Portal: No Escape (2011)

Very well executed

The Worst Film Ever

Purely Joyful Movie!

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

With an upcoming film starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman coming out in 2016, I decided to check out director Dan Trachtenberg's short, Portal: No Escape, which was based on a video game which I've never heard of. Fans of the video games will probably appreciate this film more, but it's still pretty simple to follow. A young woman awakens in a locked cellar (similar to the one in Oldboy) under heavy surveillance. She discovers a hidden weapon that will allow her to escape. I don't want to give away what exactly it is that the weapon does for those of us that aren't familiar with the video game. The woman is played by Danielle Rayne and there isn't any dialogue so it basically is a very physical performance. I could easily see Rayne as the next female Michelle Rodriguez faces off in the Fast and Furious franchise after eliminating Gina Carano and Ronda Rousey. Ryan delivers some fun scenes, while the short also benefits from some cool looking visual effects. The short is less than six minutes long, but it is an entertaining watch. I'm looking forward to Trachtenberg's upcoming film, Valencia, which seems to have a very interesting cast.

While the critics complain that this is too short -- it's a short film, for crying out loud. It's supposed to be a teaser. The length of the shorty feels perfect, if you know anything about the game at all.And even if you don't, it might leave you longing for a taste of Portal / Portal 2. You grasp the understanding of the weapon from just a few clips. And you don't need to understand 'how' she figured out how to get out eventually, because the game is a massive puzzle, in itself.Clearly it all makes sense and the film was enjoyable from a nerd's perspective. The woman is also ripped as can be and gorgeous. I really enjoyed this.

I found the special effects to be as cool as any mainstream Hollywood movie. With that skill, this could actually have been a full-length flick competing with other major releases being churned out.The music really fit the theme and truly held my attention to what was happening.The actor Danielle Rayne is fair, she at least plays the part physically with her ripped muscles :) Wish I could have seen more of this movie especially the action which was intriguing. Although I enjoy watching short movies, this could have gone a wee bit longer :)

This one will make the fanboys happy, but will leave most people cold. It makes the mistake of assuming you can cover for a lack of storytelling ability by having lots of Really Cool Effects, and referencing a popular game doesn't hurt.It's not clear how our hero figures anything out. She just does.It's not clear how any of this portal magic works. You're just supposed to know already, even though the character doesn't. Until she does.It's not clear why the obvious weapon is never actually used as a weapon.These are the kinds of things that aren't really useful as big revelations at the end, but need explanation as they happen.