Home :: DVD :: Action & Adventure  

Animal Action
Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem
Blaxploitation
Classics
Comic Action
Crime
Cult Classics
Disaster Films
Espionage
Futuristic
General
Hong Kong Action
Jungle Action
Kids & Teens
Martial Arts
Military & War
Romantic Adventure
Science Fiction
Sea Adventure
Series & Sequels
Superheroes
Swashbucklers
Television
Thrillers
The Great Locomotive Chase

The Great Locomotive Chase

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $17.99
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 >>

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Been chasing this one for years
Review: Must admit first that i am into American Locomotives, more than i am the Civil War. So having spent many years at the Saturday Cinema shows as a child watching westerns, i developed a fascination for those locos with cow catchers and big smoke stacks so when this ' little gem ' became available it was a
' must have ' for me for my railway film collection.
An interesting point about this DVD is that as the 'Extra Features'offered to us are that of, on one side of the disc the film is in Widescreen (2.35:1 ratio)whilst on the other side its a Full frame presentation. Great to have the choice, content wise i feel it is good quality entertaiment.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Excellent Film, Disappointing DVD
Review: Read the other reviews for a plot synopsis. Be aware that this film is presented in "Letterbox" widescreen, not anamorphic (although the menu pages & even the copyright warning page are anamorphic widescreen). The picture quality is mediocre, as is the sound. I thought that Disney (who released the original film to the theaters in 1956) would treat this film with some respect, but alas, as seems to be happening with all major studios' DVD releases now, they appear to be taking the cheapest way out. The film is a very good historical action piece that deserves better, especially from Disney. I just hope they treat the upcoming Davey Crockett release better.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Excellent Film, Disappointing DVD
Review: Read the other reviews for a plot synopsis. Be aware that this film is presented in "Letterbox" widescreen, not anamorphic (although the menu pages & even the copyright warning page are anamorphic widescreen). The picture quality is mediocre, as is the sound. I thought that Disney (who released the original film to the theaters in 1956) would treat this film with some respect, but alas, as seems to be happening with all major studios' DVD releases now, they appear to be taking the cheapest way out. The film is a very good historical action piece that deserves better, especially from Disney. I just hope they treat the upcoming Davey Crockett release better.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Just a Question
Review: Recently on TV, I saw some information about the Great Locomotive Chase. It gave information about how and where the movie was filmed. It gave information about the stars and about how some of them were not really stars, just citizens of Georgia.It even showed Fuller's son and great-grandson. I would love to see this again. Is there any way this can be purchased?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Loco Chase
Review: The Great Locomotive Chase is a great movie for kids who love trains and train buffs alike. The movie is great for kids because there is very little violence exept for a little fist fight here and there. I also recommend this movie to people who are interested in railroad history. :)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Well written, well acted, acurate portrayal of true Civil Wa
Review: The Great Locomotive Chase is an excellent piece of Disney historical-event filmaking, one of the better ones done by the studio. It holds up well over time. Played "straight", both Fess Parker's Andrews and Jeffrey Hunter's Fuller are good characters. The chase literally becomes one man's refusal to be beaten by the situation, and Conductor Fuller of the Western & Atlantic Railroad is an admirable hero no matter which army you side with. The action adventure side of things is perfectly done. The railroad practice is perfect to the period, with link and pin couplers, "flying switch" moves that are professionally done, and the correct use of railroad and period terminology. The script uses these lightly, not in a heavy-handed way, so you actually feel as if you were watching this event transpire right in front of you in 1862. It is good moviemaking, good history, and my 8-year old nephew watched it twice when he got a copy of the video. Note, however, that the video is almost impossible to find. Disney Stores do not have it, it is NOT available at Kennesaw Mountain Railroad Museum (home of the "General") any longer, or from Pertrax Railroad Videos (they were all out in Jan. ' 99). I finally borrowed a copy from a friend to see it for the first time since about 1959 or so. And then, like my 8-year old nephew, I watched it twice, too. Good luck finding this little jem. It's worth the search if you can find it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great for train and civil war buffs
Review: The Making: This motion picture was made during Walt Disney's passion period for trains. Walt participated personally in the filming, being onsite (if only so that he could run the locomotives!). The Story A stirring and true story, the movie accurately depicts a team of Union soldiers sneak behind enemy lines. Their objective: steal a locomotive and steam north, burning bridges and tearing up track and telegraph lines behind them. Led by Andrews, they do not count on a relentless pursuit by the conductor of the stolen train (played by Jeff Hunter.) Fess Parker is fine as the spy-leader Andrews, and the cast is well rounded out. Plenty of live locomotive action (great care was taken on the detail of the steam era) this is also a rousing Adventure story. Joe Foss

The surviving members of the Union team were the first recipients of the Medal of Honor.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: re: new version dvd
Review: the new version dvd (with the painting of the locomotive cover) is a full-frame only version. knowing this would've saved me some heartache (and money)

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: re: new version dvd
Review: the new version dvd (with the painting of the locomotive cover) is a full-frame only version. knowing this would've saved me some heartache (and money)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A great locomotive chase plus a daring prison break
Review: The story of Andrew's Raiders and their adventures during the Civil War had served as the basis for Buster Keaton's classic silent comedy "The General." In 1956 Walt Disney produced a more serious and more historically accurate account with the studio's new star Fess Parker as James J. Andrews. A Union spy, Andrews puts together a group of volunteers who will pretend they are on their way to join the Confederate army, board a passenger train, and steal it. However, once they succeed in stealing a train they have to put up with its conductor, William A. Fuller (Jeffrey Hunter), who pursues them so relentlessly that you end up forgetting he is not the hero of this particular story. Despite all the obstacles they through as their pursuer, such as uncoupling a car to send rolling back at the other train and burning another car in the middle of a bridge, Andrews and his men are finally forced to abandon the train. However, they are all captured and now have to plot a daring escape from the Confederate stockade.

"The Great Locomotive Chase," directed by Francis D. Lyon, was filmed in beautiful county in northern Georgia on tracks that paralleled the actual route taken by the Andrews Raiders. You want to make sure you pick up the widescreen version that reflects the original CinemaScope proportions becuse there are several shots that take full advantage of the larger dimensions. What is most impressive about Lawrence E. Watkin's screenplay is not just the lengthy chase sequence but the fact that the Confederate conductor comes across as much of a hero as the Andrews himself. Whether you are an enthusiast of trains and/or a Civil War buff, this is an enjoyable film. Get a hold of "The General" and do a double-feature!


<< 1 2 3 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates