The 1990 Hollywood movie "Home Alone" was a big influence on the "Three Ninjas" movie series, and "Breakout" was obviously greatly influenced by the "Three Ninjas" movies. So what we have here is a rip-off of a rip-off! And not a particularly well done rip-off - in fact, it's awful in every way you can think of. It obviously had a brutally low budget, with the limited funds hurting the finished product from the cheesy cinematography to the limited set furnishings. The script itself is pretty bad, with its unfunny attempts at humor and its making of almost every character an annoying idiot. And the direction is hopeless, with the pathetic martial arts sequences to some big continuity gaps. It's no wonder why actors Robert Carradine and James Hong look extremely embarrassed to be here. Hopefully they just signed on this project for the money, but surely they had to have been offered better quality projects at the time this project was offered to them. Even the movie's target audience - kids - will more likely than not recognize this movie as the stinker it is.
6 Reviews
Tragic, poignant exploration of modern technocracy
potverdavid4 March 2000
Director John Bradshaw's acclaimed masterpiece, Breakout, reveals to us once again why he continues to remain among the giants of his genre. This poignant story of a father lost within the maelstrom of global technocracy explores the mythos of the family and its precarious contemporary existence. Bradshaw chooses his metaphors carefully in the film: the super-charged toy jeep reminds us of the churning pace of a society driven more by outmoded notions of progress and tired meta narratives than by simple human compassion. I am reminded of De Sica's The Bicycle Thief. Also note the presence of the marginalised Luis, whose visceral refrain "ay, caramba" hearkens back to Estragon's anguished cries in Beckett's Waiting for Godot. Pick up a copy of this gem if you can-it's not for the faint of heart, but it will provide a challenging cerebral excursion for those willing to take the journey.
Good children's entertainment in the Canadian genre
user1089r6 October 2000
Films for children don't need a point or much depth to be a success with children (cf. Harry Potter stories), which is what this film is all about. Fortunately, J. Evan Bonifant (3 Ninjas Kick Back, '94) surprises as a talented young actor of whom we may expect to see more.
James Hong (as "Wang"), a fine and experienced veteran actor, gives a very credible performance as a villain caught in a web of lies; his on-screen skills in switching characters lends support to the interest. His character, together with that of a comic Arab co-villain, exhibits a little xenophobia which director John Bradshaw, in his first movie as full director, failed to filter out, for one reason or another.
Still, all in all, a good effort for younger viewers.
Some "comic violence."
James Hong (as "Wang"), a fine and experienced veteran actor, gives a very credible performance as a villain caught in a web of lies; his on-screen skills in switching characters lends support to the interest. His character, together with that of a comic Arab co-villain, exhibits a little xenophobia which director John Bradshaw, in his first movie as full director, failed to filter out, for one reason or another.
Still, all in all, a good effort for younger viewers.
Some "comic violence."
Well, where do I start?
*RoXy*2 July 1999
This has to be the cheesiest movie in the world. I mean in the first place I don't prefer many Canadian films. The karate thing was really tacky. The Larry guy from Wayne's World (it think it's this one) 2 (maybe) was the really bad guy. He looked like he had shaved eyebrows. I thought it was really funny when the guy with the white thing on his head, and the white guy (both bad)always fought over things. And the Joe guy was a cute little kid. But other than that, it was really awful.
I really liked the tv movie
iwatch-213 June 1999
First of all this is a child's movie, and it was very cute. I enjoyed watching the children. The parents could be a little more knowing about their children's problems and possible worries. But I really like watching the bad guys they were funny. I also noticed a resemblance of one of the bad guys to Adrian Paul maybe a brother. This is a good child's movie.
A terrible, generic formula children's film
Krought8 November 1998
I awoke at 8:30am in order to make a 10am screening of this Canadian children's film which would inaugurate my film festival day, and I was truly appalled as I sat and stared at this wretched, inept piece of formula trash, with Robert Carridine as a stereotypically wacky inventor dad (a poor man's Absent-Minded Professor) whose grade school son and two friends are kidnapped by a band of villains, on whom the three kids use karate. Utterly witless pratfalls ensue.
Two children -- about the age this film is targetting -- had walked in during the film's regional premiere screening and one commented, "Hey, I've seen this before!," which corroborates how godawfully generic and indistinctive this mess is.
I'm afraid I hadn't the endurance to sit through more than one third of Breakout.
Two children -- about the age this film is targetting -- had walked in during the film's regional premiere screening and one commented, "Hey, I've seen this before!," which corroborates how godawfully generic and indistinctive this mess is.
I'm afraid I hadn't the endurance to sit through more than one third of Breakout.
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