Customer Reviews

Robbery [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When will this brilliant British crime film be released on dvd? With a
great contemporary jazzy soundtrack and tight, gripping direction and
night-location shooting by Peter Yates, this is one of the best heist
caper films ever made. Intelligent, serious, and well-paced, it also
has one of the best car chases ever filmed (before "Bullitt" and by the
same director). I've loved this movie since I first saw it back in the
late 60's. I have a VHS copy, but this needs to be on dvd, with special
features. A great, cool film and a British 60's classic. DVD please!

Update: I now have a Sampo multi-region dvd player, which will play pal
region 2 format dvd's. Also, recently picked up the UK region 2 pal dvd
version of "Robbery", which was released in 2008. There are no special
features included on the dvd, nor is it in widescreen format (which would
have been great), but I'm just glad to FINALLY have this fantastic movie
in my collection on dvd now. The aspect ratio is 1.33:1 (4.3), and the
picture quality is just fine. I consider this film by the late Peter Yates
to be a masterpiece. In addition, I also have added the fabulous sound-
track (available as a cd import) to my collection; the great Scottish jazz
composer and big band leader Johnny Keating did the score and, for me,
it contributes tremendously to the film's excitement, suspence, and dra-
ma. "Robbery" also was a winner of Best British Original Screenplay by
The Writers Guild of Great Britain. Solid gold and a time capsule from a
long-gone era. They don't make them like this anymore.

I have only seen this movie on SHOWTIME, but it is a masterpiece of filmmaking!!! It is directed by a pre-BULLITT Peter Yates. It concerns the true story of the British Mail train robbery in the 1960's. I just loved the movie and am wondering why it is not shown more and why isn't it out on DVD? Great acting and script. One of the best caper movies ever!!!

PLOT: thieves plot a detailed mail train robbery worth millions and the clever get away. FUN~

1967~ a detailed theft involving giving some gas to diamond guards~ kidnapping them using a stolen ambulance and a heart stopping car chase~ show the clever brains of the gang plotting his latest "caper" but he is now working on his most 'daring' caper~

a mail train after a major holiday caring millions~ recruiting several smaller gangs to pull off the "Robbery" of a life time~ the details are laid out~ from the 'casing' the train~ using stop watches, walky talkies and police radios the train is stopped and millions hauled in vans away but the fun is watching the "gang" hide out in an abandoned air field under the eyes of the police while laying low while they "count" and split the loot.

Joanna Pettet shows up half way through the movie as the wife of the "brains" who wants him to go straight~ not much there for her to do~ clever direction by Peter Yates (BULLET)~ one of the BEST car chased on film~ starts this movie~ with Barry Foster, Stanley Baker and Joanna Pettet. I GIVE IT A 5 OUT OF 5 FOR FUN HEIST MOVIE loosely based in a real 1963 UK train robbery. well worth the watch~

I wish I could agree with the reviewers who praise this film - I just watched it - I have the VHS of it.
On the box it says "A treat for action addicts." - New York News, and "Slams right into action. Crackling electricity." - New York Times, and "'Robbery' sizzles with excitement. Will have action addicts sweating out every scene." Roger Ebert also gave it a good review.
I guess I'm alone in thinking that it's a slow, unexciting - even tedious - film. The dialog and acting are
amateurish, I think. The British style is understatement, but the actors portraying police seem very amateurish when they deliver dialog. Compared to action films today, it seems very slow and old-fashioned. The car chase in the film is good, though. Sorry that I can't agree with the high praise it gets. I do like "Bullitt," though - of course - the film that Peter Yates made, later.