I was going to say why would anyone go to a far east country that is on the brink of a civil war.

I then realised I took my family to Bangkok at a time when there was civil unrest. I think the Thais were unhappy that their Prime Minister was from Newcastle upon Tyne with a fondness for Brown Ale.

In No Escape, Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson) is an engineer who relocates for a new well paid job in south east Asia. The nation state is not mentioned.

As they arrive Jack, his wife Annie (Lake Bell) and two young daughters are helped experienced traveller Hammond (Pierce Brosnan) who has a driver called Kenny Rogers who drops them off at their hotel.

The next day Jack ends up in the middle of a riot, the rebels attempt to overthrow the government and kill all foreigners.

Jack needs to get his family to safety. Luckily he crosses paths again with Hammond who is rather handy in a tight spot.

No Escape is a tense but generic action movie. Owen Wilson plays it straight as the family man in peril.

Brosnan supplies the gun play and quips. Some of the action scenes are ridiculous. The throwing the kids off a building defied gravity.

A good story, well told is how I would describe this above-average American thriller that actually manages a certain level of intensity and momentum, two qualities I always look out for in my movies. It's a simple action thriller with a focus on movement and escape, as an American family visiting an unnamed south-east Asian country find themselves caught up in a coup and must literally flee for their lives.

The reason NO ESCAPE is so effective is because the storyline is a believable one. There's a decent sense of realism built up from the outset and just enough time given to develop the characters before throwing them into the deep end. I admit I was a bit nonplussed about the casting of Owen Wilson, but he was acceptable as the lead just as he was in the non-comedy BEHIND ENEMY LINES all those years ago. The rest of the cast have little to work with, but Pierce Brosnan brings a wry humour as the British tourist the family hook up with at their hotel.

The thriller sequences set in and around the hotel are by far the best bit of this film; they're edge of the seat stuff, with great cinematography to boost the action. After this point, the film drops down a notch and is never quite as thrilling; plus, I always dislike action set at night, because you can never see properly what's going on. Still, the hotel scenes alone are enough to make this a worthwhile watch.

Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson) is an engineer going to his new job with Cardiff to rebuild the water system in an unnamed southeast Asian country. He brings over his wife Annie (Lake Bell),his daughters Lucy (Sterling Jerins) and Beeze (Claire Geare). They are helped by fellow traveler Hammond (Pierce Brosnan). The next morning, Jack leaves the hotel to buy a newspaper. Soon, he's in the middle of a revolution and the rebels are after foreigners and Jack in particular since Cardiff has bought up the local water.

This could have been good scary idea for an American family caught in a foreign land in revolt. However, the problems start piling up. The first is the CGI-stunt of jumping from one roof to another. I'm fine with the idea but it tries to be cool rather than being scary and real. It does the slow motion and soft score route. It takes all the tension out of the moment. The girls are also problematic. The less they say the better. There is one good exchange but they are problematic in almost all the other times. Pierce Brosnan is another problem. It's OK to have him early on but there is no logic for him to reappear in the movie. His explanation of the situation is also another problem and basically simplifies world politics. The idea could be good but multiple things happen that take away the realism and the tension.