IR Film Review: ESCAPE ROOM - TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS [Sony]

The aspect of an Escape Room is understanding its psychological structure: what is it trying to do in anticipation versus what it is actually doing in the moment. While the texture of the Escape Room is key, knowing overall what happened in the first movie (which this reviewer didn't see) doesn't seem all that important. The key here in "Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions" is that those who survived previous escape rooms are drawn back together to satisfy another adrenaline junkie approach, not for their own benefit but for the unknown magnates perhaps betting on their suffering. Considering the budget restraints, the approach is actually pretty economical and effective. it is not rocket science but there does need to be a bit of tension which the film provides.

The acting is not the most nuanced by any means but this is also meant for a certain audience. The key relationship in the movie works to a point but Zoey and Ben are more of a brother/sister anyway but the emotional pull is not really there. Some of the other characters, specifically Holland Roden as Rachel works a lot better because there is almost a Vasquez/Aliens element there ("Colonial Marines" still needs to be made with Michelle Rodriguez and Roden could be part of her squad). The different puzzles hark to other films (specifically a bank sequence) but a New York City street seen in the trailer is nicely done if not a bit too fatalistic. The notion of comeuppance and who is who is always the key to a film like this. It also harks back to a franchise like "Final Destination" that knows itself well enough to tease, take itself seriously enough and then throw caution to the wind. C+

By Tim Wassberg