Breakout (1975)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Nick Colton	Charles Bronson
Jay Wagner	Robert Duvall	½
Ann Wagner	Jill Ireland
Harris Wagner	John Huston
Hawk Hawkins	Randy Quaid	½
Myrna	Sheree North	½
Sosa	Jorge Moreno	½

Review

Charles Bronson is a delight as a carefree opportunist pilot who's sent on a mission to rescue framed American Robert Duvall from a Mexican prison. Unlike his Death Wish-persona established a year earlier, Bronson deploys a charming, witty and easy-going characterization - right in the vein of Burt Reynolds. He carries a film that otherwise can be both naïve and inconsiderate, paying little attention to the politics or framework for the situation the Duvall character finds himself in, which is covered only by a pallid John Huston in a thin characterization. The direction, by Tom Gries, is uneven but industrious. Some crucial scenes miss their mark (e.g. the "rape" scene), but Gries shows some nice touches including an effective use of freeze frames. It is a film supported by engaging action, a clever plot and a nice humane touch that one might not have expected in a film like this.