It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

I'm a big fan of prison dramas and for some reason the ones made around this era seem to be the best in terms of quality: they're usually the most down-to-earth and realistic, and often hard-hitting with it. MCVICAR is a film with a lot of baggage attending – not only is it a true story, it stars one of Britain's biggest music stars, Roger Daltrey, in the titular role. Could it live up to expectations? I think so. In essence, this is the British answer to Eastwood's ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ – a story of one man's journey to escape the mundane nature of prison life. Yes, there are the expected clichés and yes, the last act of the film is far less interesting and suspenseful than what's come before, but for the most part MCVICAR is a film that does the business. Director Tom Clegg, later a mainstay of television with the SHARPE movies, does an excellent job and I think this is the highlight of his resume. It's a taut, compelling and funny crime film.Great cast, too: Daltrey is decent as McVicar, playing up the hard-man persona with plenty of guts; Adam Faith is solid as the good-guy prisoner with plans of freedom. I also enjoyed Billy Murray as McVicar's buddy on the outside, the brief cameo from an incredibly haggard-looking Ian Hendry, and Steven Berkoff as another inherently sinister type. Okay, it doesn't really offer anything you haven't seen before, but that doesn't stop MCVICAR from being a highly entertaining movie.

I do not see peoples strange fixation with this film. Are people not aware of what an evil sick child molester that Wally Probyn is? I was one of these man victims, he repeatedly raped me for four years from the age of 7. He also used to take indecent photographs of his victims for his sick pleasure. I got to know what a conniving cowardly man Wally Probyn was and he certainly does not deserve god like status. Wally Probyn was convicted at The Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) he received a 4 year sentence for abusing his step daughter, I was a supporting witness, but I was put through weeks of police interviews, taken to places where he had abused me and had to look through 1000's of indecent photographs this man had taken of other poor young children some were severely mentally disabled. This will haunt me forever. Every time this film comes on to TV I feel sick, he had a long history of paedophilia back from when he raped his own 3 year old sister.

Can't you hear that's what I say.John McVicar is a tough uncompromising armed robber, after being sent to a maximum security prison for 23 years he dreams of escaping every day. As his reputation grows and friendships are formed, it would appear that his friend Wally Probyn may have figured a way out of this tough rigid prison.In 1979 America had The Warriors and The Wanderers, at pretty much the same time us British had Quadrophenia and McVicar to hold dear to our hearts, both films produced out of The Who Films Ltd, both films eminently quotable to a certain age group that were of the teenage persuasion. I love McVicar, I really do, based on the true life story of McVicar, well from his own accounts written in his book, "McVicar by Himself", the film boasts a Who soundtrack and a script that positively sparkles with wit and anger speak. Yes the charges of the film making hardened criminals seem likable characters is a fair one, but not only does the film show the disgust {and rightly outright hatred} for sex offenders, it also showcases just what a hard job the prison officers have, this is something that many of the user comment writers here have failed to acknowledge.Roger Daltrey takes on the role of McVicar and dons a career best, gruff, perfectly in shape and a wide boy arrogance that comes off as gold dust in this particular piece. Backing him up is wonderful turns from Brian Hall {comic gold}, Steven Berkoff {clearly enjoying himself}, Matthew Scurfield {frighteningly unnerving} and Peter Jonfield. Once the escape happens the film switches in tone as McVicar tries to make some sense of his life, it's an emotional switch that tones the film down but never the less takes us successfully to the highly accomplished finale. We are then left with a wonderful quote from John McVicar himself and we are told just what this tough as nails armed robber actually did with himself from that point on.Perhaps it's because I was a teenager when the film came out, that I love it so much? Or maybe the script just appeals to me on a very primal level? Either way I'm always going to be a fan of it, and McVicar remains to me, along with Quadrophenia and Scum, British standards to revisit every single year.I don't care how late it is I'm not going home 8/10

A gripping portrayal of a seasoned villain's desire to escape from prison and start a new life. Roger Daltrey succeeds in making John McVicar appear to be a decent family man despite his hard-man antics. Adam Faith is excellent as Walter, McVicar's colleague in prison. Again, he is portrayed to be a cheeky Cockney geezer, immensely likeable. From the outset, the prison guards are given no sympathy, they are brutal,unfair and dim-witted. Daltrey's vocals are used extensively to colour the film and the viewer is left in no doubt as to the director's sympathies. John McVicar is now a respected writer and broadcaster.