Product Details

• Actors: Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone, Pelé, Bobby Moore, Osvaldo Ardiles
• Directors: John Huston
• Writers: Djordje Milicevic, Evan Jones, Jeff Maguire, Yabo Yablonsky
• Producers: Andrew G. Vajna, Annie Fargue, Freddie Fields
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: February 24, 1998
• Run Time: 116 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304779666
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,261 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Victory" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Fans of The Great Escape and The Longest Yard will cheer venerable director John Huston's rousing 1981 adventure that pits Allied prisoners of war against their German captors in a soccer match. Michael Caine, who starred in Huston's The Man Who Would Be King, heads an international all-star cast as true-Brit John Colby, a former soccer champion, who heads the rag-tag squad. Max Von Sydow costars as the humane German officer who proposes the match, improbably staged for maximum propaganda impact in a stadium in Paris. As the Allied team, which includes real-life soccer legends Pele and Bobby Moore, practices, the officers' only goal is an audacious half-time escape. Sylvester Stallone is somewhat out of his league as the American determined to join the team. As an actor, Pele may not be on the same playing field as his Oscar-winning costars, but he is thrilling to watch as he executes some awesome, game-winning kicks. --Donald Liebenson

Product Description

In World War II, a group of Nazi officers 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 (Football) game. The Prisoners agree, planning on using the game as a means of escape from the camp.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Greatest Soccer Film Ever, October 18, 2000

By 

Hamster Army - See all my reviews

This review is from: Victory (DVD)

Despite the obvious knocks on some of the acting, which really isn't bad, and the Hollywood style presentation style of the film, "Victory" is most certainly the greatest soccer film ever, and a real classic.

An inspirational movie set in the late WWII era inside a POW camp, Max Von Sidow, a high-ranking Nazi commandeer, agrees to arrange a "football" match between the POW's and the German national team. This is a propaganda stunt, something which really isn't all that unrealistic considering the Nazi philosophy at the time.

Sylvester Stallone is the star of the film, as the tough American who has an escape plan, but needs to be on the soccer team in order to carry it out. That is arranged through a classic scene in which the real goalkeeper's arm is broken purposely over two bed boards by Michael Cain, a co-star in the film. Cain, of course a Brit POW, is also in on the plan, along with the rest of the team.

A story of human courage and triumph, the inspirational play of the POW football team and the once inconceivable possibility that they can actually win the match against the Nazi's, proves irresistable for the POW's.

The contacts Stallone makes in his brief escape from the camp previously, sets up a half time breakout through the POW team's locker room. Of course when they arrive through the shattered floor of a huge tub via the underground sewer system, Stallone is the first to bail. But would the rest of the team? Will Stallone return to help defeat the Nazi's in a politically charged football match for the ages? You'll have to watch it to find out.

Ultimately this is a great film, the soundtrack is absolutely perfect, the actors and non-actors alike are all very entertaining and the uniquely inspiring storyline makes it an American classic.

Even if you are not a fan of football, this movie can be watched and enjoyed by people of any age. An underappreciated film, undeservingly so, but one that should be on every good American's list!

I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys sheer entertainment as well as some great, memorable actors along with what could be the only up-close look at the great Pele. For a $13 DVD price, it is your duty to own this one.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Spectacular, March 17, 2003

By 

el statico - See all my reviews

This review is from: Victory (DVD)

I didn't know about this movie, but I bought it based on the Amazon customers' positive reviews. This movie will NOT disappoint.

As you get closer and closer to the climax - a soccer match between a ragged bunch of POWs and an elite German national team - you already sense it's going to be something spectacular.

And then the match...the POWs down by 4 goals in front a now quiet and dejected crowd...it is at this point the movie truly lives up to its tagline..."now is the time for heroes"

Get ready for an emotional and stunning fight back.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hatch! This game means a lot to us...you know that!, March 30, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Victory (DVD)

Even though the story is totally unrealistic, it really is one of my guilty pleasures in my DVD collection. I have to agree with many of the good points that have already been said (good soccer footage, great music score, etc). The one item that people get wrong is that Stallone's character is NOT and American, but rather a Canadian soldier, who during WWII would've fought alongside British troops.
It was a good idea also to let the actors carry the story (albeit, a little clunky at times) and limit the lines of the "real" players used in the film. This film should be in every serious soccer players dvd collection!