Evasión o victoria

Any football fans out there? If you haven't seen Escape To Victory either at Christmas, when it is usually on at a ridiculous time of the morning, or hired/bought it on DVD then you are really missing out.

There is a fair amount of disbelief suspending that needs to take place before you settle down. But, if you can numb your brain to the idea of Micheal Caine playing professional football or indeed, Sylvester Stallone doing the same in goal, you're in for a treat.

As a football fan, it was a real thrill to see the great Bobby Moore kicking a ball in anger and, against the Germans too (remember what I said about suspending disbelief).

OK, it isn't the greatest film ever made. But it isn't supposed to be. It's a bit of bubblegum that is just supposed to kill a couple of hours. A feat the movie accomplishes handsomely.

I defy any football fan not to cheer when the goals go in or to curse when the Germans do well. Similarly, try and stifle your guffaws when you see Mr Caine trying to look like he knows what he's supposed to be doing. Is it just me or does he become more cockney when he tries to convey excitement in any of his roles?? Probably one of England's more one dimensional acting talents.

If you don't enjoy it, you're missing the point of it. Nobody will ever forget horror of war, it's ingrained. That isn't what this film is about although it does have a stab at giving the viewer a clue about the life of a POW in WWII.

No, the film is about entertainment. And, on that level, it's one of the good ones.

Many people have passed negative comments about this film.If you study it closely, though, you will notice many positive and original scenes.

The football is not exaggerated like many other sporting Movies.

I first saw it when it was released in 1981/82 and thought it was very good. As a War film it is only average, but as a Football spectacle it is very interesting. The fact that the makers used real life footballers, including the great man himself "Pele" is original. We are actually seeing first class football players do their stuff in a controlled Movie enviroment... Heck some of them even try to act!

I think Michael Caine and Sly would have enjoyed making this Movie.

The message from the Movie is that Football is a game which is understood by everyone and will always be played under any circumstances. It is the Universal game and always will be!

If the part where the football match takes place was omitted, "Victory" would be a "5 stars out of 10" film. The reason is that although it features two very good actors (Michael Caine - Max von Sydow), there is not much to stand out: A rather incredulous WW2 plot, an average acting (what could you expect from professional footballers or from Stallone?), and a simply decent direction, produce an average result. Thankfully, there is more than that, as I will explain in more detail later.

"Victory" is about some inmates in a WW2 prison camp, who have a passion for soccer. Captain J. Colby (Caine), a former footballer, is the leading figure in the camp matches that take place. One day, he is spotted by football-fan Major Steiner (Max von Sydow) who proposes him the idea of organizing a match between allied POWs vs. Germans. Colby agrees, as he believes this will be a great morale-booster and a chance for better prison conditions for those involved; however, more senior inmates are skeptical, as they believe this will be a propaganda stunt for the Germans. In the end, they also concur but only after they have convinced the team's goalie Capt. Hatch (Stallone) to arrange the team's escape during the match. The difficulty is that both Colby and his team are more interested in this game than in their freedom, so they are hesitant on what they should finally do...

As I said, the movie is just watchable during its first part. And yet, when we start to watch the Allied - Germans match, things get much better: We watch terrific football from stars such as Pele, Ardiles, and Bobby Moore, with scenes such as Pele's goal being memorable to all sports fans. Of course, if you are not into soccer, then perhaps you won't get that excited (although the spectacle can be exciting for non-fans, too). But if you like the King of Sports, then you will certainly enjoy this film. 7/10.

This is the antithesis to the "chick-flick" and up there with the great "male bonding" cameraderie movies such as "great Escape" and "The Man Who Would Be King", and let's not exclude "The Longest Yard". Best scene by far in the movie is Pele's jaw-dropping upside-down kick, followed by Max Von Sydow's sportsmanlike and awestruck applause, followed by glares of hatred from his German brethren. I can guarantee you that that scene is worth the price of the admission(video rental) alone. As far as the non-soccer star cast goes, Michael Caine more than compensates for Sylvester Stallone, and the rest do a credible job, with highest marks to Von Sydow as a 'good guy' on the other side.

Enjoyable warlike movie with memorable images and outstanding acting by well-known faces . It packs crisp performance , intrigue , stirring scenes , suspense ,soccer game , twists and turns . Set in World War II, a group of inmates (Michael Caine , Daniel Massey ,Tim Pigott-Smith , Maurice Roëves) imprisioned at a German concentration camp , there the Prisoners agree a spectacular escape by planning on using the football game as means of escape from the stadium . This is a decent film about a daring breakout from inescapable Nazi concentration camp , a barbed-wired and strongly controlled camp by using a soccer team playing at Paris stadium , being performed by all star cast and professionally directed by John Huston . It deals with Nazi officers (Max Von Sidow , Arthur Brauss ) who come up with a propaganda event in which an all star Nazi team will play a team composed of Allied Prisoners of War in a Soccer or Football game . Following the hard preparatives of a diverse group formed by rebel officers and soldiers mounting a dangerous getaway from a soccer match . Captain Robert Hatch (Sylvester Stallone comes off best among the familiar gallery of prisoners and Nazi stereotypes) is assigned the difficult mission to be in contact with the French freedom fighters . The most part of the film concerns on the elaborated process of scheming the escape ,it includes : secretly digging an underground tunnel to execute a great effort for the groundbreaking breakout throughout the sewers trying to make their bid to freedom . Later on , a football match is set up so that the players flee . As allied POWs prepare for a soccer game against the German National Team to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris, while the French Resistance (Amidou , Carole Laure) are making plans for help them escape through the sewer tunnels of Paris , of course , they want to finish the game first . Now is the time for heroes.Their goal was freedom...

This exciting story contains soccer sports , thrills, intrigue, tension, excitement galore, entertainment and lots of fun . However , being slightly unsatisfactory both for fans of star-studded prison escape sub-genre and for soccer buffs , the latter hoping to watch the best football scenes . This movie results to be a crossover between The great escape (1963) and The longest year (1974), and even Rocky (1976) , taking parts here and there . Although it holds heavily on the barely plausible notion of a squad of Pow soccer stars escaping from Paris stadium . Suspenseful WWII epic packs exceptional plethora of prestigious actors incarnating the motley group of POWs , giving good acting ,along with a great support cast . Stars Sylvester Stallone whose character , Captain Robert Hatch , remains today as charming in his long iconography . Along with the always great Michael Caine as a British official reluctant to participate in the masquerade . Secondary cast includes notorious actors as Carole Laure , Amidou , Arthur Brauss , Tim Pigott-Smith , Maurice Roëves , Anton Driffing ,Michael Wolf and the incombustible Max Von Sidow . In addition , the footballers carry out some cunningly devised games from Pele and his squad of internationals as half the Ipswich team , plus to Ardiles and Moore. For all of the soccer players who had acting parts in this movie, this picture has been their only ever theatrical film acting role.

Colorful, atmospheric cinematography by Gerry Fisher shot in Budapest, Hungary , Paris, France . Excellent production design and art direction with evocative sets by Dennis Washington . Rousing and lively soundtrack , nowadays a classic score , and being constantly reminded , by Bill Conti . The movie was scored by Bill Conti who had composed the Oscar nominated music score for Sylvester Stallone's Rocky (1976). Victory (1981) is one of around ten collaborations of the pair and one of just a handful of non-Rocky franchise films scored by Conti and starring Stallone with the others being F.I.S.T. (1978), Lock up (1989), and Paradise alley (1978).This Soccer/Concentration camp movie was well directed by the great John Huston at his best , its tense filmmaking makes this crackerjack entertainment , being shot over a period of five weeks. The picture was made in a good time of the 60s , 70s and 80s when Huston resurged as a director of quality films with Fat City, (1972), The man who would be king (1975) and Wise blood (1979). He ended his career on a high note with Under volcano (1984), the afore-mentioned Honor of Prizzi (1985) and Dublineses (1987). Rating : 7/10 . Above average , as the intrigue is entertaining on its own , this is one of John Huston's best films , a model of his kind , definitely a must see if you are aficionado to WWII movies . Huston broke a new ground with this landmark movie , providing classic scenes and agreeable dialogs . Two thumbs up , essential and indispensable watching , a real must see.