Escape Room: Tournament of Champions

Parents say
Based on 2 reviews
Kids say
Based on 10 reviews
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Escape Room: Tournament of Champions
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is the sequel to Escape Room (2019). Both films are horror movies about puzzle-box death traps. Characters are in near-constant peril, with tension, threat, and screaming. Some characters die in brutal ways (electrocution, quicksand, acid rain, etc.), and various injuries are shown. There are also flashbacks to deaths in the first movie. Language includes several uses of "s--t" and less frequent uses of "f--k," "a--hole," "bitch," "goddamn," etc. A character starts to smoke a cigarette and is stopped, and a man takes a big swig from a flask. Sex isn't an issue, but there's a small, possible moment of romantic tension between two characters. While this isn't a great sequel, it does offer enough clever puzzles to generate some nail-biting suspense, especially for fans of the original.
Community Reviews
Traumatizing
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Amazing for mature kids!
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What's the Story?
In ESCAPE ROOM: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS, Zoey Davis (Taylor Russell) and Ben Miller (Logan Miller) are still traumatized by the events of the first movie. Despite their vow to go to New York to investigate the evil organization behind the escape room death traps they survived, Zoey is unable to get around her fear of flying. So they hit the road together. No sooner do they arrive at their destination than a thief takes Zoey's prize compass. They give chase and wind up on a subway car. But they soon realize that the car isn't stopping, and that the other passengers are survivors of other deadly games -- and a new game has begun. Can Zoey and Ben make it out a second time?
Is It Any Good?
Despite a slightly too-familiar plot arc, this scant sequel nonetheless offers some cool, intricately designed puzzles and likable enough characters to create a satisfying punch of white-knuckle fun. Again directed by Adam Robitel (the original Escape Room and Insidious: The Last Key), Escape Room: Tournament of Champions borrows an idea from the second Hunger Games -- all the survivors must reassemble to compete -- but, given that the villains of these movies are part of a mysterious, unseen, unknown entity, it works well enough. And after spending a bit too much time getting Zoey and Ben on the road, things kick up a notch.
The traps -- on the subway train, then in a mysterious bank, on a postcard-like beach, on a city street, and more -- are indeed tricky. Despite their frenzy, with characters racing against the clock and shouting at one another, often above either some kind of ominous noise or the music score, the little clues make sense, and the puzzles come together in interesting ways. Every small move could be right or wrong, and these sequences, which make up the majority of the movie, are real seat-grabbers. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions could have tried a little harder on its ending, but there's still enough here for a tense, fun watch.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Escape Room: Tournament of Champions's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to feel scared?
How does this movie compare to the original? Does the story go into any new directions?
How does the movie demonstrate teamwork, even in the face of certain death?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 16, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: October 5, 2021
- Cast: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Holland Roden
- Director: Adam Robitel
- Studios: Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing
- Genre: Horror
- Run time: 88 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: violence, terror/peril and strong language
- Last updated: July 1, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love scares
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