Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Josephina Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Un Zievereir An exceptional opening sequence (fantastic on the big screen) slips into a decent action film with plenty of character, albeit a polished version of familiar territory.Following the establishment of the setting at the futuristic prison and then the island, the cast present themselves one by one. The action is decent and the characters are better than the usual two dimensional parts given in most action flicks, and the actors are also above average in particular the leader of the Outsiders. The effects and designs are good, although it does seem to only just avoid feeling like two gangs kicking the sh*t out of each other on an island. It perhaps lacks a bit of scope, but this is partly addressed with the introduction, some scenes in a control room, the odd helicopter, and the attempted escape sequence.A seemingly substantial amount of futuristic penal colony/prison films were made around this period. Martin Campbell's version is probably the best.

Coventry Ah, the glorious early nineties! Back when big stars were still appearing in incredibly violent action movies and when over-anxious kids like myself had to secretly sneak into cinemas because you weren't allowed to see these movies under the age of 16. "Escape from Absolom" is a childhood favorite of mine, so my views and opinions may be a bit biased, but still I think they don't make action flicks like this one anymore nowadays. The script may perhaps contain a few gigantic holes and completely illogic twists, but at least it's continuously fast-paced, politically incorrect and spectacular. The year's 2022 and prisons have turned into private companies without government interference. Absolom is the name of a prison colony island where the sadistic warden (Michael Lerner) plays off the Outsiders against the Insiders. The former are an unorganized bunch of savages wearing masks and hunting with primitive weapons, led by the relentless but charismatic Walter Marek. The Insiders, however, attempted to found a peaceful community where they grow crops and seek for moral redemption. The newly arrived and military trained prisoner Robbins would make a great asset for the Insiders, since he's the only one to have ever escaped from the Outsiders, but he's stubborn and anti-social and solely intends to get off the island alone. The concept of "Escape from Absolom" is very reminiscent to copious other (futuristic) prison movies, like "Fortress", "Papillon", "Blood Camp Thatcher", "Escape from NY" …, but this one definitely benefices from good production values, staggering filming locations, a devoted cast and the professional direction of Martin Campbell. The battle sequences as well as the violent ordeals Robbins meets in the Outsiders' camp are robust and grisly, including a lot of decapitations and swashbuckling. The high tempo and adrenalin-level is only occasionally overshadowed by overly sentimental biographies and redundant flashbacks. Obviously in a prison colony, everybody has a story to tell about why he ended up there and the film tells too many of them. Ray Liotta's character is an interesting anti-hero, since he remains unreliable and somewhat aloof. The most fascinating character is undoubtedly Walter Merak. He's an insane and power-obsessed dictator with menacing facial expressions and a deranged sense of humor. Merak also narrates R-rated versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and eliminates the members of his own "parliament" to gain even more power. It's a stupendous performance from Stuart Wilson; an actor whose other works I'm not really familiar with. The always reliable Lance Henriksen, Ernie Hudson, Kevin J. O'Connor and Ian McNeice deliver awesome roles in the supportive cast. Granted, the movie is far from flawless and the sudden ending is a bit stupid and implausible, but "Escape from Absolom" nevertheless remains one of the highlights of early 90's Sci-Fi/action cinema.

ccthemovieman-1 On the surface, this looks like a dumb movie which is overly violent and too seedy because it features nothing but hardened criminals plus the normal sadistic warden Hollywood always shows in all modern-day films.But....it turns out the story isn't as sordid as it looks and the violence, although plentiful, is somehow not overdone. Also, the chief villain " Walter Marek" (Stuart Wilson) is a man with a good sense of humor. The comedic relief he brings is a real plus to the story. By the way, Wilson doesn't look like Mel Gibson but his voice sure sounds similar."No Escape" is strictly an action movie with an all-male cast that has a grim atmosphere of convicts fighting it out on an inescapable island in the year 2022.Profanity isn't as much as you'd except in a tough film like this and - in a real oddity - Lance Henriksen is the nicest guy in the movie! He never utters a bad or angry word. If you know the characters Henriksen usually plays, you know this is a rarity. Ray Liotta, Michael Lerner and Ernie Hudson also star, so it's a decent cast.You could do a lot worse looking for two hours of "escapist" fare.

Jakethemuss I've seen this film many times over the years, as it has great re watch value. It is actually surprisingly good for a reasonably unheard of movie, and would be fair to say this is one of those gems your lucky to find.John Robbins (Liotta) is a decorated marine sent to a ultra strict maximum security prison for killing his superior officer. He does not stay there for long however, as he is banished to 'Absolum' a monitored island in a guarded stretch of water. Here, prisoners are no longer really prisoners, as there are no rules, no bars, no guards, just you and them. By them I mean "the outsiders", a bunch of savages desperately struggling for survival under the leadership of the vicious dread-locked Walter Marrik (Wilson).Then there are "the insiders", a society of former and somewhat rehabilitated inmates who live a peaceful and structured life, in a makeshift but well guarded fortress. They live under rules and respect each other, unlike the feral outsiders who have no code of honour.Classic lines, likable characters and solid action make this a film in its own right. The film boasts many good combat/battle scenes, and the gripping feel of the film sets in early and stays till the end.