christopher-underwood Very impressive, compelling and convincing tale based upon the UK robbery that became known as 'the great train robbery'. The prologue consists of one of the best car chases on film - yes Peter Yates another more well known one too! This one through the streets of London's West End and beyond is stunning and even has the street names relayed along the way for the benefit of the cops back at HQ (and for us to aid identification). Great stuff. But all along the way, this is riveting edge of the seat stuff with fine performances helped by excellent dialogue. From start to finish, this does not let up, and the central turn by Stanley Baker is so very good. Nothing about this predictable sounding film is as you might expect and even that boring pre-crime get together with blackboards and paper drawings doesn't take place. Indeed one meet up takes place on a football terrace (Leyton Orient) with a game in progress and there are many and varied scenes to keep this interesting and thrilling throughout.

zardoz-13 This is one of the best crime capers that you'll ever see, and it is based on a real-life event about several resourceful robbers who looted a British Royal Mail train in August 1963. Peter Yates never lets the suspense and the tension to lapse in this crackling good thriller. Steve McQueen took one look at this vintage thriller and knew that he had to have Yates at the helm of his classic cop saga "Bullitt." You won't find a better real-life hold-up movie. Of course, the filmmakers have taken certain liberties despite the fact that a train was robbed. Stanley Baker plays Paul Clifton, the man who masterminded the complex robbery. Yates covers the meticulous planning that went into the actual robbery. You won't forget this timeless thriller.

Steve Skafte If there's a main flaw to "Robbery", it's the obsession with process and style. The characters are simply not a high enough concern here. There's certainly some good performances. William Marlowe, especially, has the perfect face for this sort of film. Peter Yates is a great director, but he displays only hits of the brilliance displays in later films like "Bullitt", "The Friends of Eddie Coyle", or even "The Hot Rock". All three films cover similar material, but this is the only one that is drowned in documentarian detail.There's not a lot more to say. If you're a fan of Yates, this was a important starting point for him. And the opening car chase is certainly thrilling. You just might enjoy this enough on the first watch.

ianlouisiana The curse of the Train Robbers is as effective in its own way as that of King Tut.Most of them did long spells of bird,a disproportionate number of them have died early,at least one of them has been the victim of a gangland killing,many of the others have served heavy sentences since. Not perhaps the life of Riley they envisaged back in 1963......and all because they had too much poppy. Taking about 150 grand apiece(maybe £3million today) made them seriously rich and a target for fellow villains who bled them dry for "protection" and finally grassed them up. They were awash with readies,bags of it were left in locations all over southern England to be found by delighted punters who either handed in to Old Bill or didn't. Faced with all that money,many plans went right out of the window and "Robbery" is the story of a successful crime that went wrong after they'd done the hard bit. Mr Stanley Baker is excellent as the man who keeps his head whilst all others around him are losing theirs and getting nicked.All the same,he is preparing for a lifetime of looking over his shoulder. It is the only movie I have ever seen that even remotely reflects the scintillating danger of the high - speed car chase and the excitement experienced by both the hunters and the hunted.It also makes crystal clear that serious professional criminals have absolutely no qualms about killing or maiming anybody unfortunate enough to be standing between them and freedom,be they coppers or schoolchildren. Robin Hood and his Merry Men these geezers weren't.Although they denied being involved in the robbery,all the main instigators have happily dined out on tales of their derring - do that night in Buckinghamshire 45 years ago ever since.It's worth reflecting that if Mr Jack Mills the engine driver they so brutally attacked had died,they might well have been hanged. But these good south London boys who no doubt loved their old mum all ended up doing a 30 which certainly served to discourage the others as there hasn't been a Mail Train blag since. "Robbery" is a fairly pedestrian semi police procedural enlivened only by the action set - pieces.Only Mr Baker makes much of an impression in the acting stakes,the other main roles are comfortably enough filled but it's coppering and villainy by the numbers for the most part.