Escape Plan 2: Hades is an action-thriller movie that follows security expert Ray Breslin as he is trapped in a high-tech prison called Hades. Breslin and his team must use their skills and wits to escape the inescapable prison. However, they soon discover that Hades is not just a prison but also a deadly game where survival is the ultimate prize. The movie features intense fight scenes, complex puzzles, and unexpected plot twists that keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
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Review
Escape Plan 2: Hades – The Power of Breaking Free
Brené Brown, a renowned researcher and storyteller, has explored the dynamics of vulnerability, courage, empathy, and shame in her books, podcasts, and talks. Although she may not seem like an obvious movie critic or fan, her insights into human nature can shed light on why certain movies resonate with audiences. Escape Plan 2: Hades is an action thriller that centers on the values that Brown champions: trust, teamwork, growth mindset, and learning from mistakes. By examining the plot, characters, themes, aesthetics, and reception of the movie through a Brené Brown lens, we can appreciate its merits and limitations in a more nuanced way.
Escape Plan 2: Hades picks up where its predecessor left off. Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone), a renowned security expert who specializes in testing prisons around the world by breaking out of them with his team led by Hush (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson), receives a distress call from his former protégé Shu Ren (Xiaoming Huang) who has been captured in a high-tech prison called Hades run by a mysterious figure named Wu Zhang (Xiaoming Yang). Ray assembles a new squad composed of Trent DeRosa (Dave Bautista), Jules Gill (Jaime King), Luke Walken (Jesse Metcalfe), and Abigail Ross (Sonsie Forbes) to infiltrate Hades using their different skills and personalities to overcome its deadly challenges. However, as they unravel the secrets behind Hades’ design and purpose, they realize that they may have bitten off more than they can chew.
One of the strengths of Escape Plan 2: Hades is how it portrays the dynamics of trust among its characters. Brown defines trust as “the glue that holds relationships together” and emphasizes that it requires vulnerability, reliability, and integrity. In the movie, we see how Ray and his team have built trust over time through shared experiences and mutual respect. They don’t sugarcoat their flaws or doubts but acknowledge them and work together to overcome them. For example, we see Trent struggling with his past mistakes that led him to lose custody of his daughter, but he also shows courage in risking his life to save Jules and Luke. We also see Abigail using her hacking skills to uncover the hidden agendas of the prison’s investors who seek profit at the expense of human life. These moments of vulnerability and accountability add depth to the characters and make us root for them.
Another aspect that Brown values is teamwork. She defines it as “a group of people working towards a common goal, where each person contributes their strengths and trusts others for their weaknesses.” The movie showcases how each member of Ray’s team has a unique talent that complements the others’. For instance, Jules is an expert on Asian culture who helps Shu Ren decode clues in Chinese characters, while Luke is a skilled engineer who builds gadgets that aid their escape attempts. Even though they clash at times due to their different backgrounds or personalities, they learn to appreciate each other’s worth as human beings. This message resonates with Brown’s research on belonging, which highlights the importance of inclusive cultures where diversity is celebrated rather than tolerated.
Escape Plan 2: Hades also incorporates themes of growth mindset and learning from failure. According to Brown, growth mindset refers to “the belief that you can develop your abilities through effort and persistence.” She contrasts it with fixed mindset which assumes that your talents are innate and unchangeable. In the movie, we see how Ray encourages his team to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, even when they seem insurmountable at first glance. For instance, they have to navigate through a maze-like structure full of obstacles and traps that test their physical and mental stamina. When they fail, they don’t give up but analyze what went wrong and adjust their strategies for the next try. This resilience mirrors Brown’s view that “failure is not the opposite of success but a part of it.”
Escape Plan 2: Hades also showcases some of the limitations of Brown’s ideals. For one, the movie relies heavily on male heroes and villains, with only two women in major roles who are not given much agency or backstory. Jules seems to exist mainly as a love interest for Trent, while Abigail’s motivation stems from revenge rather than altruism. Furthermore, the dialogue can be cheesy or clichéd at times, such as when Wu Zhang declares that “in Hades, life imitates art” or when Luke references The Great Escape as if it were a manual for prison breaks. The pacing also feels uneven at times, with some scenes dragging on or being too repetitive.
Nevertheless, Escape Plan 2: Hades compensates with its stylish visuals and energetic action sequences. The cinematography by Brendan Galvin blends neon-lit corridors with claustrophobic cells and high-tech gadgets to create a futuristic atmosphere that suits the plot’s premise. The editing by Paul Harb is smooth and fluid, alternating between wide shots and close-ups to convey both the scale and intimacy of the characters’ struggles. The score by The Newton Brothers adds tension and emotion to key scenes without overpowering them. Moreover, director Steven C. Miller injects some inventive touches in the fight scenes, such as using virtual reality goggles to disorient Trent or having Abigail shoot her attackers while upside down.
Escape Plan 2: Hades may not be a masterpiece or a box-office smash, but it delivers enough thrills and heart to satisfy fans of Stallone’s brand of action movies. By highlighting its themes of trust, teamwork, growth mindset, resilience, and learning from failure, we can appreciate it as a vehicle for exploring human relationships and values. Brown’s insights can inspire us to apply these principles in our own lives, whether we face personal or professional challenges. As Ray says in one of his motivational speeches to his team: “The only way out is through.”
Technical Data
- Runtime : 96
- Release : 2018-06-05
- Genre : Action, Thriller, Mystery
- Cast : Sylvester Stallone as Ray Breslin, Dave Bautista as Trent DeRosa, Jesse Metcalfe as Luke Walken, 50 Cent as Hush, Huang Xiaoming as Shu Ren
- Crew : Henry Winterstern as Executive Producer, Robert Jones as Executive Producer, George Furla as Producer, Randall Emmett as Producer, Steven C. Miller as Director
- Popularity 36.722
- Budget : $20,000,000
- Revenue : $17,500,000
- Company : Leomus Pictures, Grindstone Entertainment Group, Lionsgate
- Summary : Ray Breslin manages an elite team of security specialists trained in the art of breaking people out of the world’s most impenetrable prisons. When his most trusted operative, Shu Ren, is kidnapped and disappears inside the most elaborate prison ever built, Ray must track him down with the help of some of his former friends.
- Tagline : This isn’t a prision. It’s a machine.
