Search - Von Ryan's Express [Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1965 DVD Release: 05/15/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 52 mins Studio: 20th Century Fox Members Wishing: 8 Genres: Action, War, Escape Film, War Adventure See Also: Von Ryan's Express [Widescreen], Von Ryan's Express

Von Ryan's Express is a fast-paced, well-acted World War II drama, featuring a squadron of Allied soldiers trying to escape a prison camp in Italy. While most of the prisoners at the camp are British, a determined, resourceful American Air Force colonel (Frank Sinatra) takes charge and leads the escape, which requires that the prisoners wrest control of a German train and propel it through Italy to Switzerland. The subsequent ride, featuring good special effects and outstanding stunt work, is great fun and very suspenseful. Frank Sinatra makes an effective action hero aided by veteran actor Trevor Howard as a British officer. The CinemaScope photography is outstanding and director Mark Robson directs the exciting action sequences with skill. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

Frank Sinatra - Colonel Joseph Ryan
Trevor Howard - Maj. Eric Fincham
Raffaella Carrà - Gabriella
James Brolin - Pvt. Ames
Brad Dexter - Sergeant Bostick
Sergio Fantoni - Captain Oriani
Edward Mulhare - Constanzo

This brash, exciting World War II action film starring Frank Sinatra is given the honorable DVD treatment from the folks at 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Since there are virtually no extras on the disc other than Von Ryan's original theatrical trailer, along with some other Fox titles like The Guns of Navarone (1961), Patton (1970), and The Thin Red Line (1998), the strength of the disc must rest solely on its picture and sound. Thankfully, both are very good indeed. Shown in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and anamorphically enhanced for widescreen TVs, the framing looks strong throughout and really opens up the film. Much of the action, especially during the final third of the film, takes place in the rural Italian countryside or in the Alps, so the widescreen compositions lose much of their power without the letterboxed image. The transfer is pretty consistent -- colors and blacks are always balanced -- though there are occasional moments of digital artifacts in the train's smoke during some of the nighttime scenes. Other than that, the transfer is fine. Fox has also given the film a two-channel stereo boost, though the original English mono track is also available, as well as a French mono option. The film's Oscar-nominated sound effects gain a lot of power with the remastered stereo track, and the film's many explosions, aerial combat scenes, and general sounds of mayhem are fully exploited for a two-channel track. The disc has also been given a generous 30 chapters, which is always a plus for this format. ~ Derek Hill, All Movie Guide