No Escape

Not that it shoulders this responsibility, but No Escape won’t do any favors for cultural relations or international tourism.

That’s just one of the issues plaguing this silly cat-and-mouse thriller that boils down to one long chase involving Owen Wilson and some very angry Asians. If that sounds insensitive, the film doesn’t allow it to be characterized any other way.

The story stakes its emotional pull on the uneasy feelings of many Americans in foreign locales, as Wilson plays Jack, a representative for an American firm whose job takes him, along with his wife (Lake Bell) and two daughters, to an anonymous third-world country in southeastern Asia.

Unbeknownst to them, a guerrilla revolution is underway. And it’s not long until Jack’s family finds its new home at a high-rise hotel caught in the crossfire, only later realizing that the coup might actually be aimed at Jack’s company for its efforts to privatize the country’s water system.

The Americans find an ally in a British expatriate (Pierce Brosnan) who knows his way around the city under siege. Yet as the desperation increases, the family’s trust in one another begins to fray.

No Escape features a handful of taut, ultraviolent action sequences staged by director John Erick Dowdle (As Above, So Below), who co-wrote the screenplay, including an extended pursuit after Jack first discovers the conflict and before he pieces together the motive.

The framework is familiar, with a common man turning into a vigilante action hero in order to save his family. The result is both contrived and far-fetched, not to mention borderline tasteless. We learn why Jack and his family are targeted, but by not delving deeper into the unrest, it makes the natives come off as bloodthirsty barbarians.

That muddled sense of morality extends to the film’s half-hearted exploration of global commerce and corporate greed. The intended rooting interest is obvious, although we wind up feeling sorrier for the actors than their characters.

Despite some mild suspense, logical gaps are abundant. The family seems apprehensive about the relocation from the get-go, and it’s evident pretty early that staying there seems to defy common sense and smart parenting. While Jack’s family didn’t follow those instincts, moviegoers have a second chance.

Rated R, 103 minutes.