Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video (both):

Audio:

DUB:

• Audio commentary with film historian Paul Talbot, author of Bronson's Loose! The Making of the Death Wish Films and Bronson's Loose Again! On the Set with Charles Bronson
• Filming Breakout (1974): an on-location report made for French television, featuring interviews with Charles Bronson and Emilio Fernández (5:49)
• Super 8 version (17:28)
• Theatrical trailer (1:32)
• TV spots + Radio spot (3:01)
• Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Paul Talbot, an overview of contemporary critical responses, historic articles, and film credits
UK premiere on Blu-ray
Limited Edition of 3,000 copies

Bitrate:

Description: Harris Wagner (Huston) frames Jay Wagner (Duvall). In order to keep him silent, Jay is incarcerated in a Mexican prison. Jay's wife Ann (Jill Ireland) is unhappy at this turn of events and hires a Texas bush pilot in Brownsville, Texas, Nick Colton (Bronson) and his partner Hawk (Quaid), to fly into the prison and rescue her husband. The first attempts don't work, so Colton quickly learns how to pilot a helicopter. While Hawk and accomplice Myrna (North) feign a rape to distract the prison guards, Colton pilots a helicopter into the prison complex, Wagner boards the helicopter, and they escape. The group (Colton, Hawk, Myrna, Wagner) return to Texas in a four-passenger light aircraft. Alerted to the escape, Harris Wagner orders his agent Cable (Mantee) to Texas to intercept the group. Cable, driving a Citroën SM with Washington, D.C. license plates, locates Ann Wagner and follows her Chevrolet Impala convertible, knowing she will lead him to Jay Wagner. Cable uses false identification to lure Jay Wagner away from the group when they land. Cable nearly succeeds in kidnapping Wagner, but Colton becomes suspicious and pursues them. The film ends with a runway incursion as Cable and Colton fight among departing airplanes at Brownsville Airport.

 

This Charles Bronson vehicle isn't one of the star's more demanding roles, but it's fairly entertaining nonetheless. Breakout is basically a B-movie with A-movie resources: the plot is old fashioned adventure stuff tarted up with a nice budget and some name acting talent like Robert Duvall and John Huston. The script is a bit wobbly -- the finale leaves some loose ends dangling and the film's caricatured treatment of its Mexican villains isn't likely to endear itself to the politically correct -- but it makes up for these flaws with plenty of action and some amusing characters. Bronson gives an energetic, surprisingly comedic performance as the film's hard luck hero and Randy Quaid and Sheree North add a welcome touch of color as his low-rent partners in crime. Duvall and Huston are rather wasted in their limited roles, but their presence lends some added class to the proceedings. Capping it all off is sturdy direction from Tom Gries -- he manages to gloss over the story's simplistic nature by attacking it with vigor and style, especially during the taut prison-break finale. His efforts are furthered nicely by rich, widescreen photography from Lucien Ballard and a rousing, Spanish-tinged score by Jerry Goldsmith. All in all, Breakout probably won't win Charles Bronson any new fans, but his existing fanbase will find it to be a fun if modest diversion.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Audio :

Only a theatrical trailer and a gallery of images that include posters and the pressbook.

Indicator offer a few supplements including a valuable commentary from film historian Paul Talbot, author of Bronson's Loose! The Making of the Death Wish Films and Bronson's Loose Again! On the Set with Charles Bronson. He's certainly the go-to guy when it comes to Bronson and he fills the commentary with plenty of interesting details. There is also Filming Breakout (1974): a 6-minute on-location report made for French television, featuring interviews with Charles Bronson and Emilio Fernández. We get the rather superfluous Super 8 version in poor shape running over 17-minutes, plus a theatrical trailer, TV + Radio spot and an image gallery of on-set and promotional photography. In the package has a limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Paul Talbot, an overview of contemporary critical responses, historic articles, and film credits.       

Koch Media (DE) - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Indicator (UK) - Region FREE - Blu-ray

BOTTOM LINE:
Breakout isn't so bad and has great support with Duvall, Huston, Randy Quaid, sexy Sheree North, Alejandro Rey etc. Jill Ireland looks her loveliest, and Bronson is Bronson.  The film suffers from a script that tries to complicate instead of remaining simple - but the technical side of the production is solid. The stars fanbase will know what to expect - and they get it. He carries the film with his, even tamped-down, machismo. The Koch Blu-ray has an impressive video and lossless audio with a supportive score from the Goldsmith. Certainly enough positives for Bronson's base to indulge. Completists of his work - require this one, too.

A very Bronson-esque thriller and who doesn't like a prison-break? I had fun revisiting Breakout and there is something appealing to the milieu. Indicator have given us the definitive Blu-ray - in a/v and extras. The commentary is a solid touch that the star's fans will appreciate. Recommended!  

Re-released, without the booklet, in December 2020: or buy directory from Indicator: Released by Kino, in the US, on Blu-ray in April 2022: