THEIR GOAL WAS FREEDOM…
During WWII, Allied prisoners-of-war led by former soccer pro John Colby (Michael Caine) agree to play a show match against Germans, but will they use it as a means to escape? Loosely based on a real-life story, this film uses the familiar trappings of countless prison camp movies, but also casts it with loads of actual soccer stars in supporting roles; obviously, they get to shine in the climactic game in Paris. Borrows sentiments from The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), but too often it’s silly and uninvolving.
1981-U.S. 110 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by John Huston. Music: Bill Conti. Cast: Sylvester Stallone (Robert Hatch), Michael Caine (John Colby), Max von Sydow (Karl von Steiner), Pelé, Daniel Massey, Carol Laure.
Trivia: Alternative title: Escape to Victory. The story was previously filmed in Hungary in 1963.
