Did I really want to know that it was stuntman Bud Ekins, and not Steve McQueen as laconic ‘Cooler King' Hilts, who made that iconic motorcycle jump? No matter. This two-disc set, packed with extras, does full justice to director John Sturges' classic 1963 wartime drama, in which a deep rooting interest in the indelible characters only serves to heighten the sparingly-used action sequences. The quintessential man-show, The Great Escape reunites Sturges with three others from his The Magnificent Seven--McQueen, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson--along with James Garner, Sir Richard Attenborough, David McCallum, and Donald Pleasence, among others. Based on the courageous true story of American P.O.W.s who meticulously and painstakingly plotted their subterranean exit from a so-called escape-proof German camp, The Great Escape makes its second appearance on DVD with a digitally remastered image and a new surround sound track. DVD extras include three documentaries and four featurettes (narrated by Burt Reynolds), many of which salute the real-life soldiers who inspired the film, while also separating fact from Hollywood fiction (as it turns out, the film accurately and realistically portrays the planning and implementation of the escape). In addition, Steven Jay Rubin provides authoritative commentary, “moderating” an audio track that also features past and recent interviews with, among others, Garner, and the late Coburn and Sturges. A stirring tribute to the Greatest Generation--which applies here not only to the soldiers, but the actors as well--this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (D. Liebenson)[Blu-ray Review—May 21, 2013—MGM, 172 min., not rated, $19.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1963's The Great Escape features a decent transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary by director John Sturges and various cast and crew, the 2001 History Channel produced featurettes “The Untold Story” (51 min.), “Preparing for Freedom” (20 min.), “Bringing Fact to Fiction” (13 min.), “Flight to Freedom” (9 min.), and “Standing Ovation” on the film's popularity (6 min.), “The Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones” on star Steve McQueen's character (25 min.), the 1993 Showtime-aired featurette “Return to The Great Escape” (24 min.), additional interviews (10 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: although there has been some controversy over the quality of the transfer, this is still a welcome Blu-ray debut of a beloved WWII classic.]
The Great Escape
MGM, 2 discs, 172 min., not rated, DVD: $29.98 Volume 19, Issue 4
The Great Escape
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: