The Great Escape (DVD)

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...how does it relate to The great Escape)? When I asked Mrs TheNeil what she fancied watching, she quite surprisingly opted for The Great Escape. Huh? "But surely dear you mean Grease or some such other twaddle?". No, she was adamant, The Great Escape. Ok then dear, you know best (she's scary when she picks the bread knife up so she tends to get her own way) and anyway, it had been a while since we'd spun this particular DVD. With German forces stretched, ...
...that is escape proof. Immediately the inmates try escape attempt after escape attempt but it seems that the Nazi's might actually have managed to achieve the impossible and build an escape proof prison. With the arrival of chief escape officer Bartlett (Big X), the escape attempts are focused into one channel - A vast tunnel. Hoping to free 250 men in one go, the 'experts' set to work, tunneling, forging, scrounging, and preparing everything for ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent Acting, Gripping Plot, True
Disadvantages: Nope

I feel mildly guilty. The other week I was composing my top 10 list of films and The Great Escape despite being an absolutely cracking film missed out on inclusion. So to assuage my conscience I'm gonna devote a whole opinion to saying how great it is. And it isn't difficult because this is a truly brilliant film for a whole variety of reasons. But before I go into them just for anyone who's here by accident and has never heard of the Great Escape ...
...- 250 through three tunnels. The first half of the film sets up all of the characters and details of the planning etc. Then the escape happens and despite a cock-up 76 get away. And in case you haven't seen the film I won't entirely spoil the ending by telling you what happens to them then. Instead I'll expand on why this film is so superb: 1. Acting This film had a truly all-star cast: Richard Attenborough as Sqd Ldr Bartlett the architect of ... Read review

Advantages: Great cast, great score...Great Escape!
Disadvantages: We all know what's going to happen. After all, we've seen it 478 times.

After the harsh realities of combat inflicted on us by the likes of 'Saving Private Ryan', it's sometimes nice to settle back into a different era of war movies. Back when 'The Great Escape' was made, it didn't matter if the movie took a few liberties were taken with the story - as long as it was told in a manner that pleased us, then so be it. So it's nice to see a bunch of Allied heroes running circles around benign prison guards. Reassuring to ...
...again. Some genius in the Nazi Prison Department comes up with the wise idea of putting all the most troublesome allied escapologists in one camp. They then provide them with all the stationary they need to make maps and forge documents, and plenty of gardening tools to steal and dig tunnels with. Not only that, the Germans decide to staff the camp with the most inept security guards this side of 'Hogan's Heroes'. So realism isn't a factor. But ... Read review

Advantages: Sinply Brilliant
Disadvantages: None

THE GREAT ESCAPE. *************************** ~Introduction~ **************** T his movie is based on a book by Paul Brickhill, who was actually in the camp in March 1944 Shown every Christmas and some would argue it wouldn't be Christmas without it being on telly. It is the story of British and American POWs escaping from their prison camp. The Movie. ************* Set during the Second World War, the Germans decide to build Stalag Luft ...
...one basket'. Sick of chasing the best escape artistes, the German high command decide to put them all together where they can ALL be watched. The camp is said to be escape proof. We follow the ups and downs of the prisoners as they plot to escape the 'Perfect' prison. You see the ingenuity of making tools, provisions and even uniforms almost literally from nothing. We see the tactics used, such as blackmailing guards to get what they want. Played ... Read review

Advantages: Good escapist stuff
Disadvantages: None

...actually took place in the German prisoner of war camp Stalag III. (There were times when we called our school Stalag because of the harsh regime but that's got nothing to do with the Great Escape. But we did have our own tunnel.) Dramatised for effect as most of these films based on reality are, this is a tale of the "English" spirit in adversity. The fact that there were also Yanks, Poles, French, Russians etc. only marginally detracted from ...
...in POW camps by the senior officers in the film it was also maintained that way in reality. Never let it be said that an Englishman doesn't know his place. Never let it be said that an upper crust Englishman doesn't make sure that we are kept in our place whatever the situation. Stalag III was a camp were escapees from other camps were sent to after being re-captured, so in effect the Germans put into one place all the escaping experts of the war. ... Read review

Advantages: Some interesting additional material
Disadvantages: None Really

...with Jones and follows his life from the cavalry through flight school, to being part of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, his subsequent capture and imprisonment by the Nazis to his post war career which ended at Nasa as part of the Apollo projects. In addition to these documentaries the second disk also includes the original theatrical trailer and a file of still photographs from the making of the film. These are for the real Great Escape buffs and held little interest for me. Overall As this Special Edition DVD is currently available from Play.com at £6.99 I would certainly it consider worthwhile if you are looking to add The Great Escape to your DVD collection or to purchase the film for the fan in your family (there is always at least one). The documentaries are interesting, especially for those with an interest in history, and not... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Everything, seeing Steve McQueen lots is a bonus =]
Disadvantages: none!

...After seeing parts of this movie but never the whole film, I decided to buy it on DVD. I bought it as part of a 'Great Films Starring Steve McQueen' box set. What an investment! Produced in 1963, this DVD is based on a true story of a group of Allied P.O.W's who planned an escape from an 'escape proof' camp. This was the largest planned Allied escape attempt from a German POW camp. This film features some famous names such as: Steve McQueen James Garner Charles Bronson Richard Attenborough James Donald Donald Pleasance James Coburn The first half of the film focuses on various escape attempts made by the POWs, as well of the planning of the escape and digging the tunnels, Tom, Dick, and Harry. This half of the film is quite comedic, and the characters work well together. The second half of the film follows the escape... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Thrilling adventure from the past
Disadvantages: none

...for everyone, even the younger children, as there is no rudeness, bad language or bloodshed, (apart from one or two scenes where escaping prisoners are gunned down, but then this isn't really bloodshed), and it may even be a little educational for the younger viewer? With it being a sort of historical fact based movie it does tend to be a little long, this one being around three hours, so some people may get a little bored, although once you start watching the time simply flies by? Would I recommend this?? Yes I certainly would. It is a great film showing roughly how POWs lived during there stay at the Hotel Stalag? depicting there day to day routine, showing how there chain of command never diminishes even though they are under guard from the Germans? It is an all round entertaining and some what educational movie with some rather... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful