?
Is the president's daughter a role model, or is she a victim or a stereotype? What's the impact of the violence against women in this movie?
Does the main character look cool when he smokes? Why do you think he chooses to do it?
Is rescuing the president's daughter alone more important than rescuing as many hostages as possible?

The good stuff

Positive messages: The two main characters triumph over difficult odds and escape alive, though they fail in their efforts to save any other innocent people. Characters argue about whether the president's daughter should take priority over any other civilians in a dangerous situation; the answer appears to be "yes."
Positive role models: The main character is highly skilled but a scoundrel; he's selfish and cracks jokes at others' expense. He's lots of fun to watch but not someone to emulate. As for the heroine, she's brave and tries to do good things, but she winds up being a damsel in distress, secondary to the action, and romantically drawn to the scoundrel.

What to watch for

Violence: Violence is constant, though not extreme. There's some blood and almost constant fighting and chasing. The most gruesome things, like an exploding head, happen off screen. Many characters are shot and killed or die in other ways. The main character grabs a knife by its blade, slicing his hand. One character is a rapist, and though he sets his sights on his new victim, he doesn't actually rape anyone during the movie. The main male character punches the main female character in the face and generally mistreats her. A convict's face is burned on a piece of hot metal. There's a headless corpse, and a character gets a hypodermic needle injected into their eye. The images of convicts developing psychosis from their deep freeze can be a bit scary.
Sexy stuff: Some strong sexual innuendo. After a fall, a woman lands with her face in a man's crotch. He makes a fellatio-related joke. A man talks about "trampolining" someone's wife. "Foreplay" is mentioned. And the female lead makes a comment about whether the male lead is "good in bed." Other moments of sexual tension between the male and female lead. A character talks about "taking it out of my pants" while in church.
Language: "F--k" is used once, and "s--t" many times. Other words include "bitch" and "son of a bitch," "a--hole," "hell," "ass," "crap," "damn," "goddamn," and "d--k," as well as "Jesus" and "oh my God" (as exclamations).
Consumerism: Not an issue
Drinking, drugs and smoking: The lead character smokes cigarettes throughout the movie, sometimes for comic effect.

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