Solemplex
To me, this movie is perfection.
TaryBiggBall
It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
Mathilde the Guild
Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Leofwine_draca
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.
adonis98-743-186503
As allied POWs prepare for a soccer game against the German National Team to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris, the French Resistance and British officers are making plans for the team's escape. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Max Von Sydow, Michael Caine and Pele Victory is a 1981 sports and war comedy. If you except fight scenes, one liners and Americans shooting Germans you will definitely be disappointed but if you love Stallone movies like i do and football you will definitely love this but even if you don't football this movie is enjoyable and the acting is pretty well done especially with the names that i already talked to you about. It's not one of Stallone's best but still a pretty good movie.
FilmBuff1994
Escape to Victory is a great movie with a very well developed storyline and a stellar cast. It's a very enjoyable film that takes place shortly after World War II as we see a group of POW inmates prepare for a football game that could win them their freedom, it's a very inspired and original sports film. One thing I didn't like about this movie is that it was way too light hearted, for a film in which Nazi's and war are a primary subject, we never really get a clear sense of the real danger and tough times that these characters are struggling with, there aren't enough tense moments to convey this. The cast is terrific, Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone shine in the lead roles, their styles of acting are very different, but it worked out perfectly and they made a great pair. Exciting and well acted, I would recommend Escape to Victory to anyone looking for a good drama or sports film. POWS in Germany compete in a football game against the Nazis that soon becomes a propaganda exercise. Best Performance: Michael Caine Worst Performance: Laurie Sivell
garyvanhorn
Victory is one of those movies that you see sort of half-assed as a child but for some reason parts of it stick in your brain and you recall them vividly even a few decades later. I always remembered a move starring Michael Cain and Sylvester Stallone that had something to do with WW II and soccer, but I could never remember the name of it. Fortunately I stumbled across it in the "favorites" section at Family Video and I snatched it up, eager to see the film I had long recalled but never truly remembered. I was not disappointed. The movie felt like a classic war movie, A Bridge Too Far, The Great Escape, and Patton all came to mind. It had the classic cinema feel to it that seemed to bring it to life, and I am convinced that Sylvester Stallone could have been a serious actor had he stuck with films like Victory, rather than the action garbage like Cobra, and Rambo: First Blood Part 2.The Movie centers around a friendly game of soccer between the local German team and the allied prisoners of war. The planned game catches the attention of German propaganda officers and takes on a life of its own. Instead of a friendly local scrimmage, the game becomes an international showcase of the mighty German national team against the best allied prisoners of war in all of occupied Europe. I won't give away the ending, but I can say that it is not the typical Hollywood ending, it's more clever than that. I heartily recommend this movie to all fans of cinema.
