Escape Plan – 4K UHD Blu-ray Movie Review

Prison security expert Ray Breslin finds himself the target of a vicious setup that locks him into the ultimate cage. His very life depends on his escape plan.

Ray Breslin (Stallone) is a prison security expert who, for a sizeable fee, allows himself to be locked up in maximum security facilities. After 14 successful escapes, he is hired by the CIA to test a new prison designed to erase the worst criminals from existence. Once there, he discovers he’s been set up and his jailers have no intention of releasing him. After befriending mysterious inmate Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger), he thinks he may have found a way out. But not everything is as it seems and Warden Hobbs (Caviezel) is determined to beat Breslin at his own game. Eventually, the escape plan requires help from the inside and from the other inmates. Can he get out before it’s too late?

Escape Plan dates from 2013 and the sequel is already slated for a straight-to-video release in the summer of 2018. This edition represents a new Ultra HD transfer with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos as featured technologies.

The movie is certainly entertaining as a Saturday-night popcorn action flick, worthy of at least one rental. I don’t expect it to receive multiple viewings as there are few unexpected plot twists to keep viewers coming back for more. Schwarzenegger and Stallone are certainly a strong draw but let’s be frank, they’re both getting too old for this sort of thing. Sly turns in his characteristic drawl and is often hard to understand as he mumbles his way through. He is reasonably convincing as a wise MacGyver-type who finds a way to get out of every difficult situation with nothing more than a piece of string and some pocket lint. Arnold is also his typical self so neither actor falls short of, or exceeds, expectations.

Fans of prison break films will certainly enjoy Escape Plan but unless you are determined to mine every detail from this predictable movie, it’s not a candidate for multiple viewings.

The new Ultra HD transfer adds a bit of detail and contrast but color is still somewhat pale and under-saturated. Black levels are rich and deep, enhanced by the HDR encode but the Blu-ray still stands up to modern scrutiny. Detail is a bit soft at times and doesn’t quite match the quality seen in the latest CGI-laden presentation.

Audio comes in both Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio flavors. I watched the latter and found the front soundstage to be both broad and deep with good balance in the center channel and decent bass from the subwoofer. Surround effects are sparse and under-utilized.

Bonus features include audio commentary from the director and co-writer, three behind-the-scenes featurettes, and deleted scenes. The package includes both Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs.