Breakout *** (1975, Charles Bronson, Robert Duvall, John Huston, Sheree North, Randy Quaid, Jill Ireland) – Classic Movie Review 7780

Director Tom Gries’s 1975 movie Breakout is a strongly cast, decent action thriller and a good star vehicle for Charles Bronson, who plays Nick Colton, a pilot paid to rescue innocent patsy Jay Wagner (Robert Duvall) from jail in Mexico, where he has been caught in his poppa Harris Wagner (John Huston)’s evil snare.

Bronson’s wife Jill Ireland once again co-stars with him as Duvall’s character’s wife, Ann Wagner, who wants Colton’s help to to get her framed husband out of jail and free him from her father-in-law Huston’s trap.

Gries directs the violent action and his good actors (also Sheree North, Randy Quaid, Paul Mantee and Alejandro Rey) with aplomb, and the screenplay based on the novel by Warren Hickle adds a dash of helpful humour.

Even if the script is perhaps rather basic, it is entirely serviceable, if not much more. But the action and acting grip the attention.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7780

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