Genre: Action
Director: Steven C. Miller
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Dave Bautista, Curtis Jackson, Xiaoming Huang, and Chen Tang
Studio: Lionsgate
Runtime: 93 minutes
Release Date: Available on Digital and Blu-ray June 29, 2018
Rated: R

Reviewer Rating ★★★★★

I should preface this review by admitting I’ve never seen the first Escape Plan. It was one of those movies I never got around to watching. With that said, there will be some who may think I’m unqualified to talk about its sequel, Escape Plan 2 (Hades), but I beg to differ. I truly believe a proper sequel should be able to follow its predecessor in a meaningful way while also standing on its own for newcomers. And now, on to the review.

Sylvester Stallone is back in Escape Plan 2: Hades

Escape Plan 2: Hades, directed by Steven C. Miller, follows Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone) and his highly trained group of security specialists who have mastered the art of breaking people out of the world’s most guarded prisons. When a member of his team, Shu Ren (Huang Xiaoming),  is captured and sent to Hades, the most high-tech and impenetrable prison on Earth, Ray quickly assembles a team in order to rescue him.

I love the concept of Escape Plan 2: Hades; it’s simple, but the best action films are the ones that utilize a basic concept by taking it to its extreme and turning it into something thrilling and memorable. Although, a good concept alone doesn’t make a great action film; it takes great direction, relatable characters, and pulse-pounding fight scenes. Unfortunately,  Escape Plan 2: Hades doesn’t have any of that.

Huang Xiaoming takes center stage as Shu

It’s disappointing because there’s so much potential considering the cast. Stallone is an icon, and after seeing him deliver an Oscar®-worthy performance in 2015’s Creed, it’s disheartening to see him mumble his way through Hades. His performance does regain life when Dave Bautista, who plays new character Trent DeRosa, comes into the picture. The banter and machismo, while cheesy, is endearing to watch. I wish there were more of these two in Hades.

Breslin and DeRosa take a backseat in order to focus on Shu and his cousin Yusheng Ma (Chen Tang), who is essentially China’s Mark Zuckerberg. The two cousins trying to survive in prison take up most of the film. While this plot point could be interesting, it becomes annoying.Tang gives it his all in his performance, despite Miles Chapman’s script making his character whiny, thus becoming tiresome to listen.

Xiaoming’s lackluster performance as Shu can also be rooted in the script. . His character has only one trait “stoic badass.” While he certainly has the physique and fighting prowess to potentially impress during the action moments, it’s all hindered by poor direction and editing. Every fight scene is filled with over-the-top, shaky camera angles, and multiple cuts to different shots to make it seem like the characters are hitting each other when they’re not. It’s a shame because there are sequences that could be a lot of fun, like the giant prison brawls and hallway shoot-outs to name a few, but they’re boring due to being unable to tell what’s happening.

The shakiness also spills over to many other scenes. It feels as if Miller is unwilling to rely on his actors to drive the tension and instead, decides to film and edit every scene with constant vibration, panning around the actors, and use of multiple jump cuts to create an artificial sense of intensity. There are some cool visual moments that occur when Miller decides to dial it back, allowing the characters to breathe and to let the mood carry the scene. The use of blue and red neon lights, accompanied by an electronic-tinged score composed by the Newton Brothers, creates the best moments in Hades.

Dave Bautista joins the franchise as Trent Derosa

Many of these flaws could be forgiven if Hades at least succeeded in being fun to watch; however, it’s kind of a drag. While Stallone’s and Bautista’s characters offer up some B-movie banter, Hades feels bogged down due to how seriously the film takes the family drama with Shu and Yusheng. It doesn’t help that Chapman’s script feels rushed with multiple pointless characters. Case in point – returning character Hush (Curtis Jackson), who doesn’t contribute anything to the main storyline. There is also a late movie plot twist that seems drawn out due to how predictable it is, and a cliffhanger that feels underserved.

If you’re a hardcore fan of the first Escape Plan, and are dying to for a sequel, this could satisfy your needs. Although for anyone else, there isn’t much to justify seeing it.

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