Escape to Athena (1979)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

George P. Cosmatos

Writers:

Edward Anhalt (screenplay)
George P. Cosmatos (story)

Release Date:

6 June 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | War

Tagline:

The patriot, the professor, the comic and the stripper, were fighting for what they believed in. Getting rich!

Plot:

During the World War II, the prisoners of a German camp in a greek island are trying to escape. They don't want only their freedom...

Plot Keywords:

Treasure | Monastery | Island | Mountain | Escape

Cast

Roger Moore	...	Major Otto Hecht
Telly Savalas	...	Zeno
David Niven	...	Professor Blake
Claudia Cardinale	...	Eleana
Stefanie Powers	...	Dottie Del Mar
Richard Roundtree	...	Nat Judson
Sonny Bono	...	Bruno Rotelli
Elliott Gould	...	Charlie
Anthony Valentine	...	SS Major Volkmann
Siegfried Rauch	...	Braun
Michael Sheard	...	Sergeant Mann
Richard Wren	...	Reistoffer
Philip Locke	...	Vogel
Steve Ubels	...	Lantz
Paul Picerni

Runtime:

125 min | Sweden:119 min | Argentina:120 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Norway:16 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Greece

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Trivia:

Philip Locke was dubbed by Michael Sheard.

Goofs:

Factual errors: High-voltage wires cannot touch the ground.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Stalag 17 (1953)

Soundtrack:

Keep Tomorrow For Me

Come on guys; it was pretty enjoyable!!

This film came free with today's paper, so perhaps I'm in an indulgent frame of mind. However, much as I admire the wit shown by IMDb members in panning this film, I have to disagree with them. Escape to Athena is a very enjoyable romp indeed, with all sorts of excellent stylistic touches, some really gratifying explosions, humour that is a trifle dated but not so bad if you lean back and accept it, and an interesting plot. I don't know why people require a movie to go all the way in one direction, ie be edge-of-the-seat suspense, or cataclysmic tragedy, or roll-in-the-aisles hilarious, or weepie romantic etc. etc. Why can't it be a bit of everything? I think we're far too used to the extremes that have become fashionable of late. Forget Daniel Day-Lewis bursting a vein, if just for one evening. You'll feel better for it. However, Telly really can't dance. That I must agree with.