This is a French film entirely in English, and the storyline is very US-centric. Honestly, I could have been fooled into believing that this was a small studio in Hollywood's movie. There were several heavy Irish accents, but there wasn't a single French accent. That's odd, as French movie makers usually don't know how to leave the miscellaneous French characters out of the movie.
The movie is entertaining right from the start. You have to get past the amazingly bad CG during the initial chase scene, but the space CG is decent enough once you figure out that known space physics don't always apply in movie space. So, once you accept that the space prison spends a lot of energy on flawless gravity generators so everyone can walk around - even those who are locked up in suspended animation and have no need for gravity.
So, there is a high-value dignitary who gets trapped on the space prison when the prisoners manage to get out. There are SO many problems with what happens to get them out that I won't go into it. The systems are so flawed that they would never have been used in a prison in the 1800's let alone the future space prison with all of its safeguards and actual guards and suppression gas and other goodies. So, writing is not the reason to watch this movie.
So, the reason to watch the movie is that it is kind of like Die Hard in space. The lead manly man is played by Guy Pearce, and he delivers Bruce-Willis-esque one-liners and a certain kind of casual nonchalance about violence, killing, and general evil deeds. His one-liners are excellent, and he delivers them with unexpected ease. I didn't expect this kind of role for Guy, and I didn't expect him to do such a good job in it.
Speaking of good jobs, Peter Stomare does a very good job as a special agent of the Secret Service or something along those lines. I was never really clear on what his role actually was, but he played a government jerk, and he did a very good job. There was never really an explanation as to why he would have that thick accent of his, but he still covered the role very well.
The direction was good.
Editing was good.
Story was kind of cookie-cutter.
Dialogue was WAY better than expected.
FX were a mixed bag, but mostly good.
Acting was superb.
There are those who would say that the highly-derivative story is a killer for the movie, but I think it just makes it that much more of a popcorn movie. You don't have to think hard at all when watching the movie - you can just sit back and enjoy the show. It's got great performances, and some good visuals to go inside that rather predictable and tired story from Luc Besson.
3.75/5