Title: ‘Escape Plan 2: Hades’
Director: Steven C. Miller (‘Submerged‘)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Dave Bautista, Huang Xiaoming, Jaime King, Jesse Metcalfe, Wes Chatham, Lydia Hull, Titus Welliver and Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson
Contending with people who are so determined to succeed in their jobs, and prove that no one can stop them from accomplishing their goals, is a strong possibility in the high-stakes world of security and technology. The fearless protagonists in the ‘Escape Plan‘ universe, who are led by Sylvester Stallone’s courageous leader, are enthrallingly proving once again that they’ll do whatever it takes in order to not only protect each other, but also international security, in the series’ latest installment. The recently released sequel, ‘Escape Plan 2: Hades,’ grippingly shows that the heroes are once again stopping their foes from committing terrible acts, especially those who emerge from unexpected places and create unimaginable terrors.
‘Escape Plan 2: Hades’ was directed by Steven C. Miller, and written by returning franchise screenwriter, Miles Chapman. The follow-up is now available on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD, courtesy of Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment.
‘Escape Plan 2: Hades’ sees the return of security expert Ray Benson (Stallone), who specializes in advising prisons in how to prevent its inmates from escaping. After he fought his way out of the escape-proof prison called The Tomb in the first movie, he has now organized a new top-notch, for-hire security force that’s based in Atlanta. After several of his employees, including Shu Ren (Xiaoming Huang), Luke Walken (Jesse Metcalfe) and Wes Chatham (Jaspar Kimbral), try to rescue two female hostages from a terrorist group, Wes is fired for relying on his technology, instead of his team.
A year later, Shu meets with his cousin, Yusheng (Chen Tang), who needs protection from his competition in the field of satellite technology. The two then find themselves locked in a high-security, futuristic and secret facility, which is named H.A.D.E.S. (High Asset DEtention Service). Shu is informed by the warden, who refers to himself as The Zookeeper (Titus Welliver), that he wants one of Yusheng’s patents for a new satellite system.
So Ray and his associates, including returning employee Hush (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) from the first film, as well as Luke and fellow new recruit, Abigail (Jaime King), to rescue Shu and his cousin. Ray also calls in his bartender friend, Trent DeRosa (Dave Bautista), to help assist in the rescue. When Jaspar unexpectedly turns up as what appears to be another prisoner in Hades, Shu initially believes that he has another ally to help in his escape plan from the prison. As the team, both on the inside and outside, figure out a way to communicate without the prison’s cameras noticing them, they realize who their true allies are, and who they can truly trust in their plan to reclaim their independence.
Much like its predecessor, ‘Escape Plan 2: Hades’ effectively and energetically thrives on the authentic bond between Stallone and his co-stars, during both the action and emotional sequences. The Oscar-nominated actor thrives on bringing Ray’s concerned nature about his team’s safety to every scene, even if he’s facing his own life-threatening situation from his enemies. Chapman naturally crafted intriguing and distinct protagonists who authentically find themselves in challenging situations in both stories. As a result, Ray’s allies are required to fearlessly fight back against their enemies, who wish to separate them from not only their work, but also outside society, and leave no trace of their existences.
The pulsating actions sequences that are featured in ‘Escape Plan 2: Hades’ were grippingly crafted by stunt coordinator James Lew and his talented team. Whether Shu and Yusheng are opposing their fellow prisoners in HADES’ central common area, as they fight for their freedom, or Ray and his associates combat their enemies in the streets of Atlanta as they seek answers as to where Shu and his cousin are, the sequel features unprecedented battles.
The action sequel’s Digital, Blu-ray and DVD releases include such intriguing and revealing special featurettes as ‘Making Escape Plan 2: Hades,’ ‘Creating the Look of Escape Plan 2: Hades’ and ‘Building the Robot of Escape Plan 2: Hades,’ as well as extended cast and crew interviews. Devoted fans of the franchise will surely want to watch the special features, especially the interview section, in order to truly understand how Miller, and the rest of the crew and cast, dedicatedly worked to bring Ray and his associates’ latest life-saving adventure to the screen.
While ‘Escape Plan 2: Hades’ won’t be honored any awards fir Stallone’s acting, like his Golden Globe-winning turn in the 2015 sports drama sequel, ‘Creed,’ his new film is still a noteworthy follow-up in his action-driven career. The lively camaraderie that the performer crafted between himself and his co-stars, as well as the intense stunts that were created by Lew, helped make the second installment in the ‘Escape Plan’ series unprecedented. The ending of the first follow-up also establishes the perfect set up for the upcoming second sequel, ‘Escape Plan 3: Devil’s Station,’ which is currently in production.
Technical: B
Acting: B
Story: B-
Overall: B
