Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Just what I expected

I'll tell you why so serious

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

In the late 1960s, career criminal John McVicar, is serving a 23 year prison sentence – he'd robbed a bank and fired at Police officers during his getaway (shooting the siren-light from the top of the police-car). Listed as a dangerous criminal who would not hesitate to kill, after attempting a prison-break at HMP Chelmsford, he is transferred from the South of England to the maximum security wing of HMP Durham, in the far North of the country. Housed in the jail are the cream of London's underworld; top ranking gangsters (such as Charlie Richardson, named Ronnie Harrison in the film), bank-robbers and various high-profile criminals – not least to mention several murderers and child-killers, the latter with whom the rest of the convicts are in complete disgust and who are ostracised.In a perpetual state of conflict against the screws and the system, the convicts stage a revolt and take-over the prison wing until their demands for a less-regimented regime is imposed – that is, a more relaxed rule book on the wing as it accommodates prisoners serving life terms. As the dust settles in the aftermath of the riot, and after having served their subsequent punishments for the take-over, the convicts' demands are more or less met and the wing – whilst still under maximum security – is transformed into a place where the cons can weight-train freely and have extended socialisation periods. With only seven convicts on the wing – the others having been transferred to other jails after the riot – and the wing being isolated from the rest of HMP Durham (effectively a prison within a prison), John and fellow convict Wally Probyn plan a daring and meticulous break-out with the assistance of the rest of the inmates.Painstakingly constructing a tunnel, under the noses of the screws, leading below the shower-room, eventually into the basement of an adjacent wing, then out into a yard and finally up onto the prison's roof - John and Wally made history with the UK's most infamous prison-break of all time. Negotiating barbed-wire and prison walls as they run for their lives chased by screws with dogs, Wally is captured but John escapes.With a massive Police man-hunt bearing down on him, John manages to evade his hunters in a nighttime cross-country 'escape sequence' which will have viewers on edge of their seats. Making it back down to London with the help of two associates who drive-up North to collect him, he is reunited with his family and has to adapt to a life on the run as the country's most wanted man. Hidding out in the big city with plans to flee abroad John is in need of money and promptly reverts to his trade of armed-robbery with the old gang.Among many powerful moments, "McVicar" contains one of the finest ever bank robberies committed to celluloid by a British production and arguably one of the coolest opening title-sequences, with accompanying soundtrack by The Who. The film is riddled with four-letter words and aggressive overtones, but it is remarkably nonviolent. The violence, when it comes, is staged maturely and realistically and is always within context. The environment of the film is certainly a tough, macho one, but "McVicar" is a grown-up film which works on many levels – notably the relationship with his wife and child, and the contrast between his friendships with fellow convicts in jail and with his criminal associates on the outside. It's a pity that contemporary British crime dramas no-longer live up to the fine standards of films like this. "McVicar" combines a real story, with genuine high-energy drama, excellent screenplay, strong performances, and it doesn't rely on comedic-caricatures, unnecessary violence or unbelievable sub-plots.

I'm a big fan of prison dramas and for some reason the ones made around this era seem to be the best in terms of quality: they're usually the most down-to-earth and realistic, and often hard-hitting with it. MCVICAR is a film with a lot of baggage attending – not only is it a true story, it stars one of Britain's biggest music stars, Roger Daltrey, in the titular role. Could it live up to expectations? I think so. In essence, this is the British answer to Eastwood's ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ – a story of one man's journey to escape the mundane nature of prison life. Yes, there are the expected clichés and yes, the last act of the film is far less interesting and suspenseful than what's come before, but for the most part MCVICAR is a film that does the business. Director Tom Clegg, later a mainstay of television with the SHARPE movies, does an excellent job and I think this is the highlight of his resume. It's a taut, compelling and funny crime film.Great cast, too: Daltrey is decent as McVicar, playing up the hard-man persona with plenty of guts; Adam Faith is solid as the good-guy prisoner with plans of freedom. I also enjoyed Billy Murray as McVicar's buddy on the outside, the brief cameo from an incredibly haggard-looking Ian Hendry, and Steven Berkoff as another inherently sinister type. Okay, it doesn't really offer anything you haven't seen before, but that doesn't stop MCVICAR from being a highly entertaining movie.

I completely fail to understand the fascination for ruthless violent and predatory professional criminals.Mr McVicar and his friend Mr Probyn were capable of causing serious harm to anyone who was foolish enough to attempt to prevent them stealing.That's what they did,basically - they were thieves,bullies with guns.If you had something they wanted then they'd take it. The rest of us,trying to earn an honest living,well,we're mugs.John and Wally....diamond geezers.Top blokes.Two of the "Chaps" Mr Probyn - "Angel Face" to the Press,had an appalling record of violence starting as a very young man.In some perverse fashion this brought him kudos from his peers until he was convicted of paedophile crimes and he suddenly became not quite the diamond geezer after all,but a nonce. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. No such disapprobation for Mr McVicar who,rather like the IRA,renounced violence.A Social Worker's wet dream,he took a degree and became an expert on aberrant behaviour,prison life,police malfeasance and the criminal justice system in general.Wherever his road to Damascus occurred it certainly wasn't within the period covered by "McVicar". Mr Roger Daltrey and the late Mr Adam Faith play Mr McVicar and Mr Probyn respectively,making them about as frightening as the Teletubbies. They hate coppers,they hate screws,and most of all,they hate nonces,which was just a tad hypocritical from Mr Probyn's point of view you might think. With all this hate going on it's no wonder our two heroes want to get out of prison,also there's not a lot they can nick in there and their life skills might get rusty. There is nothing in "McVicar" that persuades me to take it seriously. The performances aren't bad,they're just completely without a sense of menace.Mr Berkoff and Mr Winston can do menace,Mr Daltrey and Mr Faith can't.They couldn't rule a prison,for heaven's sake they couldn't rule Peter Pan's Playground.Sir Noel Coward as Mr Bridges in "The Italian Job" was more convincing. Without a constant underlying threat of violence from the two leads the whole house of cards collapses. Mr McVicar and Mr Probyn become just another couple of cheery cockney cons,and you can be absolutely certain that wasn't the case. If you yearn for the days when Ron and Reg ran the East End from Fort Vallance and you could leave your front door unlocked and they never hurt nobody wot didn't ask for it you may well enjoy "McVicar". But I think you should take a reality check....just in case.

An excellent movie which features Roger Daltry in the title role. Watch for the wonderful performance by Matthew Scurfield as "Streaky Jeffries'.