Lockout (2012)

How much you can copy another movie with out going too far. There is no clear line but according court Lockout crossed that line. The court ordered makers of Lockout to pay 35 000 euros to John Carpenter and others involved making Escape from New York and Escape from L.A. You can tell premise of Lockout by changing names in premise of Escape from New York. I think biggest issue how ever was that Lockout told original idea came from Luc Besson when movie follows so closely Escape from New York.

Protagonist Snow is almost carbon copy of Snake Plissken. Snake was criminal, Snow is only framed to be criminal and he doesn't have eye patch. President's daughter (Escape from L.A.) is trapped inside maximum security prison run by inmates (Escape from New York), In Escape from New York president was trapped inside prison. Protagonist is sent to save trapped character. Snow is not given time limit but everything else reminds Escape movies.

Snow accepts the deal because a man who can prove his innocence is inside that prison he needs to go. Snow's story arc didn't need Escape movies' premise. He was going to the prison anyway and he would have been released during the riot. All the plagiarism wasn't necessary for protagonists story arc. With few little changes it could have been dropped off. It was laziness to keep copied story elements.

If we forget plagiarism there is little to say about the movie. There are four characters with any personality. Snow is Snake Plissken copy. President's daughter is cliche female character who doesn't like the hero at first but becomes his girl by the end. Inmates' boss is mastermind criminal and his brother is insane psychopath. Others have too little screen time to have any personality. At least they don't have any written.

Story have couple nice twists but over all it is quite forgettable and biggest twist has no build up at all. Lockout is average science fiction action movie. Best things are stolen from Escape movies. Original things go from passable to stupid. Passable story elements happen in prison. Outside prison story elements and effects don't work.