Victory

Rating:
Summary: The best version in terms of picture quality most have seen
Review: THe movie itself from plot to actors' performance has already been reviewed throughly by other reviwers, but there is a lack of opinion asto actual quality of picture and sound of the DVD. Amazon's review of picture and sound is pretty much a dead-on assestment of the situation.

Very true that in scenes shot outside there's a very noticable problem with contrasting. It looks like two totally different movies when comparing outside and inside scenes more so than other movies. There's a bit of a problem with dark scenes also. There's hardly any pixelation worth noting. I would love to see what the theatrical release quality looked like since in the other two mediums I've seen it, broadcast TV and video release the quality doesn't look so great. This is DVD is pretty much the best qualityI've seen it. Once you compare Victory to other big budget Warner movies of the time you'll sense they didn't use the best camera at the time.

As for sound I don't really hear the hissing Amazon speaks of. For being Dolby Surrond 2.0 it sounds good since there is no icredible sound to begin with just dialogue. French track also sounds good.

Rating:
Summary: The best version in terms of picture quality most have seen
Review: THe movie itself from plot to actors' performance has already been reviewed throughly by other reviwers, but there is a lack of opinion asto actual quality of picture and sound of the DVD. Amazon.com's review of picture quality is pretty much a dead-on assestment of the situation. Not so much agreement on sound assestment.

Very true that in scenes shot outside there's a very noticable problem with contrasting. It looks like two totally different movies when comparing outside and inside scenes more so than other movies. There's a bit of a problem with dark scenes also. There's hardly any pixelation worth noting. I would love to see what the theatrical release quality looked like since in the other two mediums I've seen it, broadcast TV and video release the quality doesn't look so great. This is DVD is pretty much the best qualityI've seen it. Once you compare Victory to other big budget Warner movies of the time you'll sense they didn't use the best camera at the time.

As for sound I don't really hear the hissing Amazon.com speaks of. For being Dolby Surrond 2.0 it sounds good since there is no icredible sound to begin with just dialogue. French track also sounds good.

Rating:
Summary: Great for Soccer Fans
Review: The story line is a little weak, but for those of us soccer fans who have had to settle for such juvenile fare as "The Big Green," it is nice to even have a movie which involves soccer in a serious setting. One would think that the most popular sport in the world would engender more cinema. Of course, Stallone is a joke as the second string goalkeeper who, of course, saves the day in the final game. But Michael Cain is great as the coach (who blows Stallone off as a horrible player, for most of the movie.) But the most ridiculous scene is when the entire soccer team of prisoners have a sure chance to escape, but insist (led by Pele) on returning to try to beat the German National Team, in the second half, when already down 4-1, with Pele off injured. Fun stuff though, for the true soccer fan -- especially to see a truly biased referee in action! And old Nazi war movies are always a kick!!

Rating:
Summary: Great for Soccer Fans
Review: The story line is a little weak, but for those of us soccer fans who have had to settle for such juvenile fare as "The Big Green," it is nice to even have a movie which involves soccer in a serious setting. One would think that the most popular sport in the world would engender more cinema. Of course, Stallone is a joke as the second string goalkeeper who, of course, saves the day in the final game. But Michael Cain is great as the coach (who blows Stallone off as a horrible player, for most of the movie.) But the most ridiculous scene is when the entire soccer team of prisoners have a sure chance to escape, but insist (led by Pele) on returning to try to beat the German National Team, in the second half, when already down 4-1, with Pele off injured. Fun stuff though, for the true soccer fan -- especially to see a truly biased referee in action! And old Nazi war movies are always a kick!!

Rating:
Summary: More Than One Might Expect, 3.5 stars plus
Review: The Story: A German general (Max Von Sydow) during World War II arranges a propaganda stunt: a soccer game between British POWs and the German national team, with the result prearranged, thanks to a biased referee. The Brits are lead by Michael Caine, and include Pele (then of the NY Cosmos and already recognized as the world's greatest soccer star) and Sylvester Stallone. What the Germans don't know (but do suspect) is that Stallone is carrying a message that needs to get to the French Underground, and the game is the chance for his escape. Stallone is a bad soccer player, but one of the Brits stoically agrees to let his arm be broken (looks and sounds sickeningly real) so that Stallone can replace him.

Two Great Twists: Stallone gets his chance to escape through the locker room but, along with the rest of the team, decides to play on in an effort to beat the Germans despite the biased referee. Then, thanks to the French crowd, they get to escape later.

Movie Magic: There is one scene that is incredibly memorable. Against all the rules set by the Nazis, and at the risk of being mass machine-gunned, the crowd begins singing the French national anthem. La Marseillaise has always been a stirring song, but this might be its best rendition in movie history. People who are too young to grasp the significance of the scene (the risk being taken) might need someone older to guide them.

Overall: A cheaper imitation of "The Great Escape" but not a bad effort. One GREAT scene.

Rating:
Summary: A rarity - a Stallone film that's not terrible.
Review: This film has been villified by most reviews I've read, but I disagree.

Granted, the ending (where they choose to finish the game instead of escape) is ridiculous, but if they did escape, you wouldn't have had a movie.

Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Pele and the former 1981 New York Cosmos football (soccer) team star in a movie about WW2 Allied POWs in a German camp, who are forced to play a football game against a German national team in a stadium in occupied Paris as part of a German propoganda stunt.

Of course, an American movie must have an American hero, so enter Stallone (the only American in the cast), who big-mouths his way onto the team so he can effect his own escape, but ends up organizing an escape for the whole team.

The whole idea is implausible; this never did happen in real life. However, it was certainly original, and the acting by the actual actors (not the real-life soccer players) was fine. Furthermore the whole movie builds up to a very-well filmed football game at the end, choreographed by Pele.

And I LOVED Bill Conti's musical score for this movie.

So - watch it for enjoyment, just not for realism.

As unrealistic war movies go, there have been much, much worse.

Rating:
Summary: 5 stars for the football (soccer) footage, but...
Review: This is a GREAT film for the die hard football (soccer) fan! The assemblage of great international footballers pulled together to support this film is the mainstay of the film. Just playing the game footage over and over is worth the price of the tape.

This film does a passable job as a WWII POW escape film, but it's only a mere shadow of similar films such as "The Great Escape" and "Stalag 17." The acting is somewhat mediocre...there's no way to avoid that with so many non-actors involved. Still, there are extremely poignant scenes and messages in the film. One such scene is when the eastern European players show up at the camp...they are more than half starved to death, as many people from overrun eastern European countries were during WWII.

I like Max Von Sydow as the honorable German ex-football player who arranges the match between the German national team and the team of allied prisoners, but who loses control of the situation once the Nazi propaganda machine takes over.

And, of course, you've got to love Pele's role in the film. He was, at the time, and perhaps for all time, the best known footballer in the world.

The best thing about this movie (for the USA) was the timing of its release (1981). This was the time when many communities were getting caught up in developing and supporting local youth soccer programs. This high profile film gave momentum to that movement.

Even though there are some serious weaknesses in the movie (which technically would lead me to give a similar movie about a 3-star rating), the timing and quality of the football (soccer) is worth 5 stars, for a final rating of 4 stars for me.

Great soccer! And a fun story.

4 stars.

Alan Holyoak

Rating:
Summary: why is it not sold world wide?
Review: This is an absolute blinding film i could just rave on for hours about how good it is but it really isn't worth it all that needs to be said is that it is the best film i've ever seen! i would reccomend it to anyone.My only dissappointment from this movie is that it is not available in the uk, whether it be on DVD or VHS format but thank good for amazon.com where you can buy it!

Rating:
Summary: Football fans will LOVE this movie (starring God himself)
Review: This movie is an absolute TREAT for true football fans. Definitely the best football movie ever made. (I know, not too many good football movies have actually been made.)

I have watched countless football matches of the highest quality (World Cup and other), and still say that the 'football match' that is the climax of the film is riveting.

Watching the slow motion shots of Pele's bicycleta gives me goose pimples EVERY time I watch it!!!!!!!

Warning: if you are NOT a football fan, watch this movie only in the company of football fans!

Rating:
Summary: Stallone and Pele are the greatest.
Review: This movie is the best movie ever made. I am a soccer fan and love Stallone, he is the best actor in the world. Pele saves the day with his bicycle kick for the tie, and then Sly saves the penalty kick. This is the coolest movie of all time.