Watch
The Great Escape
The Great Escape
+10
Your probable score
?

The Great Escape

1963
Drama, Action
2h 52m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 70.95% from 4451 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(4486)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 18 Jun 2009
99
99th
In my opinion, the greatest war film ever. A brilliant remake of "Chicken Run" that works much better with humans instead of poultry :)
Rated 19 Dec 2008
97
90th
Sensational WWII about hordes of allied prisoners of war attemping a mass escape from a German POW camp. It doesn't feel overlong in it's gigantic 3 hour long running time, and the ending is shockingly tragic. Highly recommended, and it's one of the best War films in the entire world.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
92nd
Steve McQueen at his best. What am I saying? Steve McQueen was always at his best.
Rated 31 Dec 2013
95
95th
There's no way Steve McQueen could ever be cooler than when he's on a horse. Unless you put him on a motorcycle...oh my God!
Rated 28 Oct 2007
92
95th
Despite being extremely Americanized, it is simply fantastic. It holds the test of time perfectly and has a phenomenal cast.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
80th
One of my favorite war movies. Excellent cast and great acting. This is probably my favorite Steve McQueen flick. The motorcycle chase is one of the classic scenes of American Cinema.
Rated 24 Feb 2019
70
73rd
Methodical and gritty. The film doesn't rush anything, and the ending is very strong.
Rated 29 Jan 2019
81
84th
Makes 3 hours fly by in seemingly half that time. A great balancing act of tension, drama, and infectious comedy.
Rated 17 Nov 2018
70
54th
Ramsey: "Colonel Von Luger, it is the sworn duty of all officers to try to escape. If they cannot escape, then it is their sworn duty to cause the enemy to use an inordinate number of troops to guard them, and their sworn duty to harass the enemy to the best of their ability."
Rated 19 Jul 2018
70
15th
Fun for nostalgists and a great story but maybe a bit past its sell by date in terms of pace and storytelling. The cast is sublime though!
Rated 03 Aug 2017
100
94th
The first two acts are good but the third act (post-escape) is absolutely brilliant.
Rated 22 Aug 2015
85
48th
This movie has an all-star cast, but honestly few of the characters are really given much more than a one dimensional role. The real star who is developed is the escape itself. This is impressive, but it also reduces the emotional impact of the movie. You get attached to maybe a couple of characters, but the light tone of the first half and the development of the escape over characters reduced the impact of the depressing second half for me. You wind up with a good, but not great, movie.
Rated 20 Jun 2015
85
87th
I love prison (or war camp) escape movies. It took me a long time to give this one a chance due to the long run time but I am happy to report I thought it was great and I didn't even notice the 3 hours.
Rated 02 May 2014
65
33rd
It has a hell of a cast, which makes it all the more disappointing that I found this kind of mediocre. It's long and not entertaining enough for its length and I also felt some weird dissonance within.
Rated 17 Dec 2011
89
96th
This movie is not a good or very good escape but definitely a Great Escape! A great ensemble cast and a great soundtrack. I highly recommend this film.
Rated 01 Sep 2011
80
70th
It's pretty well paced for its length, once everything is set up things just get more and more tense. It also didn't end at all like I expected it to. I got attached to many of the characters. Steve McQueen's character was actually my least favorite, he looked like he didn't belong there. He's just way too cool. You could've just substituted a dog wearing sunglasses for his scenes. Although I don't know if a cool dog could ride a motorcycle as well.
Rated 03 Jan 2011
89
95th
Steve McQueen, James Garner and Charles Bronson. So like, you want fries with that?
Rated 03 Aug 2010
94
96th
One of the best war films around, the Great Escape starts off pretty lighthearted and becomes far more serious towards the end. The 3 hour running time is utilized to its fullest and McQueen and the gang are all solid. Classic in every sense.
Rated 30 Jan 2010
97
98th
The Great Escape should be an incredibly upsetting movie of hardship and tragedy and it manages to incorporate moments of painfully hard viewing brilliantly, but the story focuses heavily on the unbreakable spirit of the captives in impossible circumstances. The characters and story telling couldn't be better and the plot is entertaining and uplifting despite the harsh environment. A fantastic watch and some awe-inspiring events from a shocking reality we will hopefully never know.
Rated 31 Jul 2009
72
72nd
A film that makes it on to TV every holiday season. It's good no doubt, but a tad overrated in my opinion.
Rated 18 Jul 2009
91
82nd
For such a long movie, it's triumphant in that it's always interesting and never drags.
Rated 06 Apr 2009
90
94th
I don't really know why this isn't considered to be a classic Family film on the same level as the Wizard of OZ... It's easily as family-friendly as any Disney film and the story is simple enough that any child could understand. Oh, and I forgot it's entertaining as HECK. I first watched this when I was about 6 or 7 and have loved it ever since.
Rated 18 Mar 2009
78
82nd
Underwhelming. Great, but underwhelming. Attenborough here bears an uncanny resemblance to Simon Pegg in Hot Fuzz.
Rated 27 Sep 2008
79
80th
Very enjoyable movie about 250 Allied prisoners trying to escape from a German war camp. The beautiful story is told in a rather comical way (supported by its playful soundtrack), but it does get grimmer and more confronting towards the end. There's some great moments of tension and action in this 3 hour long movie that doesn't bore at all.
Rated 27 Jun 2008
93
98th
Very Great Escape
Rated 29 May 2008
86
92nd
A classic prison break movie, I guess I don't need to justify myself considering only 12 of all the people on Criticker who ranked this (931) hated it, thats 1.3%. whoever didn't like this must be some kind of mayhem causing demon from another world.
Rated 17 Mar 2008
83
96th
Brilliantly crafted. It simply doesn't age. A fantastic combination of the heart of a true story, dressed up nicely by tight Hollywood storytelling. It easily could've been either a lot more sobering or schmaltzy but it walks the line between them deftly. A deserved classic for the masses.
Rated 01 Nov 2007
45
33rd
I'm not a fan of these macho man movies with the all-star cast, where the Nazis are lenient if not wimpy, and our well-groomed (even in a prisoner camp) protagonists constantly get the upper hand thanks to their heroic courage and ingenuity, and flawless morality. This movie may be based on some factual matter but obviously, none of it is in any way real. It's more like a male fantasy of an escape from a German camp, and it's most likely to entertain you if you're a man and have manhood issues.
Rated 22 Sep 2007
90
96th
Star studded in the way they used to make movies. This one is an excellent film based on the true story of prisoners of war making a mass escape from a German Luftwaffe prisoner camp.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
77th
A classic little WWII movie. Great action and story with strong characters.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
94th
A broad cast of colorful characters inhabit the most inescapable prison camp in WWII. The first half plays out almost comically. The characters are fleshed out and amuse us with their entertaining escape efforts. But it is the second half that is awe-inspiring as our heroes go through great lengths and hardships to make it out of Germany.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
86th
The escape plot was fun to watch unfold and the actors did a great job. Little bummed out about the ending, but that's what you get when you base movies off of real life events.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
92
87th
That pic is just so painful.
Rated 04 Jul 2007
90
85th
Highly enjoyable, and surprisingly lean for its nearly three hours of runtime. It never gets boring. It has great characters and generally good acting. The movie doesn't try to shoehorn anything in; it does what it needs to do and it does it well.
Rated 12 Dec 2006
95
99th
Incredibly exciting and tense, and despite its long runtime it hardly ever loses steam.
Rated 15 Aug 2024
78
80th
Opinión personal: 8 Actores: 7.5 Guión: 8 Fotografía: 7.5 BSO: 9 Otros:7 Iluminación: FX: Director: Humor: Vestuario/caracterización: Ritmo:7 Total: 78
Rated 25 Apr 2024
75
60th
It's 3 hours but didn't feel like it, so it must be doing something right.
Rated 11 Feb 2024
55
72nd
#24#, rw2, ratings, recommended, story, "Project 100-80-60-40-20"-1963#1
Rated 25 Oct 2023
84
90th
The Great Escape is just pretty awesome all around. It has a star-studded cast, an all-time great score by Elmer Bernstein, great stunts, larger-than-life sets and locations, and great editing/pacing. The early scenes ease you into the day-by-day while getting to know the characters and makes their fate that much more heartbreaking in the final act. Pure epic in the original Hollywood sense.
Rated 09 Sep 2023
87
43rd
A little long and slow but interesting and worth the watch!
Rated 05 Aug 2023
85
85th
These Germans have such an issue with their prisoners trying to leave, that they really should consider making their prison a place where people want to stay. Have they considered a Wellness Room? I'd say this belongs in the Pantheon of Great Dad Cinema, but it's probably now Great Grandfather Cinema.
Rated 31 Dec 2022
86
92nd
A truly great classic, it's always a pleasure watching this at the end of every year.
Rated 10 May 2022
100
70th
depressing AF. but great soundtrack
Rated 09 Sep 2021
91
94th
One of the greatest escape films of all time, with suspension and thrill all the time. Also it has many great and some iconic scenes that makes me say "Well, that's the cinema, that's why I watch movies.".
Rated 15 May 2021
29
20th
I have seen this many times, and now I think of it as a preliminary, worse version of IF... -- a tale of schoolboy resistance completely lacking in interesting character development.
Rated 09 May 2021
80
97th
An entertaining escape film where the characters are skillfully developed, and the action feels natural.
Rated 08 May 2021
76
59th
???????? - 1 ???????? - 3 ????? - 4 ?????????? - 4 ??????????? - 2 ?????????? ????? ???? - 4 ??????????? - 1 ???????? - 4 ????????? - 3 ?????? - 2 ????????? ???? - 3 ????????? - 3 ????????????? - 4 ?????? - 3 ???? - 3 ??????????? - 3 ?????? - 3 ???? - 2 ???????? ?????? - 4 ??????? - 4 ?????? - 1 ?????? -
Rated 03 Jan 2021
7
77th
Packed with cliches, comedy accents (‘Aussie' Coburn and ‘Pole' Bronson) and one of the most incessant ear-worm themes in movie history, ‘The Great Escape' is grand entertainment. Fun performances by McQueen, Garner and Pleasence, humour and warmth along with the action. It is awfully long, though.
Rated 27 Dec 2020
85
90th
Top badass moment? Two escaping Brits on a train, horrified by the sight of an SS officer with his feet up on the seat opposite, decide to intervene and get him to move them so they can sit down. No wonder people voted for Brexit. With a great soundtrack and a theme tune that’s accompanied many a great England football match (although unfortunately not nearly enough), it’s bizarrely a classic Christmas movie and more exciting than The Queen’s Speech. No cats, chainsaws or decapitations.
Rated 25 Jul 2020
100
97th
The perfect prison camp movie? Probably.
Rated 19 Feb 2020
90
91st
Pure entertainement.
Rated 03 Oct 2019
90
81st
haven't seen in a while
Rated 21 Jul 2019
50
41st
Pure entertainement. There is literally no depth to this movie. So, while entertaining, it is also very forgettable. It was also very stupid at times. It is shamed by Bresson's A Man Escaped made 6 years prior.
Rated 09 Jul 2019
96
91st
Finally got to this one! An epic loaded with stars of the day. I loved seeing all the techniques used for the escape. My only minor criticism was that there were so many characters and so much action, there was little time for much character development, but that's OK.
Rated 18 Jan 2018
95
98th
en iyi kacis filmlerinden...
Rated 09 Aug 2017
97
95th
A
Rated 10 Sep 2016
19
22nd
Ham-handed comedy (at times bordering on slapstick) permeates this misguided, overlong World War II story. The stereotypes are as broad and dumb as possible: the Nazis are idiotic, cartoonish buffoons and the Americans are tough, manly, and daring. The film is a jingoistic propaganda piece that has little artistic value.
Rated 23 Aug 2015
95
99th
Another one of my favourites!
Rated 02 Jul 2015
73
43rd
Like almost every action movie, this one didn't age very well. But it has a few good moments. And I couldn't help but compare it with "The Bridge on the River Kwai", that has aged marvelously.
Rated 02 Mar 2015
67
55th
I think it would have aged better with a more serious tone throughout. Loved the performances.
Rated 03 Dec 2014
80
80th
(2nd viewing)
Rated 04 Sep 2014
11
99th
Hands down my all-time favourite movie!
Rated 08 Apr 2014
40
24th
Nothing really special about this movie, at most is entertaining. I believe is overrated and was a shock when it was released, but hasn't aged well.
Rated 10 Mar 2014
95
78th
The best of the genre.
Rated 05 Mar 2014
87
97th
A tragic true story has been made into an uplifting and suspenseful movie, it's been done so well I have no problem with the Hollywood-polish. It focuses on the honor, courage and spirit between allied men who didn't stop fighting even in captivity and it's the memorable characters that makes this an unforgettable tribute. It patiently builds our connection to the likes of the claustrophobic Danny and the escape-crazy Hilts and that generously pays of in a more serious and dramatic final act.
Rated 13 Jun 2013
95
96th
Local theater was showing this in a classic film series event so I slithered on over and holy moly I watched the Great Escape with 300 old people. Thick fog of Ben Gay permeated the theater.
Rated 23 Feb 2013
85
81st
Tense and infectious. Lacks the great characterization of Bridge On the River Kwai, but it's great fun.
Rated 13 Jan 2013
80
90th
This is a really good prison escape film, of which there are many. It starts off pretty lighthearted, but ends up much more serious by the end. It's almost 3 hours long, and I could see people having a problem with them showing every single step of the escape, but I thought that was fine. It allowed them to build up a lot of great tension. And the escape really is great! It has a pretty cool group of characters, who in turn are played by a group of pretty cool actors.
Rated 20 Nov 2012
83
85th
The movie was made 21 years before I was born yet it doesn't bore you one bit. The best part about the movie is that it sticks to its plot, has humour, suspense, emotion and action though in a very simple way. It was absolutely worth my time to check it out and I am glad I did.
Rated 11 Aug 2012
87
73rd
Classic McQueen
Rated 10 Aug 2012
70
49th
Netflix
Rated 02 Aug 2012
91
70th
i like biographies!
Rated 16 Jul 2012
80
58th
böyle kaçmalı filmleri severim buda güzeldi gerçek olmasıda etkiledi
Rated 23 May 2012
86
75th
SPOILERS: The escape itself is a VERY limited success at best--such that one may wonder at the point of it, especially at three hours in length. But where else has the process of an escape been so well detailed? How perfectly bursting with suspense is the final third? And then there's the acting (fine all around), the directing, and Elmer Bernstein's magnificent score. The first half is a bit slow and the script seems to lack a bit of character, but it's a compelling adventure nonetheless.
Rated 02 Apr 2012
80
27th
that was good. just that, an ordinary good!
Rated 01 Mar 2012
3
28th
Nothing about this was particularly great. The soundtrack is really overbearing and repetitive and incredibly annoying. The first half's comedy isn't funny and the second half's drama isn't dramatic, until the end of course. Has all the makings of a would be classic: A list cast, WW2, length, budget, etc. but it just doesn't work as well as it should.
Rated 20 Feb 2012
90
97th
Fantastic, fabulous cast, true story. All time top 10.
Rated 30 Nov 2011
73
46th
#539
Rated 22 Nov 2011
67
43rd
It's a great movie but honestly their escape wasn't all that great.
Rated 03 Nov 2011
75
84th
It's very, very good, and its iconic status is largely deserved, but the film dragged as it went on and some of the acting was pretty terrible. Not quite the masterpiece it's held up to be.
Rated 13 Aug 2011
93
97th
Absolutely brilliant film. It has some humor so it's not an extremely heavy watch. Still, it has its depressing bits. Good acting, everyone is likable and you almost feel part of the escape itself.
Rated 04 Jul 2011
80
85th
"The Great Escape" is two hours a great film and three quarters a good one. The bulk of it is about the preparation and the escape itself and it manages to be quite exciting and tense, thanks to likable characters and strong performances from a large ensample (Attenborough and Pleasence I liked the best). But the final act seemed superfluous -enjoyable, yet redundant. Still, this is a remarkable and highly entertaining war film that would have benefited from a shorter run time.
Rated 20 May 2011
90
94th
Three very entertaining hours. Superb cast and great directing. I love how the overall mood gradually changes throughout the movie.
Rated 14 May 2011
70
41st
It's a fun film to watch, with a lot of great gags - especially physical ones. Goes on for a bit too long, though.
Rated 09 May 2011
62
63rd
Definitely drags on and on. Entertaining, but I wouldn't watch it twice. I have no idea how Steve McQueen gets top billing when he's only on-screen for maybe 10 of this movie's 180 minutes.
Rated 01 Jan 2011
75
44th
Good but dated.
Rated 25 Dec 2010
90
92nd
89.750
Rated 26 Nov 2010
40
38th
It's just too damn long. So much could be cut. For example, at the beginning when Attenborough arrives at the camp and walks into a room and greets a Nazi leader. Then that leader brings Attenborough through another door and in to see the whole camp's Nazi leader. Why the hell did we need to see that twice? And why did the actor playing an Australian not even attempt the proper accent? It just doesn't hold up.
Rated 09 Nov 2010
75
80th
A little on the lengthy side, but enjoyable and well performed. Appropriate balance of war v. character focus. Besides, I cannot disagree with Steve McQueen.
Rated 26 Oct 2010
76
50th
Such an enjoyable classic to war films. It is a lot more light hearted then other war camp movies and is enjoyable to watch throughout the movie.
Rated 18 Oct 2010
72
42nd
I think that it should have deviated more from the true story; it reminds of The Wrong Man in that respect. The last hour or so was a chore, but the two preceding were great.
Rated 29 Aug 2010
86
83rd
I was going to complain about how the overall tone of the first half of the film is too upbeat and optimistic: the score, the sitcom-like antics, the hard-to-swallow incompetence of the Luftwaffe officers, and the meticulous display of a seemingly infallible plan. But the endings for our heroes absolutely shattered my expectations, and made the film all the better for doing so. Despite the tragedy, it retains an inspiring "Never give up!" message. Garner and McQueen shine here.
Rated 18 Jul 2010
88
92nd
It's lighthearted and sometimes a bit silly, but nevertheless a truly thrilling and entertaining 3 hours with a great cast.
Rated 29 Jun 2010
84
85th
Fantastic score and a great story. I guess all true stories are great that are turned into films with a big budget of course.
Rated 24 May 2010
4
90th
Excellent war movie. - Very Good
Rated 16 Mar 2010
96
96th
It's a classic for a reason. It's fantastic.
Rated 15 Mar 2010
86
94th
Splendid.
Rated 15 Jan 2010
63
26th
740
Rated 21 Dec 2009
82
52nd
The best of all escape movies.
Rated 18 Dec 2009
81
83rd
Very enjoyable movie about 250 Allied prisoners trying to escape from a German war camp. The beautiful story is told in a rather comical way (supported by its playful soundtrack), but it does get grimmer and more confronting towards the end. There's some great moments of tension and action in this 3 hour long movie that doesn't bore at all.

Collections

Loading ...

Similar Titles

Loading ...

Statistics

Loading ...

Trailer

Loading ...