Viewed in
2010
Premise
A group of Allies P.O.W.s in a Nazi camp form a futbol team to play against the German national team for pride.
Loved
Pele footage.
Liked
Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, and the film's goofy charm.
Thoughts
A fun film to watch.
The cast was quite likable and eclectic. For the leads, they were a young Michael Caine (suave Brit) butting heads with Sylvester Stallone (smart-ass Yankee). Legend Max von Sydow had a small role as a benevolent general. Lastly, there was the greatest footballer of all time, Pele. Yes, that Pele.
Basically, Stallone played macho, Caine played cool, and Pele ran circles around everyone on the field, I mean, pitch. One of my favorite moments when there was a misunderstanding between Stallone and Caine on how to "tackle" in the game of soccer. I also loved Pele's bicycle kick. Obviously I never got to see him play, except for grainy YouTube clips, so his scenes were actually like historical footage.
The story was predictable, with some implausible/unintentionally funny/boring moments. Surprisingly, the futbol scenes were actually pretty accurate and based on realism. Since the movie clearly was not trying to be more than what it was, these silly flaws added to the charm.
I enjoyed this well-executed underdog story, as I cheered for the motley crew of Allies characters in their eternal struggle against cinema's most popular bad guys, the Nazis.
What I would change
Had more Pele futbol scenes.
Personal
Yes, I timed this review to kick off the 2010 World Cup. USA! USA! USA!
