Disappointment for a huge fan!

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

A Brilliant Conflict

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Notorious escapees didn't drown, they body-surfed behind a ferry to freedom and started a farm in Brazil! Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin and John Anglin remain the only people who have escaped Alcatraz and never been found - a disappearance that is one of the country's most notorious unsolved mysteries. A letter sent to San Francisco police in 2013 and obtained by CBS affiliate KPIX, a man claiming to be one of the escapees said that all three of the prisoners survived the attempt - but that he was the only one still living. The letter claimed that Morris died in 2008 and that Clarence Anglin died in 2011. More than 50 raincoats that they stole or gathered were turned into makeshift life preservers and a 6×14 foot rubber raft, the seams carefully stitched together and "vulcanized" by the hot steam pipes in the prison (the idea came from magazines that were found in the prisoners' cells). They also built wooden paddles and converted a musical instrument into a tool to inflate the raft. Relatives of John and Clarence Anglin firmly believe they survived their escape: At least four members of the Anglin family, including two nephews and a sister, spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle in 2013, furnishing what they said was evidence the men were alive - including a Christmas card the family received in 1962 that read: "To Mother, from John. Merry Christmas."

Alcatraz with its boast then no one ever escaped from it forms the basis of the true story of the men who did. Even though the ending is not satisfying, we have a true gritty film with Clint Eastwood leading a plan with others to get away.Naturally, we have the hard-nosed warden played with precision by Patrick McGoohan. His insensitivity and cruelty alone shall drive you to root for the potential escapees.How they plan their get-away is a story within itself even as the warden becomes increasingly suspicious. They just jump the gun and while their fate is unknown until this very day, we may actually applaud their efforts.

If you're looking for a character driven drama or thriller in Don Siegel's 'Escape from Alactraz', you'll have to look elsewhere. Of course, fans of Siegel already know that the director of 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (1956) is more interested in lean, economical, and tightly constructed stories with slight brush strokes of character motivations and feelings. This is why Clint Eastwood, with his steely, cold eyes and subtle facial expressions worked so marvelously in Siegel's films - and he is excellent here as well. The story is about the possible escape of three men from the notorious prison Alcatraz near San Francisco. We learn very little about the prisoners who escape, except through their actions, temperament, and reactions to situations as they unfold. Each man wants to escape for their own reasons and while there is a sense of comradery and friendship, Siegel refuses to sentimentalize their relationships as most Hollywood movies of this genre would've. Overall, 'Escape from Alcatraz'is Siegel at his best: taut, mean, and tense.

Once again a movie starring Clint Eastwood that wouldn't work half as well if it wasn't for him. The man has the phenomenal ability to put so much presence into every scene he is in that even a slow-paced film such as this seems interesting to follow just because he's such a good actor.And make no mistake, this is a slow film. Years can pass unnoticed when you're sitting behind bars and the way this film is shot reflects that. Of course the escape plan and how Eastwood's Frank Morris goes about trying to accomplish it fills most of the screen time, but you never really feel bored by any of it. No single scene is tremendously interesting, but they're all interesting enough to form a whole that's greater than the sum of their parts.All the actors are also talented enough so that the dialogues manage to keep your attention. The setting and the use of lighting also has that old-time charm where it at the same time looks both unrealistic and familiar.As a whole I'd say that this is a good film. It's like that soothing melody that you cannot quite recall a few days later, but which you can listen for hours at a time. See it, if you haven't already.