Lockout is a fun, pulpy sci-fi vehicle, and Guy Pearce is its engine.  James Mather and Stephen St. Leger‘s flick doesn’t have much of a budget, but they turn their limitations into an advantage by keeping the story lean, fast-paced, and with their charismatic lead actor almost always front and center.  The weaknesses of the plot become more apparent when Pearce isn’t on screen, and the action is mostly forgettable, but none of that seems to matter when you have roguish, smart-ass lead performance that recalls heroes like Snake Plisskin and John McClane.  There’s enough supporting material to keep Lockout running, but Pearce is what makes the movie blast off.

Featuring producer Luc Besson (the writer behind Taken) and Maggie Grace (the daughter who was Taken), the high-octane outer space thriller Lockout made an appearance at WonderCon 2012 today. This time, the man with a particular set of skills is no longer Liam Neeson, but Guy Pearce (Memento), playing Snow, a man wrongly accused of conspiracy to commit espionage. His one chance at a pardon comes when he is tasked with rescuing the president’s daughter from a maximum security outer space prison facility when the inmates take control. Lockout also stars Peter Stormare (Constantine) and is the feature directorial debut of James Mather and Stephen St. Leger. The film opens April 13th. Hit the jump to check out our WonderCon panel recap.

An international trailer for James Mather and Stephen St. Leger‘s sci-fi action thriller Lock-Out has gone online and despite the outer-space setting, the movie looks like a solid little thriller.  Guy Pearce stars as wrongly-accused spy who must rescue the President’s daughter (Maggie Grace) from an orbiting prison.  The Taken comparisons since both films were produced by Luc Besson, and once again Grace must be rescued by a guy with the special training to get the job done.  The good news is that Pearce does a great job of selling the tough guy routine, and the action looks fun even though the cinematographer may have gone to the J.J. Abrams’ School of Needs More Lens Flares.

Hit the jump to check out the well-cut international trailer.  Lock-Out opens April 20, 2012.

FilmDistrict has followed up their recent purchase of the Ryan Gosling-starring Drive by acquiring the U.S. rights to Lockout, an sci-fi actioner produced by Luc Besson. The film stars Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace, and is currently on track to go into production early next year, with a planned release date of early 2012.

For a synopsis on the film, as well as some of my thoughts regarding the project, hit the jump.