Silly, with its predictable and clichéd moments, but very enjoyable, with a great director on board and the cast giving it their all

Rating: 7/10 (23 January 2011)

I quite enjoyed Escape to Victory. It is not one of John Huston's best, and it is not a perfect movie. It can get silly and implausible, the plot has its predictabilities and there is the odd cliché every now and then. That said, it was very enjoyable. The film looks good, and coming from a non-sports fan the football scenes are great fun to watch. John Huston's direction is memorable, the script was snappy and while the characters have their clichéd moments they are also somewhat credible. The acting is fine too, the cast do give it their all here and it shows. Sylvester Stallone surprised me in a good way and Michael Caine is always good value. All in all, an enjoyable and fun movie even with its problems. 7/10 Bethany Cox