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The Great Escape

The Great Escape (1963)

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No Score Yet...

Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 1

audience

92

liked it
Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 98,013

My Rating

Movie Info

The Great Escape is based on the true story of a group of Allied prisoners of war who managed to escape from an allegedly impenetrable Nazi prison camp during World War II. At the beginning of the film, the Nazis gather all their most devious and troublesome POWs and place them at a new prison camp, which was designed to be impervious to escapes. Immediately, the prisoners develop a scheme where they will leave the camp by building three separate escape tunnels. Richard Attenborough is the

Unrated,

Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics

W.R. Burnett, James Clavell

Mar 31, 1998

United Artists

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Cast

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All Critics (40) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (3) | DVD (29)

Way too flabby at 168 minutes, but once this 1963 feature gets going it's good, solid stuff.

March 1, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Worth seeing the last half hour, if nothing else, for one of the best stunt sequences in years: McQueen's motor-cycle bid for freedom.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It's a strictly mechanical adventure with make-believe men.

New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Each group of characters get their own riveting planning sequences, all skillfully told. This is one "heist" film where knowing the details of how the escape is supposed to go down before it happens only strengthens the suspense further.

May 23, 2013 Full Review Source: Scene-Stealers.com
Scene-Stealers.com

John Sturges largely evades the action and horror of war, and instead focuses on an immense creative process.

May 22, 2013 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine

This nearly three-hour beast is exhausting to sit through, but an experience every self- respecting male movie-lover must go through before he can call himself a man.

May 7, 2013 Full Review Source: COEDMagazine.com
COEDMagazine.com

Boasting an all-star cast, headed by a terrific Steve McQueen, Great Escape is one of the greatest, most enjoyable WWII adventures Hollywood has made.

April 13, 2011 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com
EmanuelLevy.Com

A consummate work of nuts 'n bolts filmmaking devoted to the single end of creating something that is compulsively, endlessly watchable and re-watchable.

March 16, 2011 Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy
Antagony & Ecstasy

An exceptional story about teamwork.

December 28, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

The title also suits the film's ultimate aim to be a great escape film.

February 24, 2008 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comments (5)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

One of the greatest 'popcorn' movies ever

March 16, 2007
Atlantic City Weekly

Expertly directed and written with an infectious undercurrent of wry humor.

March 1, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide
TV Guide's Movie Guide

It's as blow-dried as McQueen looks even on a bad day, but The Great Escape's mix of suspense, humor, and old-fashioned derring-do pitched by a dream-team cast is so enjoyable that only a lout would complain about it.

April 13, 2006 Full Review Source: DVDJournal.com
DVDJournal.com

preposterous and thrilling

August 26, 2005
Shadows on the Wall

Audience Reviews for The Great Escape

What a magnificent piece of classic cinema! Everything from the acting to the music is just pure artistic gold. What's even more amazing is how the details and execution of this ingenious escape from a Nazi POW camp, is all based on true events.

An even better reason to see it though, is the outstanding cast. You got Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and a countless number of other brilliant thespians, whom are now legends of their time. Each and every one giving it their very best, which even further amplified the power of this incredible story.

With this and "Papillon" (another prison escape film starring Steve McQueen) in recent memory, I honestly regret to have waited so long with seeing these classics. They house a soul of unparalleled intelligence, and rows upon rows of beautifully written characters, which is something we rarely get in their modern equivalents.

Indeed it really opened up my eyes to a whole new treasure trove of golden oldies, which I've been happily exploring ever since. And for those that are yet to discover it, may I suggest that you relish the same opportunity.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mikes-Movie-Reviews/281824101875153?ref=hl
May 5, 2007
CloudStrife84
Mike S

Super Reviewer

A classic, no doubt, but the first hour moves way too slowly and overall it comes off as kind of cartoony. I think McQueen just gets out and gets caught again too many times for it to remain excitying - even later in the film, when the stakes are finally high. Full of iconic scenes, though, and features a big-name cast, a great climax and a wild motorcycle chase.
April 7, 2007
danperry17

Super Reviewer

    1. "Cooler King" Hilts: What do they call a mole in Scotland?
    2. "The Mole" Ives: A mole.
    – Submitted by Venkatesh S (11 months ago)
    1. Senior Officer Ramsey: Up the rebels.
    2. Goff: Down the British.
    – Submitted by Francis L (15 months ago)
    1. "Cooler King" Hilts: What do they call a mole in Scotland?
    2. "The Mole" Ives: A mole.
    – Submitted by Francis L (15 months ago)
    1. Kuhn: We have reason to believe this prisoner is the mastermind behind numerous criminal escape attempts.
    2. Von Lugar "The Kommandant": [sarcastically] Squadron Leader Bartlett has been three months in your care! And the Gestapo has only 'reason to believe'!
    – Submitted by Francis L (15 months ago)
    1. Strachwitz: I will not take action against you, now. This is the first day here and there has been much stupidity and carelessness... on both sides!
    – Submitted by Francis L (15 months ago)
    1. "Cooler King" Hilts: Wait a minute. You aren't seriously suggesting that if I get through the wire... and case everything out there... and don't get picked up... to turn myself in and get thrown back in the cooler for a couple of months so you can get the information you need?
    2. "Big X" Bartlett: Yes.
    – Submitted by Francis L (15 months ago)

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