Escape

I'm not sure if the acting was bad, or it was simply down to the dialogue. In fact, I think it was the latter. Except for 2 or 3 very noticeable (and terrible) performances.

It was very cliche at times. And each sentence seems to be about 5 words long, pause, then next sentence.

There's a lot of human trafficking films out there, and this one is on the more unrealistic end. It wasn't terrible, it wasn't even bad, but it wasn't above a 4.5. No way. But it wasn't the worst film I've seen by any stretch of the imagination. So, if you're into thrillers, you'll probably not regret watching it, but probably won't remember in a week either.

Overall, I enjoyed this film, although it did seem to be a lower-budget version of 'Taken', but instead of Liam Neeson kicking ass, there are numerous hot 'blondes' doing it. Combining their superior psyche, these females exploit the machismo, one-dimensional nature of the villains, especially in the final act. That being said, I thought the actors cast as the antagonists did a good job. In particular, I enjoyed the camaraderie and 'friendship' between the eyepatch character and his Eastern European accomplice (Jon-Paul Gates, who I have seen in other films). Even though both were abducting and raping women at will, I thought their character traits personified the Eastern European mafia, where loyalty is not as important as greed and self-aggrandisement. When Gates attempts to drive the car, bleeding profusely, and Eyepatch asserts he can't drive, is hilarious! Some amusing moments in between the carnage of sex trafficking!

I love the concept. It would be nice if there were more horror movies where the female characters are not complete morons.

Unfortunately, this isn't it. It's not a horror movie, more like a really bad comedy.

Almost every scene reminded me a scenes from horror movie parodies.

The acting is absolutely horrible. No character is believable. As bad as the girls were, the parants' "war room" side was so much worse and unnecessary.

The bad guys, especially the boss, were so badly written. The accents just made it worse.

The dialogs and the script are just bad. Karla telling that long dumb unrelated childhood story while being chased was just hilarious.

Also, Lucy finding this ABANDONED structure in the middle of the desert going door to door (openings, no actual doors) asking if anyone is home was absolutely dumb and funny (The building has no roof, ffs!). Surprising, she finds that useless homeless that hands her a plastic bottle that seem to be full with urine and cigarettes, yet she tries to drink it, then vomits.

This movie is terrible. The only thing going for it is the decent cinematography and the desert shots and the pretty good gritty efrects.

Best if avoided.

Ok its a bit hackneyed, the trafficking of BEBs (Blue-Eyed Blondes) with the ruthless baddies and the helpless young ladies. In this case there is a problem that since all the heroines are all BEBs, and since the film tries to track the action of different BEBs in similar locations, and since we get flashbacks to explain how the BEBs got into this situation, it gets hard to follow. Probably its best just to let the action flow over you rather than work out the plot.

Some nice touches - the girls are not all hopeless and brainless, and do some good fightbacks. The tension is mainly in the last 20 minutes, and the plot extends even into the end credits (good thing I didn't shut it off as soon as the last baddie died!).

All in all watchable but I would not watch it for a third time. Spoiler alert! Not all the baddies are British!

Great setting and scenery, the plot is as you'd expect for this type of film, so you know what you're getting but it's solid and an easy watch.

The female characters are, on the whole, portrayed as having both beauty and brains, as they ultimately outsmart their captors and escape. Ok, you may question how a small group of petite young women in skimpy dresses and high heels can run through the desert and take down a ruthless criminal gang...but it's a movie, it's fiction and in this move, that's what they do, and it's positive to see this portrayed.

I think some of the acting is very good, and being honest, some of it is a bit questionable, but it doesn't detract from the overall film. The bad guys / criminals all fit the bill very well, and the lead female roles are solid. A few of the performances are a bit 'Made in Chelsea / I want to look like I'm crying but really I'm not', but all in all, the film does what it says on the tin and delivers on its promise.

I think it is a bit like if the Made in Chelsea lot went on holiday and got captured, and you'll probably see this and know what you're getting from the trailer, so if it's not for you, don't watch the film.

Overall: an easy watch, enjoyable, some good performances, great scenery / settings, good to see female characters in the stronger, hero, come-out-on-top roles.