No Escape (1994)

The shrink's note in the files says prisoner John Robbins (Ray Liotta) has a ''pathological aversion to authority,'' so you know he takes the title of this futuristic action hodgepodge as a personal challenge. What are the odds that, after a suitable number of satisfyingly bloody escapades, he'll bust out of his secret-island prison, populated by warring factions of primitively armed, Road Warrior-style grungy guys? There are some witty moments and satisfying bits of psychological hooey (''Forgive yourself or you won't survive,'' Robbins is counseled) amid the enthusiastic episodes of gore in No Escape. But the pacing is so slow that nothing hangs together, and impatient viewers will spend far too much time studying the fascinating face makeup favored by the locals. (Humane Society advisory: Not one woman was harmed or, for that matter, cast during the making of this movie.) C+

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