Monday, November 22, 2010

#16- The Great Escape
Suggested by Sweeneyville reader Brian Bingham


Brian was a telemarketer that called me last summer and tried to sign me up for Mini Perfume of the Month club. I signed up, but only on the condition I could have his personal phone number and call him at the most inconvenient times. So right when the first Super Bowl commercials were starting, when they announced Lee as the winner of American Idol and at 12:01am on June 30th, I called him. And he is so polite, he answered and talked to me every single time. Psych! I don't even wear perfume! Yeah, yeah, Brian is my little brother. He is pretty much your quintessential super polite, nice, really funny guy. He got back from his mission last December, and in the past year has already transferred to BYU, gotten married, and signed up to live in Mexico all next summer. He is amazing! This movie is his all-time favorite movie ever. So I thought I would see what the big deal is...



The Great Escape
Overall: 7/10
Deductions: LENGTH, length, and I don't think there was a a girl in this entire movie
Bonus Points: I finally get to know who the heck Steve McQueen is, his khaki pants must have Chuck Norris DNA in them because they are incapable of being destroyed


Here is the story: My dad and Brian both LOVE this movie. They talk about it all the time. My dad even has the official movie poster framed in his office. I just had never ever seen it. So maybe I was oversold, or maybe it's a guy thing, but I just thought this movie was pretty okay. I mean, the story was fascinating- the daring escape from a Nazi prisoner of war camp- how can you go wrong? Plus this was a totally true story. It really is remarkable, I get it. But I kept waiting for the big finish. I kept hearing of a very famous motorcycle chase scene at the end, but unless I fell asleep I just saw a guy taking a ride through the German countryside. I didn't really feel the suspense. Plus, at almost 3 hours, I was just a tad bit disappointed with the ending. I was expecting a really spectacular, "take-that-you-Nazi-cows' type of ending, but it was more like Jerry Seinfeld describing what a thoroughbred horse is thinking after a race. "That's it? We were just here! That was the longest possible way to get where we already were!" Maybe it should be called the The Great Almost Escape? Anyway, I am definitely not saying this movie was horrible or not worth watching. I definitely think it is, but perhaps I was just expecting something else in the end. Don't worry Brian and Dad, I still love you :)

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