L'évadé

Charles as Nick plays the character of Victor(Vic). Typically the movie doesn't follow the actual story so accurately. If you want the real story, Vic is still alive and well into his 80's. I haven't seen him in a few months but, he truly was the first to break anyone out of prison using a helicopter. Leave me a message on here, i am sure he would enjoy telling you the real story as he seems to get a bit bored now and then sitting in his office for hours on end. Anytime you see a helicopter in a move breaking someone out of prison, well, this is where it all started. Knowing him as well as i do, i am certain he wouldn't mind some conversation on the story, the movie, or anything for that matter.

Charles Bronson gets the rare chance to exercise his comic chops in this relatively lighthearted role (I've never seen him smile and joke so much before). Apart from that, "Breakout" is nothing special, there is very little action, and after all the anticipation the actual ecsape sequence is totally unbelievable. The only other notable part of the movie is the eye-popping (no pun intended) finish to the plane field fight. **1/2 out of 4.

The movie "Breakout" was based on a true story by Joel Kaplan, the man who actually broke out of a Mexican prison, after being framed for murder. He wrote the book, and I dated his sister. It was actually his sister who arranged his escape, not his fictional Hollywood wife. Hollywood greatly exaggerated the true story. Even the Mexican Attorney General admitted this was the greatest escape in Mexican prison history! The New York Times backs my story in about 1972. Jack Sandy

Robert Duvall must have felt like the Count Of Monte Cristo in Breakout. Not sharing in his wealthy grandfather's right-wing business type politics, Duvall is framed for a murder in Mexico while he's in Chile flown back and sentenced to a Mexican prison for 28 years. Only the fact that he's grandfather John Huston's blood saves him from execution. Or more than likely he would have been executed forthwith with all the problems he's causing.

The thought that his own family could be responsible does not even factor into Duvall's wife Jill Ireland trying to free him. For that she goes to commercial pilot Charles Bronsonto get the job done. Bronson's good for a dishonest dollar if you have enough of them. He and assistant Randy Quaid will do what they have to and in Quaid's case it involves one attempt with Quaid in drag.

Bronson proves to have a droll sense of humor in this film. The drag business with Randy Quaid is one example, another is his use of Sheree North who is married to deputy sheriff Roy Jenson and the girl needs some spending loot. Sheree has some of the best scenes in Breakout.

Charles Bronson fans should be very happy with Breakout at how he beats some considerable odds stacked against him.

"Breakout" is a lightweight action film but worth a peek, especially if you're a Charles Bronson fan. It's not one of his best movies but manages to be entertaining, albeit corny, most of the time. If you want to see a great movie with Bronson in it, check out "The Magnificent Seven;" if you want to see a great Charles Bronson movie, watch "The Mechanic."