THE GREAT ESCAPE

REVIEWED BY B. SUITT

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements

Rated:

March 1944. “Big X” has arrived at Stalag Luft 3, a special Nazi prisoner of war camp built to hold some of the most notorious escape artists in the world.One of the most wanted on the German’s list, “Big X” has escaped from several different POW camps -- too numerous to count. Arriving with him are hundreds of other fellow soldiers, friends and escape artists... and they’re at it again. But this time it’s the biggest escape yet. Planning to smuggle two-hundred and fifty prisoners and dig three tunnels out of this armed fortress is not an easy task. Each man assigned to his own job: map making, forging, dispersing, sewing, digging, scouring, building and careful planning that takes precious time.

These British soldiers, who have been sworn to do whatever is necessary to free themselves are now faced with a startling discovery on the big night: they’re fifty yards short of their ideal escape route. They must think quickly, before it’s too late! The Great Escape has been called the best WWII film ever made, as it depicts the true story of the two-hundred, fifty men and their escape from a Nazi prison camp. Many parodies of this film have been made, including the recent DreamWorks picture Chicken Run. But none of the others have such a great cast of unforgettable characters... like Roger “Big X," Hilts “The Cooler King,” “Flying officer Ives,” Hensley “Scrounger,” Ashley-Pitts “Dispersal," Collin “The Forger,” Danny “The Tunnel King,” and many more.

I enjoyed immensely watching the group of determined soldiers sticking together and working as a team. It kept me captivated with interesting inventions, exciting characters, may scenes filled with tension. The movie also gave me, in a lighthearted sense, the reality that war is such a destructive thing and not always courageous and victorious as it seems. Loaded with action, adventure, history and humor, yet very bitter and sweet The Great Escape is one that I recommend all should see. It's filled with lovable characters that will make you laugh and truly tell the story of the greatest escape ever planned in the history of WW2.

This a great movie, one of the best oldies ever made! Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough’s performances of Hilts, Hensley and Big X are stunning. A very well written script with a captivating story line, although I have to say the ending was pretty disappointing. It is a great escape, filled with action, so to a younger audience this could be very real and scary. There is mild language and some violent scenes, but other than that, it's a great film!