As far as TV Movies go, I think this is a good one - I tried watching this last Christmas, but due to bad weather, my satellite dish lost the signal, just as I was getting into the film - suffice to say I swore very loudly !!
Luckily they showed it again tonight, and I'm glad that they did !!
I failed my RAF and Army applications in 1986, and so I always maintained a strong interest in RAF based war films - not least because my late Uncle served as Ground Crew in the RAF in India during WW2.
And my late Father saw Active Service as Ground Crew at RAF Kasfareet, Egypt in the 1950s.
The original Great Escape is an all time classic - I remember Dad sitting glued to it in front of the TV one Christmas when I was a kid
This TVM remake cast the late, great Christopher Reeve, and the "Lovable Rogue" Actor Ian McShane as real people who were there when it really happened.
It captured the "essence" of the escape itself, but IMHO the evidence gathering that led to bringing former Gestapo members to justice in the aftermath was the best part of this TVM.
I enjoyed it - BUT........... They tried to cram too much into too little space by splicing what were essentially two great storylines into one TVM IMHO They missed out on a very good opportunity, why not.... Make a TVM remake of "The Great Escape" concentrating on the fact based escape from the POW camp - ending it with "To Be Continued" And Then Make "The Great Escape II: The Untold Story" as a sequel dealing with the aftermath.
Win Win.
Luckily they showed it again tonight, and I'm glad that they did !!
I failed my RAF and Army applications in 1986, and so I always maintained a strong interest in RAF based war films - not least because my late Uncle served as Ground Crew in the RAF in India during WW2.
And my late Father saw Active Service as Ground Crew at RAF Kasfareet, Egypt in the 1950s.
The original Great Escape is an all time classic - I remember Dad sitting glued to it in front of the TV one Christmas when I was a kid
This TVM remake cast the late, great Christopher Reeve, and the "Lovable Rogue" Actor Ian McShane as real people who were there when it really happened.
It captured the "essence" of the escape itself, but IMHO the evidence gathering that led to bringing former Gestapo members to justice in the aftermath was the best part of this TVM.
I enjoyed it - BUT........... They tried to cram too much into too little space by splicing what were essentially two great storylines into one TVM IMHO They missed out on a very good opportunity, why not.... Make a TVM remake of "The Great Escape" concentrating on the fact based escape from the POW camp - ending it with "To Be Continued" And Then Make "The Great Escape II: The Untold Story" as a sequel dealing with the aftermath.
Win Win.