Imagine you had the ability to time travel when you sneeze. That’s the backbone of this eccentric action flick that will surely be a fun time for everyone. Yang Li’s Escape From the 21st Century is an absurd, wacky, visual spectacle. The film is a nostalgia trip that has a unique voice and vision, and it could easily become a favorite in the vein of Back to the Future and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Escape From the 21st Century follows three high school friends in 1999 on an alternate reality Earth called Planet K. The characters are discontent with their lives and looking forward to the future. After a comically comic book-like situation, they develop the power to travel to the future. They each meet future versions of themselves with varying reactions. With this newfound ability and the new reality they witness, they work together to make sure this gift is not used for evil.

Escape From The 21st Century Is A Fun Adventure With An Emotionally Resonating Story

The film has a throughline that examines anxieties about the future and growing up. The uncertainty is something that weighs on our heroes and is addressed in a rather unique way here. There is an alternate reality where this film is a lot more serious and contemplative, but the measures taken to have fun with the story are just as effective.

There is a thoughtfulness to the action and comedy that drives the story and ultimately speaks to the importance of focusing on the now, the things we can control today, and working our way to a better future. The hijinks and shenanigans are simply a bonus.

Yang Li Is Having So Much Fun With The Film's Premise

From the jump, this film is a blast. The visuals are undoubtedly the highlight, though the performances and writing are equally entertaining and resonant. The film plays out like a comic book come to life, with flashy effects and a vibrant color palette. The action sequences are just as engaging. The overall essence of the film maximizes creativity and fun, and Escape From the 21st Century’s visuals are incredibly intentional and integral to the film's narrative progress.

Everything in the film builds a wonky, fantastical sci-fi narrative that is thankfully not self-serious.

Alongside the zany action sequences, the story is engaging and somewhat funny. Sure, there are some confusing narrative choices, plot holes, and contrivances, but most of it won't be noticed, or it comes off like it's meant to be a gag.

There are plenty of projects about time travel that firmly establish rules and create an internal logic that just makes sense for the story. While Li Yang was creating the visuals for the film, he may have overlooked the story to some degree, but there isn’t anything about the narrative that feels inauthentic or maddening. Everything in the film builds a wonky, fantastical sci-fi narrative that is thankfully not self-serious. Instead, we are treated to a humorous spectacle that keeps us watching all the way through.

Escape From The 21st Century Is A Very Satisfying Film

The ensemble is terrific, as are the characterizations of their characters. Elain Zhong steals the show, but the six actors who portray the young and older versions of the main trio are perfectly cast. Zhuozhao Li plays Chengyong, the conventional high school hottie, Yichen Chen, our narrator, plays Wang Zha, the dummy of the group and Quixuan Kang plays Pao Pao, the friend who is overlooked due to his insecurities about his weight. Their future selves are played by Yang Song, Ruoyun Zhang and Leon Lee, respectively.

There isn’t much else to say about the cast other than that they, much like the cast of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, blend perfectly into the story, which has hints of a familiar reality but is far more comical and dramatic. They just work well together, and for a film that relies on its cast to sell the insanity of the story, that is all one can ask and hope for.

Escape From the 21st Century is a fantastic time. It’s inventive and entertaining. It's an hour and a half of pure bliss that should be on constant rotation for random movie nights or group gatherings. This is the sort of film that will plaster a smile on your face, and reminds us why Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For Hero” is a top-tier movie soundtrack song. There are a lot of positive feelings by the time the film concludes, yet the gravity of the story also hits hard. It is sobering but hopeful about the future.

Escape From The 21st Century is now playing in select theaters.