Rating: 
Summary: The Great Escapade
Review: This blockbuster has retained it status as one of the great war movies of all times despite the passage of 40 years or so. There are a number of reasons for this. Let's start with the acting. Steve McQueen was just emerging as a star and this vehicle helped jump-start him even further. The essence of McQueen is "cool" and he is all of that in "The Great Escape". He seems quite capable of handling everything that comes his way and wait til he gets on a motorcycle! James Garner is excellent as the scavenging expert who comes up with all the impossible ingredients to pull the escape off. Richard Attenborough excels as the brains of the operation. He was relatively unknown at the time and has picked his movies carefully ever since. Charles Bronson and James Coburn give their characters a quiet strength that captivates most viewers. The supporting cast all do their jobs well.The story is a compelling one of courage in the face of overwelming odds. It helps the viewer that he/she is advised from the beginning that this story actually happened. I know that it worked for me. Although I was still in elementary school, I went out and bought (and read) the book the movie is based on. The movie pays respect to the accomplishments of these men by taking care to show the complexities of the planning and execution of their escape. Even so, the movie moves along at a quick pace. The suspense of the actual escape is properly drawn out without over-doing it. The suspense continues with the breakout as we follow the various characters in their attempts to reach freedom. There actually is a success story or two but the movie ends with the realization that something tragic has happened. Thus we are left with an even greater appreciation of what these men did. The other apects of the movie; music, costumes, sets, and scenery, are all excellently done as it the screenplay adapted from the book (of the same name) by Paul Brickhill. I recall one of the screenwriters was the famed James Clavell. In "The Great Escape", Hollywood found an excellent vehicle for a dramatic action-packed blockbuster. To his credit, the director (Sturgis) has put together an unforgettable movie that entertains while honoring the deeds and sacrifices of the men whose lives (and deaths) the movie portrays.
Rating: 
Summary: WASTE OF TIME!
Review: For being one of the most popular movies of its kind, it really was a big waste of time. I never new a Steve McQueen movie could be so overrated until I saw this. I had never seen the movie until last week, and boy was I dissapointed. All these years of hearing and reading all the hype, for nothing. I admit I was convinced it was good even before I saw it, again, I was wrong. It is not that thrilling or suspensfull. I know it was based on the true story, and I admire the real POWs for everything they endured, but this movie does them a disservice by trying to make it funny at times. Not admirable. Don't waste your money, just rent it if you want to see it. Forgetable after its over and done with.
Rating:
Summary: They don't make like this anymore!
Review: It's one of a kind - a true story set during World War II that nobody else can reinvent or recreate. It's bound to capture the attention of man, woman, and child no matter the age. It's an edge-of-your-seat kind of movie without all the gore and hype. Steve McQueen, though playing himself quite a bit, is attractive and attracting. The loyalty this movie invokes will bring you to it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Not a good transfer picture
Review: I bought this DVD for my widescreen tv and was expecting it to be a decent picture and it was the first DVD I had to return because the picture was absolutly horrible. It was as good as any VHS tape I've seen and I wouldn't suggest those who have bigger screen tv's to get this DVD untill MGM decides to transfer it right.Even with a proscan DVD player it had terrible contrast lines and wasn't even imroved when trying to adjust. The "very long" letterbox format on this one makes the black bars on the top and bottom over power the entire screen. Believe me, there are many DVD Trtansfers in letterbox that are done capturing the entire 2:35:1 letterbox format correctly and MGM should be ashamed of themselves for releasing such a horrible transfer of a great classic movie.I will awaite untill they re-do this one and suggest those with big tv's to pass on this one even if you feel you must have it in your collection. It is a shame.
Rating: 
Summary: Great film but a horrible DVD
Review: This is one of my favorite old films. I can watch it again and again without getting bored of it. Unfortunately, this DVD is sub-par. I was okay with the graininess of the picture. It annoyed me though, when the left quarter of the picture goes a bit greenish and over-saturated during the last half of the film. The audio is to be expected but I believe it could be redone as well. If you already own this on VHS, don't run out and get the DVD quite yet. I'd wait until it was redone and re-released.
Rating:
Summary: The quality is great because the movie is great.
Review: I wish the geeks would stop droning about digital transfers and 5.1 audio. This generation is bereft of character and these kind of reviews underscore it. I first watched this movie as a kid in the early '70s on a color TV with a bad tube that made everything green and gave everyone a shadow and if that was as good as the quality of the DVD was I'd still watch it! Who cares about the technological aspects of this character driven movie about human suffering and self sacrifice for the greater good of mankind when threatened by a freedom robbing tyrant? This is a story about a group of men working against an enemy that was threatening to enslave the world and they were willing to do whatever it took to thwart and confound that enemy with a cunning never before seen and at great loss of life. This movie is not about anamorphic digital transfers or those who care about such things!
Rating:
Summary: The truth plays better than fiction
Review: Hats off to Paul Brickhill for refusing to allow this to be made into a movie unless it was told according to the storyline. The characters were composites and of course there were no Americans in the camp, but the rest of the film accurately details the escapades of the X Organization and how they engineered this Great Escape and what it accomplished. Sturgess had to wage war with the Hollywood big wigs in order to make this movie the way it happened even though the good guys didn't apparently win. However the film manages to finish on a high note by showing that the sacrifice of the men was not in vain and Steve McQueen playing catch in the cooler symbolized that the resilience of the Allies was still strong and that the resistance would go on. I believe that "The 50" would be proud of this movie. My only knock is that Steve McQueen alone should not be featured on this cover, as he plays but a part in this mighty cast of first rank ensemble actors. Since that has nothing to do with the movie, the 5 star rating still goes.
Rating:
Summary: When do we get the Special Edition?
Review: The current U.S. DVD offers so-so video and audio. A far-better special edition (new anamorphic digital transfer, 5.1 audio, special features) has been available in Britian since mid-2002. MGM, for whatever reason, has so far avoided releasing the superior version in the U.S. market. Chances are, the "better" version will eventually surface here. Quality-conscious viewers should consider biding their time unless willing to use the present DVD as a stop-gap.
Rating:
Summary: The Great Escape,the best movie ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is my favorite movie and on DVD it is almost twice as good. When I first watched this film I was amazingly entertained. Ever since I have watched it over and over again.This movie is great! With an all star cast including Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, and James Garner how could you not at least enjoy this film. The only thing that disappointed me about about this DVD version of the film was its special features. The DVD does not contain much special features and I think this movie definitely deserved more special features. To me the special features are half of the DVD. I just like learning about how films are created. The special features this DVD does contain though, is a 24 minute documentarey called The Making Of The Great Escape, the original theatrical trailer for the film, and a informational booklet on how the movie was made, casted, and it explains the true story of which the film was based on. Even though I was disappointed with the special features, the movie made up for it. I say get The Great Escape and watch it. I guarantee you will enjoy this movie. Even if you don't know anything about World War 2 you will still enjoy this gret film. The Great Escape is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: They don't get any more intense than this!
Review: The best film with escapism, The Great Escape is a true story of fifty men who escaped from a POW camp and were shot. There is plenty of action, and also plenty of humor to keep the film going, and the viewer to their seat. Photographed in Germany, this films brilliantly showed the risks of the prisoners who escaped, and their frustrations during the building of the tunnel. Daniel Fapp's beautiful cinematography shows amazing scenery of the German countryside. There were times when I didn't know when to admire the scenery or root for the prisoners and their tactics. The cake was topped with the exciting, and wonderful score by Elmer Bernstein, whose soundtrack is all of a sudden out of stock, like the film. I'm hoping that someday that I'll own both the film and the original soundtrack. The co-stars of the film are also what keep the action going, and brilliant dialogue that could never be repeated by anyone except these actors.
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