Director John Sturges, without the constriction of a truncated running time, is allowed the opportunity to set up the characters and gives the viewer the chance to get to know each one of them. In doing that, the viewer comes to care about these people and desperately wants them to succeed – and when several of them inevitably die, their loss is certainly felt. But those action sequences would mean nothing without some stellar acting, and the film certainly has that going for it. The Great Escape is one of those rare movies that warrants a recommendation despite being tremendously overlong. It’s a solid little adventure, and there’s just not enough of those around. — Reel Film Reviews

It’s really long but well worth the time. — Ripley