The Great Train Robbery

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The Great Train Robbery

PG

1978

1h 51m

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

33 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Edward Pierce is a master thief of the Victorian Era who's never found a heist he couldn't pull off. For his next criminal operation, he plans something that has never been done before: to rob a moving train. Working with a master safecracker and a seductive woman, Pierce devises an incredibly complex plan to break into the train's safe and steal the thousands of dollars' worth of gold that are contained within.

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Critics Consensus

Laboriously paced and overly talky, The Great Train Robbery nevertheless pulls off a thrillingly staged finale anchored by winning performances from Donald Sutherland and Sean Connery.

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Ian Nathan

Empire Magazine

Nov 5, 2008

4/5

Crichton is after a giggly quality as if it's being told as a pub yarn, soaked in exaggeration and acute trickery to defeat impossible hurdles, while never far from redoubtable moral lesson.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Jul 30, 2008

Crichton's films drag in dialog bouts, but triumph when action takes over.

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Time Out

Jan 26, 2006

The characters stay largely undeveloped, while -- despite superficially peculiar features -- the robbery is stripped of the ingenious exposition of the novel.

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Philip French

Observer (UK)

Jul 8, 2025

Neither Sean Connery as the criminal mastermind nor Donald Sutherland as his foxy cockney accomplice has the requisite style. A pleasant enough diversion all the same.

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David Parkinson

Radio Times

Mar 4, 2025

3/5

It's a smashing piece of period escapism.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Jun 27, 2024

3.5/5

When The Great Train Robbery works, it really works.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 19, 2026

The Great Train Robbery = a 3.5 star Movie!

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Mark B

@Thelaser555 Jun 14, 2026

Anything with Sean Connery and that wonderful accent he milks to every last syllable is always worth watching while Donald Sutherland never fails either. Thank goodness they were in this one otherwise it would have fallen flat on its face. Worth a watch- but only just.

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Jelisije J

@jjosifovic Apr 27, 2025

Donald Sutherland and Sean Connery decide to rob a train in Victorian London......whats not to love.

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Frans B

@RT48565227 Mar 19, 2025

Masterpiece. Very well directed. Dialogue absolutely necessary in this story and all the actors perform very well to keep it period correct. Feel - good movie indeed and exciting enough

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CodyZamboni Z

@CodyZamboni Nov 17, 2024

Fun, exciting, amusing, clever, Fascinating in the way they get the keys, and outsmart the security measures, The surprising twists and turns and how Connery and company respond to them, Charismatic lead cast, Memorable Jerry Goldsmith score , Geoffrey Unsworth top notch cinematography, and Connery did all his own stunts,

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nick s

@Nick_S Oct 10, 2024

Impressive sets and costumes. Competent acting. The storyline was solid enough but the movie had a few soft spots. One was that we knew the train robbery was going to happen so getting the keys was a foregone conclusion. Given that, the director spent too much time it... about half the movie. The other issue I had was the comical moments, which detracted from taking the movie seriously. The last frames in particular were a bit silly.

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Michael Crichton

Director

Sean Connery

Pierce

Donald Sutherland

Agar

Lesley-Anne Down

Miriam

Alan Webb

Trent

Malcolm Terris

Fowler

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Synopsis

Edward Pierce is a master thief of the Victorian Era who's never found a heist he couldn't pull off. For his next criminal operation, he plans something that has never been done before: to rob a moving train. Working with a master safecracker and a seductive woman, Pierce devises an incredibly complex plan to break into the train's safe and steal the thousands of dollars' worth of gold that are contained within.

Director: Michael Crichton
Producer: John Foreman
Screenwriter: Michael Crichton
Production Co: Starling Films
Rating: PG
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Surround

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