5 Essential Team-Up Movies To See Before The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Steve McQueen might be the frontman for John Sturges’ other team-up title, but while he’s playing catch in the cooler, the supporting cast is giving it their all in what’s ranked as one of the best prison movies of all time. Based on the true story of a mass escape from Stalag Luft III during WWII, «The Great Escape» reunites McQueen with Charles Bronson and James Coburn, this time as POWs who play their part in the construction of underground tunnels dubbed Tom, Dick, and Harry. In fact, throw a pile of carefully smuggled dirt in any direction, and you’re guaranteed to hit incredible talent at the time, including James Garner, Donald Pleasance, Richard Attenborough, and David McCallum, who all break out in a film now riddled with iconic moments.

Carrying a charm that hasn’t faded since its debut in 1963, «The Great Escape» will always have audiences urging either that «good luck» goes ignored, that a bus doesn’t stop for a cigarette break, or that after all those hills, Steve McQueen can still make that one last jump. It also has what might be one of the most memorable scores in movie history, which, like its core cast, digs in deep and takes forever to break free from your ears. As daring ensemble entries go, «The Great Escape» is essential.