Breakout (1975) User Reviews

Charles Bronson breaks all the rules and still comes out a winner

[sol-kay · 7/10 · 8 May 2005]

In a rare show of his comedic talents as well as having more lines of dialog to read then in his last two or three films put together Charles Bronson as crackerjack pilot Nick Colton is really enjoying himself in the movie "Breakout". Together with his wife, in real life, Jill Ireland as Ann Wagner the wife in the film who's husband Jay, Robert Duvell,Nick Bronson is out to rescue Jay from a brutal Mexican prison.

Jay was framed by non-other then his grandfather Harris Wagner, John Huston, who together with his silent partners in the fruit and transportation business The CIA. Wagner feels that Jays free spirited and revolutionary ideas are a treat to the future of his company and has Jay arrested in Satiago Chile for a murder in Mexico some 2,000 or so miles away. Thrown before a Mexican kangaroo court, with a paid-off judge presiding, Jay's guilt despite the illogic fact that he can't be at two places at the same time, Mexico & Chile,is a forgone conclusion and he's sent up the river for 28 years in a castle-like Mexican prison.

Nick hired by Ann to rescue her husband is stifled by Jays sleazy grandpa Harris Wagner who Ann, unknowing that he had her husband set up, is totally trustful of. Nick realizing that the best way to get Jay freed is to do it by air and to keep the plan only to himself and his fellow rescuers Hawk Hawkins & Myrna, Randy Quaid & Sheree North, which leads to the exciting final. Nick not only rescues Jay but also finds out who that lousy creep Cable, Paul Mantee, really is by him making sure, for Harris and the CIA, that his rescue of Jay falls flat on it's face. Cable is to murder Ann's husband if he ever makes it back to the USA, where the Mexican police can't touch him.

Charles Bronson as Nick Colton and wife Jill Ireland as Ann Wagner really touch off sparks in all their scenes together even though Jill isn't married to him in the movie and they have no romantic scenes in the film at all. Nick's trying to learn how to fly a helicopter didn't go that well at all at the start of his lessons from helicopter pilot Harve, Alan Vint. Later when he took off by himself, Harve felt that the rescue attempt was to dangerous, with only three flying lessons under his belt had even Herve surprised and shocked at just how good he was at the controls.

Tense action when Nick tries to land and then rescue the very sick Jay Wagner who escapes from the prison hospital with the help of fellow prisoner Sosa, Jorge Moreno. Sosa who ironically was part of the frame-up that put Jay there in the first place may have gotten guilt feelings about what he did to Jay.

Some really great stunts in the movie with a man falling some 100 feet from a helicopter straight through the roof of a house, with what looked like nothing to break his fall. Later at the airport across the border in Texas at the end of the movie one of the baddies is sliced to pieces, by an oncoming jumbo passenger plane, as if he were a roll of salami.

Not exactly a must-see flick, BUT...

[wryroy · 6/10 · 29 October 2000]

"Breakout" is a lightweight action film but worth a peek, especially if you're a Charles Bronson fan. It's not one of his best movies but manages to be entertaining, albeit corny, most of the time. If you want to see a great movie with Bronson in it, check out "The Magnificent Seven;" if you want to see a great Charles Bronson movie, watch "The Mechanic."

Mediocre Rescue Thriller.

[AaronCapenBanner · 5/10 · 7 September 2013]

Tom Gries("Will Penny") directs this thin drama that casts Charles Bronson as independent pilot Nick Colton, enlisted by a desperate wife(Jill Ireland) who wants him to fly into a Mexican prison to rescue her husband(Robert Duvall) who she insists was framed by the mafia. Colton agrees for $50,000, though of course the plan doesn't go as smoothly as they had hoped...

Though this has a good cast, there is little else about this film that is memorable, and credibility isn't that high either. Some goofy comedy involving costar Randy Quaid dressed as a woman doesn't help! Tom Gries did far better with "Will Penny"; perhaps his heart just wasn't in this?

Breakout: The true story

[Maya37 · 19 December 2003]

The movie "Breakout" was based on a true story by Joel Kaplan, the man who actually broke out of a Mexican prison, after being framed for murder. He wrote the book, and I dated his sister. It was actually his sister who arranged his escape, not his fictional Hollywood wife. Hollywood greatly exaggerated the true story. Even the Mexican Attorney General admitted this was the greatest escape in Mexican prison history! The New York Times backs my story in about 1972. Jack Sandy

Perhaps Bronson's funniest performance

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 21 May 2021]

Charles Bronson gets the rare chance to exercise his comic chops in this relatively lighthearted role (I've never seen him smile and joke so much before). Apart from that, "Breakout" is nothing special, there is very little action, and after all the anticipation the actual ecsape sequence is totally unbelievable. The only other notable part of the movie is the eye-popping (no pun intended) finish to the plane field fight. **1/2 out of 4.

Action/triller/adventure movie , full of intrigue , violence , tension and suspenseful

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 11 August 2020]

An innocent man , Jay Wagner (Robert Duval) is set-up , betrayed , blamed and sent to prison in Mexico . A bush pilot called Nick Colton (Charles Bronson) is hired by a wife called Ann (Jill Ireland) whose husband is imprisoned . As Nick for fifty thousand dollars to go to Mexico to free the prisoner wrongly framed and held captive at an impregnable Mexican prison . And thanks to the abundant reward Colton is all to eager to do it . But the nasty people (John Huston , Paul Mantee) who accused Jay will do what they have to make sure he doesn't break out . Only two things can get him out - A lot of money and Charles Bronson! No prison is strong enough to hold Bronson! Impossible? Not for Bronson! .Charles Bronson in action in BREAKOUT ¡

The producers of this action movie use an initial foreword to tell us that the prison getaway method shown in the film has actually been used . Enjoyable and stirring screenplay , though there are a lot of implausibilites in the plot , which gets by on the moving action sequences . Of course , highlight of the movie results to be the thrilling and exciting escape , plenty of nail-biting tension , suspense and noisy action . This is a Charles Bronson show , playing in his usual style , here as devil-may-care bush pilot to execute an extremely dangerous assignment . While not exactly Bronson at his best , this thriller does have its moments as the star carries out the risked mission by flying a helicopter throughout the attractive landscapes and into the penitentiary . And his real life wife Jill Ireland gives an acceptable acting as inmate's spouse who attempts to get him out . Support cast is pretty good with a variety of notorious secondaries , many of them playing in all in light-hearted vein , such as : Randy Quaid attempting to convince the prison guards he's a girl in spite of his weighs 200 pounds and more six feet , John Huston as the villain grandfather , Paul Mantee as a heinous henchman , Alan Vint , Alejandro Rey , José María Caffarel , Luis Prendes , Roy Jenson and special mention for Robert Duval as the prisoner sentenced to 28 years in prison for a crime he never committed and Shree North in a comical/serious role as a ploy to free the inmate.

Superbly photographed by Lucien Ballard on impressive outdoors , this cameraman when he's given the chance is awesome . Being shot on various locations from Spain and Mexico and the prison fortress was filmed in the Pyrenees in the south of France , there , on a mountaintop near Perpignan, sits the grim pile known as the "Fort de Bellegarde". Kudos for the rousing as well as spectacular musical score by maestro Jerry Goldsmith , composed in his peculiar style . Goldsmith charging along to some of the best film soundtracks has ever written . The motion picture was professionally directed by Tom Gries , though hard to tell at times . Tom replaced Michael Ritchie as filmmaker early during production , he was an expert director of Western as ¨Breakheart pass¨ also titled ¨Nevada Express¨ , ¨100 Rifles¨ , and ¨Will Penny¨ that is the best work ever made ; Gries also directed other successes as ¨Breakout¨, ¨The glass house¨ , ¨Helter Skelter¨ and TV series as ¨QBVII¨ , but he also made some real duds . His later output in other genres was routine and flopped in theatres.

Another Count Of Monte Cristo

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 1 April 2015]

Robert Duvall must have felt like the Count Of Monte Cristo in Breakout. Not sharing in his wealthy grandfather's right-wing business type politics, Duvall is framed for a murder in Mexico while he's in Chile flown back and sentenced to a Mexican prison for 28 years. Only the fact that he's grandfather John Huston's blood saves him from execution. Or more than likely he would have been executed forthwith with all the problems he's causing.

The thought that his own family could be responsible does not even factor into Duvall's wife Jill Ireland trying to free him. For that she goes to commercial pilot Charles Bronsonto get the job done. Bronson's good for a dishonest dollar if you have enough of them. He and assistant Randy Quaid will do what they have to and in Quaid's case it involves one attempt with Quaid in drag.

Bronson proves to have a droll sense of humor in this film. The drag business with Randy Quaid is one example, another is his use of Sheree North who is married to deputy sheriff Roy Jenson and the girl needs some spending loot. Sheree has some of the best scenes in Breakout.

Charles Bronson fans should be very happy with Breakout at how he beats some considerable odds stacked against him.

People in the 70s were lucky .....

[PimpinAinttEasy · 7/10 · 22 August 2017]

Breakout is a cool Charles Bronson action film. Bronson plays a mechanic who is hired by a woman to rescue an American who is serving time in a Mexican prison. Robert Duvall, John Huston (in one or two scenes) and Randy Quaid are the male supporting cast. Jill Ireland and Sheree North are the sex objects to be groped and shared by the men (Bronson is involved in two love triangles). The title scene set to a playful score by Jerry Goldsmith is very impressive. But then the film slows down with Jill Ireland (who plays the jailed Robert Duvall's wife) trying to save her husband. But things pick up after the beer guzzling Bronson makes an appearance. The action scenes with the helicopter were good but not spectacular. Mexicans are portrayed as complete idiots. The actor who played Bronson's helicopter coach and the scenes with him and Bronson were amusing. So were the scenes with Bronson and Shirlee North's husband. Tarantino might have borrowed the coffin scene in KILL BILL 2 from this film and not SPOORLOOS as widely believed.

The ending was very very violent with an airplane smashing into the villain who was fighting with Bronson on the tarmac.

People in the 70s could look forward to watching cool, badass and provocative action films like Breakout. We are reduced to watching SPIDERMAN and AVENGERS. I bet this film looks great on Blu ray. The DVD I watched was just about OK in terms of picture quality.

(7/10)

Not particularly action packed for a mid-70s Bronson film...

[JasparLamarCrabb · 4/10 · 28 December 2013]

Not as action packed as one would have hoped for. Charles Bronson is a pilot hired by Jill Ireland to break husband Robert Duvall out of a Mexican prison. It proves to be quite a bit more difficult as Duvall's own uncle (John Huston) aims to keep him in the south of the border hellhole. There's plenty of humor (Bronson laughs!) and a few thrills courtesy a very uncooperative helicopter but not much else to recommend. The oddball supporting cast includes Alan Vint, Randy Quaid, Alejandro Rey and the incomparable Sheree North as a good time girl. It's never really clear why Duvall is framed by his uncle and the film has no real ending; it just stops. Directed with little fanfare by Tom Gries and written by Marc Norman (who would later win a couple Oscars for "Shakespeare in Love").

Bronson the charmer.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 31 January 2013]

"Breakout" is far and away one of the most fun movies ever to showcase Charles Bronson, and the star is in excellent form here, delivering one of his most animated and engaging performances, even showing off some comedic chops. He plays Nick Colton, a carefree bush pilot in Mexico. He's hired by Ann Wagner (Jill Ireland) to try to help her husband Jay (Robert Duvall) escape from prison; Jay was framed for murder by his scheming grandfather Harris (John Huston), who wanted to get his grandson out of his hair. After two of his escape plans go awry, Nick vows that he will succeed in this endeavour. He's helped by friends such as "Hawk" Hawkins (Randy Quaid) and Myrna (Sheree North), the sultry wife of Nicks' lawman associate Spencer (Roy Jenson). Very well shot in Panavision at striking French and Spanish locations, "Breakout" is a very agreeable diversion, with capable direction by Tom Gries, who would re-team with Bronson for "Breakheart Pass" the following year. Part of what makes it so appealing is the healthy amount of comedy and seeing the iconic cinema tough guy play a more lighthearted role than usual. As one can see, he's ably assisted by a strong supporting cast. Duvall is quite low key in the role of the frame-up victim, while Quaid offers a fairly restrained performance as the sidekick. Ireland is lovely as always and she and real- life husband Bronson set off some believable sparks together. Huston is delicious although he's also a little under utilized; the fact that his character never gets a good payoff unfortunately detracts a little from the overall satisfaction that the movie provides. North provides delectable eye candy, and the cast also includes Emilio Fernandez, Paul Mantee, Alan Vint, Alejandro Rey, and Sidney Clute. This may not have that many action sequences, but this really is more of a drama than anything, and what action there is, is expertly done, with splendid aerial photography. It also isn't particularly violent EXCEPT for one very nasty comeuppance for Harris's villainous acquaintance. Worth noting are the typically exceptional score by Jerry Goldsmith, the priceless scene of seeing Randy Quaid in drag as a Mexican prostitute, and the fact that this was actually inspired by a true story. This may not compare with the best films from Bronsons' filmography, but it's still solidly entertaining and does deserve to be better known. Seven out of 10.

Routine actioner with no discernible style, but enough in its locker to keep you entertained.

[barnabyrudge · 5/10 · 21 March 2007]

Charles Bronson was pretty old when he became a star. He'd done small supporting roles for years in westerns and war movies, but quite late in his career he was suddenly propelled into the super-star category following The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape and The Dirty Dozen. The biggest irony is that once Bronson became a star, his actual acting became much lazier and more wooden. He spent the "superstar years" – from the late 1960s until the late 1980s – giving monosyllabic performances in largely simple-minded films. His output during these years was prolific to say the least, but very few of the films rose above mediocrity. Breakout is just one more Bronson vehicle from that era – better than some, worse than others, a totally unremarkable and easy-to-watch time filler.

Jay Wagner (Robert Duvall) is arrested for a murder he had nothing to do with and thrown into a Mexican jail. His wife Ann (Jill Ireland) is devastated and wants desperately to help him be free, but she quickly realises this is only going to happen if Jay can break – or be broken – out of the prison. She believes that she can count on the financial support of Jay's grandfather Harris Wagner (John Huston) in mounting a rescue operation, little suspecting that it is actually Harris himself who - for various personal and greedy reasons - arranged for his grandson to be busted on the phony murder charge. Eventually Ann pleads with a bush pilot called Nick Colton (Charles Bronson) to help spring Jay from jail. Offering quarter of a million bucks as incentive, Ann persuades Nick and his buddy Hawk Hawkins (Randy Quaid) to take on the job of pulling off this audacious escape. But Ann's big mistake is telling Grandpa Harris all the intimate details of the plan, therefore making the whole rescue operation doomed to fail before it begins. Except that Nick and Hawk don't like losing, and won't let a few mishaps along the way stop them from carrying out their courageous plan…..

The reasons for watching Breakout are that it moves quickly, cramming incident and action into its relatively brief 96 minute duration. Huston as the villain and Duvall as the prisoner are clearly a cut above the material and give enjoyable performances, even though they are slumming. Jerry Goldsmith adds yet another catchy score to his list of catchy '70s film music. The reasons for not watching Breakout are that if you've seen many Bronson from the era, there's not a whole lot to make this one discernible from the rest. The film is put together with little obvious style of its own in a strictly by-the-numbers manner. Lastly, the periodic attempts to add a humorous edge seem generally ineffective. If you're channel hopping one day and you happen to come across Breakout, give it a go. It won't disappoint you in any great way, but neither will it be a film that has you racing down to the nearest DVD store to add it to your collection.

A fun Charles Bronson movie!

[Rubbed Raw · 10/10 · 30 November 1999]

This movie is just plain fun. It mixes a sense of humour with its action, not unlike television shows Simon and Simon and Magnum P.I.. And it's classy. I don't know why it hasn't found a wider audience. Check it out - but don't expect brutal violence.

Bronson is talkative. Otherwise, the film is routine.

[gridoon · 6/10 · 12 August 1999]

The line "Just routine, nothing special" is heard somewhere in this film, and it describes it perfectly. It's utterly routine and mostly actionless. But Bronson's character is unusually talkative and his performance unusually broad. Those are the film's only distinguishing elements.

A modest jailbreak comedy

[shakercoola · 5/10 · 1 March 2019]

An American prison escape thriller; This is a story inspired by the springing of Joel David Kaplan from a Mexican prison in 1971. It's an old-fashioned action adventure of simplistic nature. The plot involves a shadowy force trying to stop a rescue, which, along with other evasions makes it a little incoherent. Some of the supporting characters fail to charm, or amuse, so it is left to Charles Bronson to carry the film and lead the action, which he does well with an energetic, surprisingly comedic performance as the film's hard luck hero. Some credibility goes out of the window when we are expected to believe a non-pilot can fly a helicopter long-distance. The jailbreak is also a big letdown in suspense.

Great Film

[tbrody · 4 December 2001]

I would recommend this file just so you could see a very young Randy Quaid dress up like a Mexican prostitute, but this film offers so much more. Its an excellent prison movie. The acting is very good, especially from Bronson. This is the perfect late night file.

Actually based on a real case!

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 26 February 2022]

"Breakout" is a film apparently based in part on an actual case. In the early 1970s, a man was supposedly falsely imprisoned in Mexico on behalf of the CIA (how true that part is, I have no idea). After years of trying to secure his release, the family decided to take a more active approach...and arranged for a helicopter to land IN the prison and rescue the man....and it worked! This real incident inspired the studio to make "Breakout".

In this story, Jay (Robert Duvall) is imprisoned in a hellish prison because some CIA operative paid the authorities to do this...even though he broke no laws. His wife (Jill Ireland) is beside herself and approaches a pilot (Charles Bronson) to try to fly into the country to rescue him. But the plan and the next one both fail. In the first attempt, she never told the pilot where he was flying in the first place...and when he landed he was attacked by the police and gave up the mission. The second, well...see about that one...and see if there's yet another attempt to free the man.

So is the film any good? It's not bad...reasonably exciting and worth seeing. One of my only reservations is that I found the rape jokes in one of the scenes a bit distasteful....though the 70s were clearly a different time! The other is that the Mexican soldiers giving chase were dumber than the Three Stooges...which doesn't seem very realistic!

Typical 70s fare

[RealLiveClaude · 6/10 · 12 September 2015]

As Charles Bronson was one of the action stars of the 70s, this one pass well, however, as for the story, a bit of suspense but not very surprised, would have liked to see more substance. However, great to see Jill Ireland in a good role, and Robert Duvall doing what he does best.

However, Bronson does the show here, wisecracking and outgoing guy, not wanting to do the job first (money talks, eh ?) but finally goes for the challenge, even if it's risky...

Good to watch on a rainy night, especially for Charles Bronson's fans and typical 70s movie fare.

A Mexican prison is not a place to spend your vacation.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 29 January 2022]

Rain for a murder he did not commit, Robert of all ends up in a Mexican prison and has to convince wife Jill Ireland to help him Escape. Nearly buried alive, almost put in drag, it seems that there's no way out of this mess. But with Charles Bronson hired by Ireland to help her, they are sure going to try. Playing a character far different than anything else he's ever played, Bronson is quite lively in this comic action film, maybe not funny in theme but humorous in the way the plotline is rolled out. There's plenty of action as Bronson proved himself to be unstoppable although when his partner dresses as a Mexican seniorita to try to get into prison for an alleged conjugal vidit, it's very obvious that he's going to be exposed. Wahlberg actor playing this role looks hysterically funny in drag, the result is not so funny.

There's also a scene where Duvall, paranoid that his wife is having an affair with Bronson, rapes her during a conjugal visit, so he's not the most sympathetic character either. It appears that his wealthy father in New York, director John Huston (not behind the camera, just acting), is somehow responsible for him being jailed. He doesn't want to lift a finger to help him. It's interesting to see Ireland playing the wife and love interest of someone other than Bronson, and there's never any hint that they are actually having an affair. That's just a ridiculous plot point that took this down a rating point for me. Still, this film is non-stop action, and Bronson, who has become one of my favorite action stars of this., is there a unique in a role that is totally unique. Sheree North has an amusing supporting role as the girlfriend of Bronson's partner who aides him in the mission.

Bronson's lighter side

[rothrules69 · 7/10 · 9 December 2023]

Kenny's Movie Review

"Breakout" (1975)

Part of my collection but also on Tubi

A bush pilot is hired for fifty thousand dollars to go to Mexico to free an innocent prisoner.

Very good Charles Bronson movie has Robert Duvall, Jill Ireland, and a very young Randy Quaid. Bronson plays a wise, cracking bush pilot, who is hired by Jill Ireland to get her wrongly accused husband played by Robert Duvall out of a Chillian prison. Legendary Director, John Huston as a role as the grandfather who sets up Duval.

There is some flimsy storylines and you're not really sure what happens in some parts but all in all, it's a really fun action thriller, and a really good Bronson film who shows off his lighter side

3.5 Whoppers out of 5 Whoppers 🍔🍔🍔👍

Check it out on Tubi.

Breakout-away from your TV Screen!

[davyd-02237 · 3/10 · 5 October 2018]

I got the opportunity some years ago to watch this movie but not in its entirety. It was recently played via one of the lesser known channels and I have now watched the complete thing. Given the cast on offer I would suggest you find something else to do. Without trying to spoil it, it doesn't really have an ending and I found it hard to actually like an character within the movie. Times clearly change folk, This is no longer my type of film and there are many better ones around today to watch

not very good

[KyleFurr2 · 6/10 · 27 October 2005]

This movie was directed by Tom Gries and has a great cast that includes Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid and John Huston. Despite that great cast this is a pretty lousy movie in which there is just too much humor that doesn't work. This came out the same year as the much better "Hard Times" and this one doesn't compare to that movie. The plot has Duvall as the grandson of Huston and Huston has Duvall thrown in a Mexican jail for a murder that he didn't commit. It's not clear why he was thrown in jail and why Huston wants him to stay there. Ireland plays Duvall's wife who hires Bronson to break Duvall out but it takes him several times. Huston is only in a few scenes and Bronson isn't very good at humor and this isn't one of Bronson's better movies.

Not bad, but a bit plodding

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 21 December 2013]

BREAKOUT isn't bad for what it is: a typically tough '70s-era thriller, with innocent man Robert Duvall banged up south of the border and tough pilot Charlie Bronson the only guy with a chance of getting him out. It's a film shot through with style and character, and yet as a thriller, it's not particularly thrilling. As prison breakout movies go, this lacks almost entirely all of the suspense from something like ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ and it does feel plodding and overlong in places.

Still, the joy of watching Bronson at the height of his tough guy fame makes this worthwhile, and the addition of further interesting cast members like Duvall, Sheree North, Randy Quaid and Jill Ireland, only adds to that watchability. And it does finally start to pick up right at the end, including a truly jaw-dropping special effect involving a plane that you wonder how they managed to get past the censors. A win, then, for director Tom Gries, but the various scriptwriters needed to tighten things further to make this a true great.

A top cast and film based on a true story

[SimonJack · 9/10 · 16 April 2010]

Once in awhile I find a comment on a movie so close to the way I saw and would assess the film, that I couldn't contribute much, if anything, to it. So, I usually don't add my own comments. The few occasions when I have done so have been where the film hasn't had a large number of votes at all and where its average rating is considerably lower than I think it should be. Since I find the IMDb comments on movies very helpful for deciding films to watch or buy, I like to help give viewers a little more of a selection of comments when there isn't much offered.

Such is the case with "Breakout," and the comments of July 9, 2002, submitted by Curtis Martin of Bothell, Washington. He's right on target in his assessment of Charles Bronson films over the years, and his take on the quality of this film for having some substance, with good acting from a stellar cast. I would just add that it's refreshing at times, I think, to see a film in which not everything is perfectly pulled off the first time. It makes it a little more real. And that's especially good in a film that is based on a true story. Even if Hollywood may fictionalize some of the characters and incidents. People make mistakes, things go wrong, and plans sometimes don't work. And people often don't give up.

This film has such a touch of reality, and a great mix of humor, human- ness, stunts and action. A really fun and quality gem of a film that's better than the bulk of movies put out so far in the third millennium.

The witty and talkative Bronson is not my favorite

[Coventry · 6/10 · 30 June 2011]

Back in the glorious 1970's, the prison escape movies were enormously popular, and since there exist a couple of major milestones (like "Escape from Alcatraz" and "Midnight Express" for example), it's quite normal that smaller and more modestly produced titles like this "Breakout" are relatively unknown and almost forgotten. This isn't entirely unjustified, because "Breakout" is an overall mundane and straightforward action movie without a distinct style or exceptionally memorable aspects. It's a fun enough movie to pass an hour and a half of your time with, but it certainly doesn't rank amongst the better 70's action/adventure outings or even amongst Charlie Bronson's highlights of that period. Nonetheless, "Breakout" has quite a number of elements in common with the aforementioned success movies and actually could have been a lot bigger. The story is (loosely) based on true events, the film benefices from an excellent supportive cast and the ideally raw US/Mexican border setting. Still, the story itself is rather common (most unfortunate for the people involved, of course, but nothing extraordinary) and mostly due to Tom Gries' uninspired direction, the terrific cast and settings are underused. In fact, the only truly remarkable thing about "Breakout" is that Charles Bronson depicts an unusually extrovert and eloquent protagonist. The Bronson we all know and love, from classics like "Mr. Majestyk" and "The Mechanic" for instance, is a very silent and solitary outsider, whereas his character Nick Colton here is a reckless joker and playboy. Colton gets approached by Ann Wagner, a desperate woman whose husband is innocently sentenced to 28 years in a corrupt and inhumanly run Mexican prison. Mrs. Wagner hires Colton to help him escape from prison with money from his wealthy grandfather. What she doesn't know, however, is that the grandfather himself framed Jay Wagner and naturally also causes for all the escape attempts to fail. Nick Colton doesn't give up and thinks up a master plan involving helicopters, airplanes and various accomplices. Oh, and meanwhile he also finds the time to fall for his client. The action sequences in "Breakout" look impressive and spectacular enough on paper, what with helicopter escape and getaway car chases, but they're all actually quite tame. Some of the other escape are humorous (like Randy Quaid dressing up like a woman) but quite implausible and dumb, like Robert Duvall's character Ray Wagner stating so himself. Charles Bronson is handsome and robust as ever, but I still prefer him as the silent and solitary outsider guy. I don't know, maybe it's because you're used to seeing him like that, because he actually doesn't seem too uncomfortable in his role. Strangely enough, the chemistry between him and his real-life wife Jill Ireland works better when they're NOT playing an actual couple. Of all the terrific supportive roles (Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Alan Vint…) I mostly preferred John Huston – the versatile actor and director of "The Maltese Falcon" – as the greedy and hypocrite grandfather. Too bad his role was little more than a cameo.

Breakout

[henry8-3 · 5/10 · 27 August 2018]

Bronson is hired by Ireland to get her husband Duvall out of a Mexican prison for a crime he was framed for by Ireland's wicked dad, Huston (very Chinatown)

A lot more enjoyable than many of Bronson's stoney faced, ice cool thrillers as he almost oozes charm and humour as well as the usual tough guy stuff. Plenty of exciting set pieces with actually relatively little violence, bar a rather nasty death near the end. There are silly bits that sit uncomfortably within this in what might have been better as a straight thriller, but a pleasant enough hour and a half.