Enjoying the success that came along with the Rocky Balboa character, Sylvester Stallone soon appeared in other movies, one of them being the 1981 drama Victory. Set in a Prisoner-of-War camp during World War II, Stallone fought with his feet this time, instead of his hands

As the war raged across Europe, the German High Command came up with a brilliant propaganda stunt. To prove the superiority of the "Master Race," a group of Allied Prisoners would play in an exhibition soccer match against the German National Team.

Instead of propaganda, though, the prisoners, led by Captain John Colby (*Michael Caine*), decide to use the soccer match as a way to escape from camp. Captain Colby recruits a group of willing players, including Corporal Luis Fernandez, who is played by real-life soccer great Pele. As Captain Robert Hatch, Stallone plays a self-centered officer who reluctantly becomes a part of this scheme.

Surprisingly enough, when the Allied players are going up against the Germans, they get caught up in the game, so much so that it threatens their chances to escape the prison camp for good. For them, it comes down to just one crucial question: Escape or Victory?

About as believable as an episode of "Hogan's Heroes," Victory does deserve mention for a couple of specific reasons. Soccer, which is known as football in Europe, doesn't get as much play in the movies as sports like baseball and boxing. Director John Huston includes a lot of great, on-the-field action as the soldiers go toe-to-toe with their well-fed German counterparts.

"Victory" also benefits from the inclusion of Pele, the Brazilian athlete who rightfully earned the title of "King of Football" during the 1970's. It definitely is worth the price of renting this DVD to see Pele perform one of his spectacular "bicycle kicks" during the scenes on the athletic field. Pele's skills with a soccer ball almost seem superhuman at times.

When you have a chance, slip on a soccer training jersey, put a copy of Victory in the DVD player, and enjoy some of the high-kicking action, courtesy of Pele, Caine and Stallone.

Looking for a new adventure? Get into the wild with outdoor movies. Movies with intense nature scenes can invoke that adventurous spirit and inspire us to explore new territory. Ever heard of the movie Cliffhanger with Sylvester Stallone?

In the movie Cliffhanger, Stallone's character does some serious mountain climbing to evade the villains. He uses amazing rock climbing skills to leap from cliff to cliff with ease. I'm not saying you should be leaping cliffs here, but perhaps you could try a little rock climbing. Whether you're normally the adventurous type or not, it could be interesting, as well as fun and exhilarating to learn a new skill such as rock climbing. The best bet for beginners is to take a class. Rock climbing is not a sport that you test out by yourself, and even if you're skilled, you'll still want to go in a group for safety purposes.

Just as in the movie, be sure you have the right gear. One thing that Stallone always has while rock climbing in Cliffhanger are trusty carabiners. Without carabiners, rock climbing would be quite dangerous, especially at the extremely high elevations Stallone faced in the movie. Key locking carabiners will help to secure a hold, making the climb safer. To get a good foothold, you also will want to wear the right footwear. Depending on the terrain, there will be a variety of choices. There are rock climbing shoes, as well as crampons.

Also needed, of course, will be a strong harness. Carabiners attach to these to secure the hold to the rocks. Other tools and accessories include an axe, a helmet, camming devices and gloves. The camming devices, along with the harness and carabiners, will help secure your position during climbing. Stability is very important in rock climbing.

Rock climbing can be quite an interesting to hobby to take on and is also a great way to exercise in a less mundane way than those daily workouts. Just remember to always be safe and follow the instructions of a professional. Also be sure to check with a doctor before starting or stopping any physical activities.