Rich of Time described the film as "cool, cinematic grace", while Stanley Kauffmann of The New Republic called it "crystalline cinema". Vincent Canby of The New York Times called it "a first-rate action movie," noting that "Mr. Eastwood fulfills the demands of the role and of the film as probably no other actor could. Is it acting? I don't know, but he's the towering figure in its landscape." Variety called it "one of the finest prison films ever made." Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4, writing, "For almost all of its length, 'Escape from Alcatraz' is a taut and toughly wrought portrait of life in a prison. It is also a masterful piece of storytelling, in which the characters say little and the camera explains the action." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune awarded 3 stars out of 4, calling it "very entertaining and well made. The principal problem is a too-quick ending that catches us by surprise." Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "A delight for cineastes, 'Escape From Alcatraz' could serve as a textbook example in breathtakingly economical, swift and stylish screen storytelling." Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes retrospectively reported that 97% of 29 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Escape from Alcatraz makes brilliant use of the tense claustrophobia of its infamous setting -- as well as its leading man's legendarily flinty resolve." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on nine critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Box office The film grossed $5.3 million in the U.S. during its opening weekend from June 24, 1979, shown on 815 screens. In total, the film grossed an estimated $43 million in the U.S. and Canada based on theatrical rentals of $21.5 million, making it the 15th highest-grossing picture of 1979. Legacy In 2001, the American Film Institute nominated this film for AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills. Quentin Tarantino called it "both fascinating and exhilarating... cinematically speaking, it's Siegel’s most expressive film. " See also Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story Alcatraz Island in popular culture Alcatraz Dining Hall Survival film, about the film genre, with a list of related films The Shawshank Redemption References Notes Bibliography External links 1979 films 1979 action films Action films based on actual events Alcatraz Island in fiction American action