Victory is unique in that star football players pretty much play themselves in a World War 2 setting, up against the ruthless efficiency of the Nazi football machine. Pele is for me one of the recognizable superstars, and you see others from Western Europe (sans Germany of course) that constitute the Allies.One stomach churning scene was when one of the players allowed his arm to be broken by his fellow teammates, so Sylvester "Rocky" Stallone's character could return to the team. The sound effect for the arm breaking scene is something I'll never forget.If Victory is remade, they've got a whole suite of stars from Europe and Asia to join a stellar cast. As for the German/Nazi team, if the German football players aren't available (for fear of offending their fan base I guess), then they can get the British and American actors who portrayed the Nazis in Valkyrie.

Although it's a well-remembered film – particularly here in the UK – I found watching ESCAPE TO VICTORY to be a hollow experience. It actually turns out to be a hollow, rather soulless viewing experience. Yes, it's a feel-good film about a football match between an international team and the Nazis during WW2, but in truth? The script isn't very good. The prison drama stuff just kinds of happens without the viewer ever getting too involved or emotionally attached to the plot, and none of the characters have a great deal of sympathy, either.Perhaps it's one of those movies where there are so many characters, we don't have time to care about them. So we get Michael Caine as the token movie-star hero, Max Von Sydow as the token sympathetic Nazi, Sly Stallone as the token macho American idol, and a bunch of real footballers like Pele and Bobby Moore doing their bit on the pitch.The football scenes themselves are great. They're portrayed humorously, with maximum drama and skill. The final few minutes of the final match are truly nail-biting, and all this is from a guy who typically hates football. But other than pride, what's the film all about? The prison escape drama strives to be on the same level as the one in THE GREAT ESCAPE, but I never cared about whether the characters made it or not. Well-remembered it might be…but unlike other well-remembered movies, this one's no classic.

To enjoy "Victory" or "Escape to victory" (as it was called in some countries) you should watch it as a lighthearted war comedy. As a serious drama this movie fails . "Victory" is actually based on real story (see the IMDb trivia for this movie) . The authors of this movie originally wanted to make it a serious drama and a sad movie . To be honest I would love to see the serious version of this story . In the end they decided to make the light version . Maybe they felt the 80's were coming ? If this was made in the 70's it would be as serious movie. Every dramatic conflict that appears here is emotionally flat and the whole movie just shouldn't be treated as a serious one.Anyway , I like what we got here . The movie feels like a mix between "Rocky" and "The great escape " . It gives the whole picture a sense of freshness . It's also probably the best movie with/about football/soccer (depends from where you are from) I've seen.The characters here are rather empty . Michael Caine , Sylvester Stallone and Max von Sydow are the only actors who have got something to play for . They made their one dimensional characters enjoyable. Caine is a smart leader , Stallone is a wise guy and von Sydow is a gentleman. Other characters are truly instrumental . The football/soccer fans will be delighted to see many legends as the prisoners , including Pele and Bobby Moore . I'm proud that Poland here is represented by Kazimierz Deyna.Bill Conti gives the movie very fun and uplifting music score . The football match itself feels very natural . It's well photographed, realistic and emotional . It has something that other football movies failed to capture – the beauty of this sport. The last fifteen minutes of the match is indeed done in real life time.There are two really great movie scenes here – one with the radio and the second with von Sydow standing up. Yes , in the end the movie becomes a little kitschy , still it works a sort of fairytale to make you feel better. It has certain charm and is quite well directed by famous director John Huston ("Maltanese falcon").If you're in a mood for some lighthearted entertainment and you like football or Stallone (or both ) this is not a bad way to spend your time. I give it 5/10.

We are introduced to Captain Robert Hatch and Captain John Colby, an American and a British officer stuck in a German prison camp in World War II. Colby was once a famous football (soccer) star back before the war. He holds a mutual admiration for Major Karl von Steiner, a former player, and now a German officer. Steiner sees a possible propaganda victory in a soccer team run by Colby, and challenges him to a friendly match. Colby agrees, while the officers around him try and convince him to escape sometime during the game.It is after Hatch escapes and returns with the knowledge of a way out of the change room during halftime, Colby agrees to get him, and his ragtag team of soccer stars, out. But can they leave victorious as well...My first thought when I heard of Victory was, "Wow, that sounds campy." After I saw it, I though "Wow, that was campy." As soon as you see Michael Caine and Max von Sydow as two former soccer stars, you can pretty much give up all hope for a serious film. Although that doesn't mean Huston doesn't try. Or at least he appears to try. Everyone involved takes it so seriously, it's actually kind of funny. There are points where you just start laughing at the absolute absurdity of the situation.I mean really...a soccer game? The fate of World War Two depends on a soccer game? Well, according to this film it does. And the soccer game is so bad, it's actually entertaining. Don't get me wrong, I am not a huge fan of soccer, but I know that no soccer game can have as many absurd kicks and slow motion goalkeeping while someone yells "Victory!" in the background. The soccer game is so cheesy, that it instantly becomes memorable. That is not to say that the film proceeding it hasn't the same absurd perks.The opening hour is pretty much just a setup for the big game, with Michael Caine doing a lot of running and shouting while Sylvester Stallone breaks out of prison from the shower. I mean, really... And I'm not even going to mention the ending, which is so implausible that even a six year old could have said "That's impossible!" Stallone could be considered to be the main character, I guess (he is billed first). He does an adequate job, but I have trouble believing that the bulky Stallone and the potbellied Caine are starving POW's. Stallone gets the bulk of the film's most dramatic scenes, which isn't a bad decision, but this is an action film.At times it appears that Stallone is having a hard time deciding what his character is all about, while reading his lines in the same tone. He can really dive for a ball in slow motion though... Caine, when contrasted with Stallone seems like he's doing Shakespeare. He gives the best performance of the film (meaning he doesn't suck), while actually giving, gasp!, depth to his performance. Caine has always been a great actor, but he still didn't catch onto the campiness of the film, so he plays it straight. This makes it even cheesier, thus making it more entertaining.There is another actor involved who gives an average performance, Max von Sydow. Von Sydow has always been a great actor, and he may have been the only actor in on the joke. He also portrays the nicest doggone Nazi I've ever seen. He just isn't threatening, but he is entertaining. After Pele gives a slow motion bicycle kick, he stands up and claps with absolute reverence. Oh, and Pele plays for the opposite team than the one he is supposed to cheer for. Just thinking about that moment has me in stitches.Speaking of Pele, most of the cast is made up of famous soccer players. Besides Pele, who is largely considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, the film also features Bobby Moore, Osvaldo Ardiles and so on. They all perform greatly on the field, as they do a lot of kicking, and yelling at Germans. The script is an absolute mess, yet it is such an entertaining mess! It walks the thin line between bad and average skillfully.The cinematography is nothing to write home about, but I must pay tribute to Bill Conti's bombastic score. It is overly patriotic in the best way possible, in someways foreshadowing his terrific score to The Right Stuff. Also bombastic are the sets, particularly the stadium where the pivotal game is played, and contribute to the over the top nature of the film.And that about brings me to Huston's direction. I know that he was nearing the end of his life, but this film is so lifeless, so devoid of direction, that you could have literally changed the directorial credit to anyone else, and I would have believed it. I do not mean to harp on the same point in every one of these reviews, but it is so frustrating that the film is so languid and relaxed direction wise, it gets me every time. Overall, this film is so bad, it is incredibly entertaining. In a campy sort of way, you could call it a success, but as a film it is definitely lacking.Oh, and by the way, at one point Sylvester Stallone speaks french. Just thought I'd leave you with that thought.Victory, 1981, Starring: Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone and Max von Sydow, Directed by John Huston, 6.5/10 (C+)(This is part of an ongoing project to watch and review every John Huston movie. You can read this and other reviews at http://everyjohnhustonmovie.blogspot.ca/)