P.O.W. the Escape Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		2.5

P.O.W. the Escape Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 30, 2020

Trying to keep a good thing going after finding success with 1984’s “Missing in Action” and its 1985 prequel, Cannon Films returns to war with 1986’s “P.O.W.: The Escape,” replacing the world-saving ways of Chuck Norris with the pale heroism of David Carradine. The decline in star power is noticeable, finding Carradine barely committing to a lackluster screenplay, unwilling to put in his best effort to help director Gideon Amir, who comes armed with all the blanks and explosions an action movie helmer could ask for, somehow forgetting to put just as much labor into characterization, making “P.O.W.: The Escape” nothing more than a theme park stunt show.

In 1973, Col. Cooper (David Carradine) isn’t ready to leave men behind in Vietnam, gifted five days to retrieve a handful of Americans imprisoned by Captain Vihn (Mako). Falling into Vihn’s trap, Cooper joins the battered men, only to learn the North Vietnamese leader is looking for a way out of war as well. Aiming to make a date with military transport, Cooper leads the Americans in an escape plan, trying to outwit Vihn and outlast Sparks (Charles R. Floyd), a soldier with his own mission get out of the country, taking a fortune in stolen gold with him.

“P.O.W.: The Escape” doesn’t make many stops on its jungle tour to deal with the realities of war and the torture of imprisonment. Amir cranks up the action right after a quick introduction to Cooper, who’s established as a man of limited patience and extreme concern for the safety of American troops. Launching a rescue mission on his own, Cooper and his team light up a North Vietnamese village, only to be ambushed by the hiding enemy. The leader finds his unit slaughtered (whoops?), newly introduced to the nefarious ways of Captain Vinh. The one interesting element of “P.O.W.: The Escape” has is its vision for the villain, with Vinh also incredibly weary of war, ready to get the hell out of Vietnam and live the good life in the U.S.A. It’s an unexpected turn of character, making Vinh more compelling as an adversary who basically wants the same outcome as Cooper, but the screenplay doesn’t pursue this team-up for very long. Vihn becomes more of a background player as Cooper and the prisoners try to find their own way out, dealing with Sparks and his greed.

“P.O.W.: The Escape” is basically a series of chases and shoot-outs, with Cooper and the guys fighting their way out of Vietnam. There’s adventure too as the action heads into jungles and across rivers. And yet, the movie doesn’t summon a distinct level of excitement, feeling sluggish while Amir arranges exploding vehicles and flying baddies, while the crew riding with Cooper is fairly nondescript, with the exception of actor Steve James, who should really be the star of the feature, showing more life onscreen than Carradine. Sparks offers a dull subplot of trauma and betrayal to follow, and the whole endeavor starts to feel repetitive after the opening prison attack, as Amir doesn’t have the vision to vary the carnage, recycling the same stunts. Some of these scenes offers decent physical roughness, but they wear out their welcome in a hurry.

P.O.W. the Escape Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

A selection from the MGM vaults, "P.O.W.: The Escape" is listed as a "Brand new 2019 HD master," but the AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation doesn't look its best. Perhaps source materials were in bad shape, but what's here is a softer look at screen details, with smoother facial surfaces and limited dimension with locations. It's a flatter viewing experience, lacking dynamic textures, and there are artifacting issues, with blockiness common. Colors aren't memorable, and skintones are too reddish. Jungle greenery is a bit more potent, along with military outfits. Delineation deals with milkier blacks and solidification. Grain is chunky. Some slight judder is detected, along with mild scratches, blotches, and speckling.

P.O.W. the Escape Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dealing with Cannon Films production, expectations for a powerhouse listening event are tempered, and the 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't provide much oomph. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, registering accents and dramatic intensity without distortion. Scoring is equally adequate, offering more of a synth presence for the period war film. Sound effects are underwhelming, perhaps inherently so, finding gunfire lacking snap and explosions missing a deeper level of power. Vehicle movement registers more aggressively.

P.O.W. the Escape Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (15:09, HD) with Gideon Amir examines how the director of "P.O.W.: The Escape" got his start in the business, actually working on an acting career before switching to production duties, learning all sorts of roles. A recommendation from J. Lee Thompson boosted Amir's presence with Cannon Films, taking creative roles in "Missing in Action" and "American Ninja," building a partnership with co-writer Avi Kleinberger. Admitting "P.O.W.: The Escape" was a riff on 1954's "Vera Cruz," Amir delves into the shoot, detailing casting achievements, including the hiring of David Carradine to satisfy a "star" requirement, and he examines the precision of the stunt and explosives teams, giving the feature some safe excitement. The interviewee is candid about his relationship with producer Menahem Golan, who ordered all dramatic nuance be stripped from the movie, hurting the story in the editing room. Amir tries to explain his original intent with the tale and Cooper's character arc.

• Interview (7:02, HD) with screenwriter James Bruner clarifies his role in "P.O.W.: The Escape," coming in late in the production process to rewrite a few scenes and patch holes in the plot. Bruner discusses his relationship with Gideon Amir and his interest in the cast, never receiving an opportunity to meet anyone. He recounts his rise in the industry, getting notice for his work on "An Eye for an Eye," which led to a long stand with Cannon Films, including time on "Missing in Action." Bruner shares some details about his days with the studio, and his eventual rejection from Menahem Golan when he was looking to direct something.

• Interview (14:05, HD) is a chat with stunt coordinator Steven Lambert, to recalls his excitement for the "P.O.W.: The Escape" gig, offered a chance to travel to the Philippines for the shoot. The interviewee revisits his lengthy relationship with David Carradine and Steve James, happy to reunite with the actors, who were friends and consistent performers. Lambert details his second unit experience and management of locations. Most interesting is his explanation of the Cannon Films way, receiving a significant education in the tricks of low-budget moviemaking, which involved the recycling of locations and sets, understanding how to get "so much out of so little." This way of doing business helped Lambert acquire larger assignments, including work on "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:29, SD) is included.

P.O.W. the Escape Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"P.O.W.: The Escape" is definitely noisy, and for some viewers, this may be enough to make for a satisfying viewing experience. There's no significant understanding of damaged minds or the prisoner madness, with Amir ordered to Rambo this picture up in a hurry, even making time for Carradine to show off his martial arts training. Even for a B-movie, "P.O.W.: The Escape" doesn't have much spirit, paying more attention to squibs and detonations than a rollicking ride of Vietnam courage. All this commotion becomes white noise after the first act.