VividSimon Simply Perfect

Steineded How sad is this?

Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

grantss Brilliant judicial drama. Very engaging - you empathize with Henri Young and wince at the hardships he faced. Also makes you realise how despicable people, especially people in authority, can be.Christian Slater is solid in the lead role. Standout performance, however, goes to Kevin Bacon. He makes the movie. How he did not get an Oscar nomination, I do not know. Gary Oldman is excellent as the bad guy, but that's a given. Good supporting cast which includes William H Macy, Embeth Davidz and Stephen Tobolowsky, plus Kyra Segewick and Mia Kirshner in minor roles.Only dull note is the performance of R Lee Ermey as the judge. He was not convincing at all. He really should stick to gunnery sergeant roles...

beastmaster337 This is a great movie that, for some reason, no one has seen. I recently bought it because I am a big fan of Kevin Bacon, and I was completely amazed by his performance. The fact that he wasn't even nominated for an academy award shows you what a joke they are. All the actors are great, especially Bacon and Gary Oldman. The story is pretty good, and the movie is never boring, but the highlight of the film is Bacon's haunting portrayal of a man forced into solitary for three years. He manages to be both creepy and touching, which is amazing. There is some violence in the movie, so if you are not a fan of that, you might not want to watch. Other than that, however, I give a strong recommendation to fans of prison and courtroom movies, as this film contains some compelling elements of both. Overall - 8/10

deacon_blues-3 Just about every factual detail of this film is a complete lie, right down to the spelling of Henry Young's name (Henri was an alias of this habitual bank robber and murderer). The whole film is just a high-handed defamation of the U.S. penal system, which did not warrant any such besmirching. I'm surprised that R. Lee Ermey was a part of this film. He probably regrets it by now. The real Henri Young jumped parole in 1972, was last seen in Washington State, and may still be alive and at large today with at least two known homicides to his credit. He was not a non-violent offender at the time he came to Alcatraz, he was serving a sentence for murder and bank robbery! He did not spend 3 years or even three months in solitary after the escape attempt, and murdered McCain over a year after rejoining the general prison population. His solitary time was done in a normal holding cell in the main cell block, with normal lighting, exercise, medical attention, and food supplies throughout the entire period. DO NOT GET YOUR HISTORY FROM Hollywood! They spin sentimentalist lies at every possible opportunity. Check out the facts on "Birdman of Alcatraz" and "Awakenings" for two more infamous pack of lies.

Aaron1375 I would usually not watch a film of this type of my own accord, but it was shown to me in a criminal justice course. It was rather interesting as it features Christian Slater as a young attorney assigned a case to defend a prisoner at the infamous Alcatraz prison. The case is one he is not supposed to win, he is just representing the guy and the guy is supposed to be put to death. Instead, the young idealistic attorney sees that the young man who committed murder while imprisoned for a rather minor crime committed the crime not because he was initially some sort of monster, but because the tactics used by the warden were cruel and turned him into one. Very interesting and it even has some funny scenes as well in it. Kevin Bacon does a really good job with his role and Slater is good as well. It does run a bit long, but that is usually the case with most films like this one. I liked how Slater's character was able to make his case and I also enjoyed Bacon's character when he was put on the stand as that seemed to make the point nicely. I did not care for the end, but there is not much one can do about that as it was based on a true story. Overall, though I usually do not watch films such as this I did enjoy it.