Steineded How sad is this?

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

l_rawjalaurence The Colditz story has continued to exert a fascination over film and television audiences ever since the end of World War II. Guy Hamilton's 1955 film THE COLDITZ STORY had John Mills as Captain P. R. Reid planning an escape from the fortified jail and successfully doing so despite the attentions of over zealous German prison guards. In 1972 I remember the BBC series COLDITZ with a stellar cast including Robert Wagner, Edward Hardwicke, Jack Hedley and the late Anthony Valentine turning in a memorable performance as the sadistic Major Mohn, one of the German prison officers.Sadly Stuart Orme's 2005 miniseries does not even come close to the standards set by the previous adaptations of the tale. The tale oscillates from Colditz to London, and involves a tangled romance between Nicholas McBride (Damian Lewis with an incomprehensible Scottish accent) and Lizzie Carter (Sophia Myles). There are the usual regimental stereotypes (Tom Hardy, Laurence Fox), plus a benevolent senior officer based in London (James Fox). There is also a boffin improbably portrayed as an homosexual by Timothy West.Peter Morgan and Richard Cottan's screenplay plods on to an inevitable conclusion, with most sequences taking place in darkened rooms either in the prison or in the offices of a branch of the Secret Service in London. The German officers are predictably sadistic ('ALLO 'ALLO has a lot to answer for in this context) while the United Nations of prisoners in the camp find it difficult to co- exist. The drama is engaging enough, but one wonders why anyone actually bothered to remake the story in the first place.

biscuitcharley As an avid follower of all things Colditz, I have to admit I shall boycott this number until the end of time. Fine, drop a love story in front of the war, it's been done over and over again, and it works. It is greatly romantic, with all the heart wrenching death and lovers being ripped apart by the German army... I'm making myself sick thinking about it! I am sad that Colditz has been brought into it. I watched a trailer, and heard I think one English accent. It is an abomination of history. Drugs? In Colditz? The Germans letting someone go? It is a stack of poop so high, we are all in peril of being covered if it topples. It may have been filmed in the Czech and England, but it is an American production, and yet again, they have demonstrated their ability to rewrite history to fulfill their own greedy, empty past. Thanks again Hollywood, for making me sick to my stomach and aching for you not to destroy history, again! Don't even get me started on U-571!!

cymonerry I nearly didn't see this because of the critical slating.I'm glad I did. It certainly isn't historical fact, but neither is Robin Hood or King Arthur etc.This is a love story based on the 'legend' of Colditz Castle the notorious POW from WWII.If Mr Tarantino can get away with that nonsense of 'inglorious Basterds' I think a little artistic license can be granted here. At least they aren't misspelling the title and they made it in 2005 before you could get away with totally rewriting history. This is a movie whereas that was a cartoon.Colditz did exist so did MI9 and other parts of the story are founded in fact, but this is a romantic drama FICTION! Get over it you anal historians.It is well acted and has a reasonable plot, provided you believe that men will lie for sex. There I said it, people lie. It or 'shit' happens.I enjoyed this movie as a movie not a historical document. Watch it before you criticize. I am glad that its not true.

nomoons11 This was just sad. I mean I expected a prison escape flick and I get a soap opera that's beyond ridiculous. To come up with a scenario where a Scot who never wanted to be in the war to begin with, escapes, then comes home and becomes a member of MI9, proceeds to steal one of his fellow escapees girl then weaves his way through a nefarious plan to silence anyone who knows about it. I'm pretty sure that there's no girl on earth worth this kind of duplicity. This plot deserved a Soap Opera run. It didn't deserve anything from the BBC.I will say Damian Lewis shines though. He's good in anything he does. Very versatile actor. Laurence Fox does fairly well also but this plot was just not even remotely believable. Damn shame it didn't get a batter writer for it.