Highly Overrated But Still Good

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

The setting is a prisoner of war camp for German soldiers, located in Scotland. A tough, cynical, hard drinking Irishman named Jack Connor (Brian Keith) is called in to help out camp officials, since there is now much unrest among the Nazis. Connor and the others realize that their prisoners are planning an elaborate escape, and Connor has an idea that could either lead to glory for him, or be a bad, bad mistake.There are no true "heroes" and "villains" in this interesting, unusual, even-handed narrative, scripted by William W. Norton from the book by Sir Sidney Shelley. Rather, our protagonists and antagonists are equally wily opponents, trying to out-think each other. While ordinarily one wouldn't be rooting for the Nazis, you can't help but admire these characters' determination and ingenuity. As the story plays out, it becomes more and more a matter of a race against time, and it keeps the viewer riveted.The characters are colourful and compelling. Both Keith, and Helmut Griem, as his primary foe, are flawed, but charismatic. They're both excellent, and receive very strong support from a cast including Ian Hendry (as the major in charge of the camp), Jack Watson, Patrick O'Connell, Horst Janson, Gregg Palmer, and Michael Sheard. The relationship between Keith and Hendry is kind of a thorny one, as they differ over methodology, but it's just as fascinating to watch them butt heads as it is to see Keith and Griem engage in their little chess game.Granted, the camp personnel end up not looking very good since the Germans are able to pull off so much. But, overall, this is an over looked, and sometimes exciting, wartime film from a capable journeyman director, Lamont Johnson ("The Last American Hero", "One on One").Eight out of 10.

Awesome , tense warlike movie with memorable images and outstanding acting by some well-known faces . This is a splendid film that succeeds largely because of particularly nice interpretations , it deals with a daring breakout from inescapable Scottish concentration camp carried out by Nazi officers incarnated by a good star cast and magnificently realized by Lamont Johnson . It's partially based on facts adapted by William Norton from a bestselling written by Sidney Shelley titled ¨The Bowmanville break¨ . The continuous escapes have caused the British staff ordered 'putting all the rotten eggs in one basket' as the officer prisoners are reunited into a special concentration camp called McKenzie , being commanded by a hard-drinking Major Perry (Ian Hendry) who efforts to stifle riots of the wily Nazis . Irish Intelligence captain named Connor (Brian Keith) , a special troubleshooter , is sent by General Kerr (Jack Watson ) to Scotland for resolving conflicts in the problematic camp . Connor suspects astute captain Schlueter (Helmut Griem) of being the mastermind behind the scheme about a mass escape and he is supposed to stop the action . It deals with hard preparatives of a diverse group formed by Doenitz's U-boat officers and Luffwaffe air officers and soldiers mounting a dangerous getaway from a barbed-wired and strongly controlled camp . The most part of the film concerns on the elaborated process of secretly digging an underground tunnel and the last one deals with spectacular breakout and effort the approx. twenty and some escaped prisoners throughout Scotland trying to make their bid to freedom .This exciting story contains thrills, intrigue, tension, excitement galore, entertainment and lots of fun . Suspenseful WWII drama about a concentration camp from a German point of sight , it packs exceptional plethora of prestigious actors as British as German incarnating the motley group of POWs , all of them giving good acting and support , as Helmut Griem as U-boat Squadron leader who plans the massive breakout as Ian Hendry as serious Major and of course a sensational Brian Keith whose character , an arrogant Intelligence officer is sent to foil the getaway attempts . The picture belongs to a genre that has given classics as ¨The great escape¨, ¨Stalag 17¨, ¨Escape from Colditz¨, ¨Escape from Sorbibor¨ and many others . Colorful, atmospheric cinematography by Michael Reed , Hammer Production's usual ; it is shot in Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow,Ireland ,Santa Monica, California, USA ,Turkey and photography being perfectly remastered . Excellent production design and art direction with evocative sets from concentration camp and barbwire . Rousing and lively soundtrack by Riz Ortalani . This well executed motion picture is well directed by Lamont Johnson . Rating : Two thumbs up , essential and indispensable watching , a real must see for its strong characterizations and interesting issues .

Basically the story of a duel of wits between a German submarine captain (Helmut Griem), ranking officer in a Scottish POW camp, and an Irish captain in the British army (Brian Keith) who is sent to administer the camp and investigate the reasons for the POWs riotous behavior. It develops that Griem is organizing the escape of 28 submariners because Germany needs experienced crewmen. The escape is successful. It leaves poor Brian Keith behind. Until the very end, that is, when the escapees are discovered boarding a U-boat off the Scottish coast and, alerted by Keith, a British patrol boat interferes with the escape. The U-boat submerges with most of the escapees aboard already, but it leaves Griem and a few others behind in their rubber boats. Keith, watching the events from atop a cliff, is given the last words. "Well, Willi, it looks like both you and I are in the ****house." Interesting film in which nobody really wins. One or two dozen German sailors manage to get away, but to what? Another U-boat patrol? After May, 1943, those patrols were suicide missions. And it's unusual to see Brian Keith, as a genial, quiet, thoughtful Irishman outwitted by a ruthless German like Griem. And he IS ruthless. Unnecessarily ruthless. One of those dedicated Nazis who kills his comrades without compunction in order to ensure the success of his mission. The role is really pretty retrograde, harking back as it does to the Gestapo spies of the 1940s. Other than his tendency to humiliate and kill such skanks as homosexuals, Griem, with his handsomeness and overall Aryan quality, exudes a good deal of charm. He and Keith listen to a recording of Beethoven's third symphony. "Toscanini?" asks Griem. Keith nods and comments with a smile, "Furtwangler did it better." (Furtwangler was not only a German conductor, but a German conductor who played footsies with the Nazis.) The thrust and parry extends to prison yard scenes as well. There's quite a bit of action.It must have been filmed in Scotland. I don't blame Griem and the rest for wanting to escape from there. Whew. What dreary weather -- clouds, rain, constant dampness and chill. Not to blame the DP. The atmosphere is perfectly captured in the photography.Anyway, is this story "based on fact," as they say? If so, it leaves a couple of questions unanswered that wouldn't otherwise be necessary to ask. Eg., where did they get the truck for hauling "explosives"?

a movie i would highly recommend. is ¨the mckenzie break¨ starring brian keith. and helmut griem. its about german pow's held in scotland in ww2. the german pow's dont want to do as they are told so they rebel. the pow's are plotting to escape to get back to the u-boats to help the war effort. helmut griem gives a great performance as the ringleader and as a loyal nazi. theres a rousing song by the germans that has everyone foot stomping with jackboots everywhere.