简介：Thefilmispackedwithnicestuntsthroughout,butthescreenplaycouldbebetter.AfterescapingtheprisonChibateamsupwithabunchofthugs,whodesignprisonescapesformoney.Unfortunatelytrustandloyaltyareunknownconceptstothesemenwhotaketurnsdeceivingeachother.Theendless“who’s-cheating-who”gamehasbeendonebetterinotherfilms,andsometimesthewritingisdownrightsloppy:whenacarefullyplannedescapeoperationfails,Chibasimplystealsafireengineanddrivesawaywithoutanyonenoticing!ItalsofeelsthatdirectorKosakuYamashita,whomadehisnamewithyakuzafilms,wasabitoutofhiselementhere.However,evenwiththeseweaknessesit’sanentertainingactioncomedywhichcomparesfavourablyagainstsomeofthelater,similarYasakuMatsudafilmslikeExecutionGame(1978)andNoGraveforUs(1979).Thefocusisonstuntsandcomedy. JailBreakers,orTheEscapeGame(literaltranslation)isanotherrarelyseenmoviethathasprobablyneverbeenreleasedoutsideJapan.Ithasn’tbeenpreservedsowellinitsnativecountryeither;noDVDreleaseavailableandeventhefestivalprintwasinsuchashapethatitcouldhavefallenapartanytime.Thecaper-stylemoviestarsChibaastheworstbehavingprisonerofalltime:hehas31prisonescapesunderhisbelt.Hemakeshis32ndruninthefilm’sopeningscenebyperformingaspectacularescapebyclimbingtotheroof,grabbingtoladdersfromahelicopter,hangingfromtheladdersinintheairwhilethehelicoptermakesitswaythroughthecountryside,andchangeshisclothesinthemid-airbeforedroppingtoamovingtruckandmakingtheescapebythenjumpingtoanothermovingvehicle–oneofthemanystuntsonChiba’scareerthathisgreatestfan,JackieChan,laterimprovedupon.…