Unrealistic to say the least.

Rating: 3/10 (16 June 2004)

Despite its big name cast, to include Michael Caine and Max von Sydow, Victory leaves one feeling flat. Something like what is envisioned here simply could not have happened during WWII because allied soldiers would have never put themselves in the position of even remotely offering the Germans a chance at a propaganda coup. The plot basically revolves around former English soccer player Michael Caine, now a POW, having a chance encounter in a prison camp with German officer von Sydow. The two basically hatch the plan of a soccer game between allied prisoners and the German national team. This is where the plot starts to unravel. Caine makes numerous demands such as excellent food, housing, uniforms, etc. and gets them all...very unlikely! The game it is decided, will be held in Paris. Again wouldn't the Germans be more apt to choose Berlin where they could exert total control over the goings on, rather than risk some fiasco in occupied but still hostile Paris? Of course the ending is no surprise as is typical in war movies of this kind. It's all been seen before, not even Bill Conti's brilliant score, probably the best thing about this movie, can save it.