This week at the movies: Owen Wilson is an action hero? (Yes, really.) And Zach Efron is a hot electronic dance music (EDM) DJ (more believable). Pick your poison.
No Escape
In a bizarre plot twist for his career, Owen Wilson, best known for his comic sensibilities, plays a father-turned-action hero. He and his family are living in a vague Southeast Asian country; war breaks out and the city is under attack, and scuzzy Brit Pierce Brosnan guides them to safe harbor. Except there’s no escape, as the title implies. The film stars another unlikely action star, Lake Bell, as his wife.
Perfect For: Fans of action movies.
What the Critics Say: Too bad about the casual racism, because the action is pretty good. Writes Rolling Stone: “Even in the dog days of summer, when quality escapism is rare, seeing No Escape would have to qualify as an act of audience desperation.” And says The Chicago-Sun Times: “‘No Escape’ is an outlandish, sometimes brutally violent, exploitative, fast-paced white-knuckler featuring your classic American everyman who suddenly develops action-hero skills when his family is placed in danger. When I say ‘white-knuckler,’ I mean that literally.”
Our Take: Skip. It’s a missed opportunity best saved for a plane ride.
We Are Your Friends
Zac Efron stars as a club DJ trying to make it big and break out in the LA nightlife scene. At once a coming of age story about a group of friends trying to escape San Fernando Valley, a mixed-up love story, and a music film, We Are Your Friends has a lot of good elements, particularly Efron, but isn’t exactly well-done. Bonus points, though, for the title, taken from one of the best techno tracks ever made.
Perfect For: Fans of EDM, teen coming-of-age movies and Zac Efron.
What the Critics Say: A mixed bag. Some decent stuff here, almost a modern day Saturday Night Fever, but overall it’s lacking. Writes LA Weekly: “It's fun and raw and dumb - perfect late-summer cinema. Yet Efron, one of our best young actors, gives the movie more than it needs: if not quite gravitas, an emotional tempo.” Says Variety: “"We Are Your Friends" increasingly plays like a synth-heavy soap opera (‘As the Table Turns,’ anyone?) that doesn't so much delve into the EDM phenomenon so much as scan it for easy dramatic hooks and emotional entry points.”
Our Take: Maybe. We could be convinced to go on a lazy Saturday night.
