UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Con-Deuce "The Great Train Robbery" is a perfect example of the creative skills of Michael Crichton. He was no master director or writer but what he did excel at was making and writing fast paced, imaginative and highly enjoyable entertainments. "The Great Train Robbery" provides great entertainment at the expense of historical accuracy. From what I understand, some of the plot elements are based on the actual train robbery of Crimean gold but a lot of it is highly fictionalized. While watching the film, you don't care about whether or not it's accurate. It moves so briskly and assuredly that you don't mind. But like so much of Crichton's work, it evaporates from memory pretty quickly. It's disposable entertainment but of that kind, it is exemplary. The art direction and cinematography (by the great Geoffrey Unsworth) are superlative. It could have been a much better film if it had tried to deepen the characters just a bit. The three leads (Connery, Sutherland and Down) are attractive and likable but there isn't much shading to their characters.Crichton's direction is as sure footed as anything done by Spiellberg and makes you wonder why he didn't direct more often.

feyipuk Connery shines as the anti establishment mastermind, plotting to relieve the British Empire of the pay for its troops in the Crimea. Yes, the action does take a little time to get going - much to my train mad son, who was hoping for more steaming activity - but the build up to the actual robbery makes for an entertaining period piece. The actual robbery is enjoyable to watch, with the open top engine puffing through the country side, comparable to so many modern train escapades. It's fun watching with a modern perspective to see how the landscape has changed. It's watchable with your parents or grand parents, and has parts that even younger kids will enjoy.

zardoz-13 Before he wrote "Jurassic Park," bestselling author Michael Crichton adapted his own novel "The Great Train Robbery" for the screen with Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland respectively cast as lead criminals Pierce and Agar in this six-million dollar John Foreman production. "The Great Train Robbery" qualifies as an exciting, suspenseful crime thriller set during the 19th century. This authentic-looking historical tale takes place in Victorian London, England, in 1855, when the British were paying their troops in gold during the Crimean War in Turkey where the France were fighting alongside the British against the Russians. This elaborate period yarn opens with Pierce recruiting an adept pickpocket Agar (Donald Sutherland of "M.A.S.H.") to help him snatch four keys from four individuals that enables our crafty thieves to open the vault on a fast-moving train. The key collecting sequence takes a little over an hour to transpire before Crichton stages the actual robbery on a train huffing and puffing through a bucolic countryside. Mind you, not everything goes according to the plans that the criminals have contrived for their ambitious heist. Indeed, thrillers require that something go wrong for the criminals so he will have to improvise. Our thieves encounter some difficulties because the authorities nab one of their conspirators, Clean Willy (Wayne Sleep), for stealing a woman's purse on his own time. Clean Willy informs on Pierce, but the authorities are unable to capture him at a rendezvous designed to arrest the wily criminal mastermind. By now the authorities know that these thieves plan to rob the train so they add further security measures to thwart Pierce and Agar. Primarily, the authorities arrange to inspect any crates or boxes stored in the same car that houses the vaults. Agar must be in the car to open the vault so Pierce has him made-up to resemble a corpse and stashes a dead cat beneath him in his casket to simulate the stench of decomposition. Although "The Great Train Robbery" is largely dramatic and straightforward throughout its hour and fifty-one minute running time, the scene with Sutherland climbing out of the casket after he has been confined to it with a dead cat beneath him is hilarious. The second security precaution that the authorities have taken is to have the railway car locked from the outside before the train departs from the station and the lock will only be unlocked when it arrives at its destination. These complications not only forced our protagonists to force Agar to lie on a dead cat, but also Pierce must cross 150 feet of railway cars walking on the roof and then hang down on one side of the railway luggage car to pick the lock. Crichton generates a considerable amount of nail-biting suspense during Pierce's walk across the roofs of the railway cars. In other words, Crichton has made sure that our anti-heroic thieves aren't having a picnic. Of course, "The Great Train Robbery" could only have been made when it was in 1978 because Hollywood had gradually rescind the Production Code that prohibited criminals from enjoying the fruits of their criminal endeavors. Altogether, "The Great Train Robbery" remains one of Sean Connery's better post-James Bond films. The beautiful Lesley-Anne Down is stupendous in her role as the companion to our larcenous protagonist. Well-produced and superbly paced. Not to be missed.

Kieran Green 'The First Great Train Robbery' or as it's known stateside 'The Great Train Robbery' is nothing short of excellent. From the novel written and directed by the late Michael Chricton, i can't emphasis enough why i love this film, it's a treasure! why? The excellent Casting Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland who make an excellent double act, one wonders if Gould and Sutherland were originally approached? Lesley Anne Down who is ravishing as a whore with the inevitable heart of gold. The Score by Jerry Goldsmith is amazing! it is something of which i occasionally listen to whilst travelling by Train!The film features some of the final Cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth which the film is dedicated to. after nearly thirty five years later 'The First Great Train Robbery' remains untouchable it is not dated in the slightest, it's a shame that they don't make em' like they used to.