Featuring a decent premise, "Escape Room" fails to deliver due to its familiarity and a bad script.
Cashing in on the escape room craze, the Adam Robitel directed thriller pits six people in an escape room where, if they fail to escape, they will be killed in various horrific ways. Our escapees include a loser, a college student, a trucker, a businessman, a war veteran and a gamer.
The loser of the group is a guy named Ben. Played by Logan Miller, Ben is the closest thing this movie has to a main character. Pretty early in the movie, I started thinking that this character reminded me a lot of Fran Kranz character Marty in "The Cabin in the Woods." This would not be the last time that the Drew Goddard/Joss Whedon masterpiece would come to mind during the movie.
By the time "Escape Room" was over, it had racked up so many similarities to "The Cabin in the Woods," that I think the new movie is ripping off the other. I won't go any further on this topic, as I do not want to spoil the better movie, but if you want to watch "The Cabin in the Woods" with a weak script, here is your chance.
The writing is the worst part of the movie. To get the characters to do what the script wants them to do, they are made to be complete idiots who don't react like real humans.
Inside the rooms that must be escaped, very cryptic clues are given that the characters have to solve. Showing how stupid these characters are is a clue that is obviously referring to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Five of the six can't figure out the hint and think it is referring to President James Madison. Making the characters this stupid takes me out of the movie and I start rooting for the bad guy to win.
Speaking of the bad guy, it is not as weird or creative as "The Cabin in the Woods'" bad guy. Instead, the baddie is a complete cliché that is used to sequel bait.
Another example of bad writing is that from the moment that we meet the six people, it is obvious who the first one to die will be. So when that person does become the first to die, there is no suspense.
The movie isn't awful, though. It's really not that bad other than the poorly written script and stupid ending. The setups to each room are fun and some of them are creative. One room is upside down. Each wrong move causes a piece of the floor to collapse. The filmmakers have a lot of fun with this room.
The actors also do a decent job with this movie. Almost everything they say is stilted and clichéd, but the actors make the most of what they have to work with.
All in all, "Escape Room" is a B movie more worthy of a video rental than a trip to the theater.
Entertainment on 01/05/2019