Eddie the Eagle

I was expecting a few similarities between "Eddie the Eagle" and "Cool Runnings" but not as many as there ended up being. The good news however is that "Eddie the Eagle" is not a carbon copy of that 1993 family comedy. Producer Matthew Vaughn and his fellow filmmakers on this movie were able to take steps to make this film original. "Eddie the Eagle" is funny, touching and inspiring.

This appears to be the only Hollywood film about ski jumping. I also feel a bit of pride that two highlights of the Olympics that took place in Calgary, my current city of residence, became the basis for two feature films. The Jamaican Bobsled team is even mentioned in "Eddie the Eagle". As mentioned, "Cool Runnings" and "Eddie the Eagle" have very similar plotlines. You have the shared plot points of an Olympic committee afraid of embarrassment, a has-been coach and the protagonist who won't give up. There are even more examples but despite all these parallels, originality is still accomplished for "Eddie the Eagle". The obvious differences help separate Eddie Edwards' story from that of the Jamaican Bobsled Team but one characteristic of "Eddie the Eagle" that really stands out is the design and style of the final film. This is one of the best recreations of the 80's decade on film that I have ever seen. This is accomplished through the wonderful set and costume design but also through other aspects. The use of archival footage, music and titles do wonders in setting the film in the late 80's. It is important to note that both "Cool Runnings" and "Eddie the Eagle" follow the traditional sports underdog story pattern and using something cliché can ruin a movie. Some cliché sports movies start out insincerely and then save face by become better as the story goes on but "Eddie the Eagle" immediately starts off on the right foot as we watch this little boy with big dreams. With immediately sympathize and relate to young Eddie. Hugh Jackman's intro by the way really brings to mind Logan for some reason. It is probably the smoking and drinking of his character. One common trait of the story of the underdog athlete is the doubters who become believers by the end of the movie. Just as "Cool Runnings" cast the eventual winners of the gold medal as the antagonists in the film story, "Eddie the Eagle" features Matti "The Flying Finn" Nykanen. He would later win all three possible gold medals in ski jumping at the 1988 Olympics (the third gold he won as part of the large hill team). He tied for the most gold medals won at that Olympics by the way. Matti's change of heart was convincing. Matti creates the perfect simile to illustrate the point that while he and Eddie are vastly different in their skill levels, they have the same heart. In fact, Matti seems to confess that he doesn't have as much heart as Eddie. The climax of the film is well constructed and effectively accomplished the emotional peak that is required for a sports movie. I also love how Bronson and Warren Sharp mend their broken bond at the end of the movie. What is even more touching is how gradual Eddie's father accepts his son's direction in life. That felt sincere. The film is not completely historically accurate. Eddie Edwards tried to qualify in downhill skiing for the 1984 games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. He also trained in Lake Placid, USA as opposed to Germany. Eddie competed in the world ski jumping championships in '87 and his participation in the Calgary games led to the "Eddie 'The Eagle' Rule", which was created by the IOC to prevent under-qualified athletes from competing. Edwards tried to qualify for the Albertville, Lillehammer and Nagano games in the 90's but fell short. Eddie hasn't been forgotten though as he returned to Calgary in 2008 for the 20th anniversary of the games alongside a member of the Jamaican bobsled team. Eddie was also a torchbearer for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Relay. He still holds the distance record for a ski jumper from Great Britain.

Both main actors in this movie have worked for Matthew Vaughn before: Taron Egerton had the lead role in "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and Hugh Jackman had a cameo in "X-men: First Class". The performances of all the actors were believable and the chemistry between Egerton and Jackman was there. I applaud Egerton's work as Edwards because it was far different from his character on "Kingsman". I also really liked seeing Jim Broadbent as a sports commentator. When I first saw the trailer for this movie, my first question was "Why wasn't the movie filmed in Calgary?" The venues still stand at Canada Olympic Park. The answer is that the performance level of ski jumpers these days are a lot better. "Cool Runnings" was made five years after Calgary Olympics but "Eddie the Eagle" was made 25 years after. The ski jumping venue at COP has become too short over time and the athletes standing in for Egerton would have to train to jump shorter than they’re used to. Those who watch "Cool Runnings" will see the actual ski jumping towers that Eddie competed on because both the towers and the bobsled track are at COP, which by the way is right next to the city of Calgary on the foothills as opposed to in the mountains as depicted in "Eddie the Eagle". The special effects in the film are pretty good with the exception of the crash of the second best ski jumper in the world. That shot felt quite unrealistic.

The easiest way to describe this movie to someone completely in the dark is that "Eddie the Eagle" is basically "Cool Runnings" with ski jumping instead of bobsledding and Britain instead of Jamaica. Both true stories occurred at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and that is why I enjoy both movies so much. I am also a fan of the Olympics Games, much like Eddie, and would love to be an Olympian myself. As you can tell, "Eddie the Eagle" was a fun show for me personally and I think it will entertain a lot of people thanks to its design, story and acting. While this film probably won't achieve the success that "Cool Runnings" did, I believe it will entertain most people who go to see it.

4 Stars