ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

L P The Mckenzie Break' ('TMB' 1970)--a somewhat overlooked film in the WWII POW genre--is a dynamic & well paced production that has been digitally transferred (DVD; currently lacks Blu-ray/HD, as of 12/13) in remarkably good condition. 'TMB' is recommended for only the die-hard fans of the POW genre & perhaps the curious WWII genre viewer. Another alternative film in the mold of 'TMB', as well as, 'Stalag 17' (1963), 'The Great Escape'(1963), 'Hart's War' (2002), 'Empire of the Sun' (1987), 'The Hill' (1965), 'Blood Oath' (or 'Prisoners of the Sun', 1990), 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' (1957), 'King Rat' (1965), & 'Victory' (1981), is 'The Good War' (2004) with Roy Scheider & Luca Zingaretti, and written & directed by Giorgio Serafini, pales slightly in comparison, but offers another view of an Axis POW camp in the US (Texas). For similar themes also consider: 'The Colditz Story' (1955); 'Escape to Athena' (1979); 'So weit die Fusse tragen' (TV 1959); 'Paradise Road' (1997). Also consider: 'What Did You Do During the War Daddy' (1966); 'Empire of the Sun' (1987); 'Ivan, Marie og verdenshistorien' (1992); 'Victory' (1981); 'Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence' (1983); 'POW' (TV, 2003); 'As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me' (2003); 'The Secret of Blood Island' (1964); 'The Great Raid' (2005); 'Von Ryan's Express' (1965); & 'Andersonville' (1996).

safeupherewithyou I have watched this film a few ti mes and think it is quite good, but the one thing that stands out to me (a female ) is the scene where Connor and the 'postmistress' are reading the letters and begin to think they may be a code. WHY ARE THEY IN BED?I know it's not very explicit, and I'm not a raving feminist, but why was that scene shot that way? Was it because in the 1970s everything had to have sex in it?Connor was not particularly physically attractive, was a lot older than the girl and there had been no previous (or subsequent) hint of a 'thing' between them, so why? It adds nothing to the plot yet tends to imply that all women in the forces were kind of official prostitutes.Only a small point about a pretty pointless detail but it niggles.

ianvanarkadie An interesting war film that differs from others in a number of ways. Firstly,the plot concerns German prisoners of war held in a POW camp in Scotland planning an escape. While many films have featured Allied POWs, it's quite rare to find one that focuses on Germans held in captivity (Hardy Kruger as "The one that got away" is another example). Secondly, the Germans actually speak in German as opposed to some studio manufactured pidgin English. This adds a welcome note of authenticity so often missing from big name war movies made around the same time. The cut that I've seen on British TV was certainly subtitled. I note that another reviewer had the misfortune to watch a non-subtitled version - he has my sympathy! Another interesting point is that - in a subplot - the film has a gay German POW being persecuted and subsequently murdered by his own compatriots. Whether this actually happened and how much of the film is based on fact I'm not sure. However, the Nazi persecution of homosexuals is well-documented, but not often seen on the screen. It must have been a fairly bold move for a film made in 1970 to address this. There are some loopholes, but it remains well-acted and intriguing.

Theo Robertson First time I saw it and didn't think much of it now I first saw this in the mid 1970s as a child . I was from the last generation of British children who had a common interest in the second world war . I used to like buying war comics like Battle and Commando and used to love watching all those B & W war movies , but I was disappointed with THE McKENZIE BREAK first time I saw it probably because the plot mainly involved British guards going into a prison compound , getting beaten back by the German prisoners - Repeat every 15 minutes After seeing it again recently I do realise that my memories are somewhat simplistic but that doesn't mean the film has suddenly improved in my eyes . If I have to be brutally honest then I have to say it has diminished further . Since I first saw this movie I have seen many similar movies like BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI , THE GREAT ESCAPE etc films that are either more dramatic or more entertaining than this one , that's probably the problem with TMB it's rather serious in its tone without being compellingly dramatic and the one subplot that I found interesting during its recent broadcast of one of the prisoners being a suspected homosexual by his Nazi peers is rather unexplored There's a couple of other things that stuck out in my mind about this movie and not in a good way . One thing was when a character mentions that a couple of prisoners escaped and made it into the Irish free State . As every schoolboy from my generation knows not one single German prisoner held in allied captivity escaped back to Germany . I know it's not implicitly stated that these two escapees made it back to Germany but it's unlikely they'd be interned in Ireland . Secondly I couldn't help noticing a large German contingent were wearing Wermacht uniforms . Where would they have been captured and why go to all the trouble of keeping them in a Scottish POW camp ? Wouldn't they have been kept in the same region they were captured ? A very average film that will only appeal to people interested in men standing on roofs singing Nazi marching songs