EDDIE THE EAGLE (PG-13)
Released by 20th Century Fox
Reviewed by Adam Mast
Anyone else out there a sucker for a good underdog sports movie? If so, then the charming EDDIE THE EAGLE will be right up your alley. While this crowd pleaser certainly has shades of ROCKY, it’s more akin to 90’s sports films like RUDY and COOL RUNNINGS. In fact, EDDIE THE EAGLE even offers up an affectionate little tip of the hat to that lovable John Candy-headlined Jamaican bobsled flick.
EDDIE THE EAGLE is loosely based on the true story of British Olympian hopeful Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) and his crusade to make the 1988 Olympic ski jumping team. This undeniably passionate dreamer would stop at nothing to reach his near impossible goal even though he was new to ski jumping and hailed from an area that had never produced an athlete in this particular sport. With unwavering spirit in tact and a burning desire to earn the respect of his working class father, Edwards would ultimately team up with alcoholic ex-jumper, Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman), in a determined effort to make the Olympic team.
EDDIE THE EAGLE is unabashedly lighthearted and while it’s certainly inspirational in its own way, it’s more amusing and sweet than all out dramatic. It also manages to playfully mock underdog sports movie tropes even though it is essentially that which it appears to be having fun with. This is all by design, though. Director Dexter Fletcher and Producer Matthew Vaughn are huge fans of this kind of film. In fact, Vaughn (who introduced the world to Egerton by way of last year’s entertaining spy flick, KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE) has never been shy when it comes to professing his undying love for ROCKY III (he recently listed the Stallone sequel as one of his all time favorite films.)
Egerton is the real deal. His turn in this picture couldn’t be any more different from his work as Eggsy in KINGSMAN. Where that role was about streetwise swagger, this one is about charm, perseverance, eccentricities, and tiny nuances. As portrayed here, Edwards is a bit of a nerd-type but Egerton brings a truly endearing quality to this role. We never feel compelled to make fun of this guy. We want to root for him. This is a terrific performance and lends a real sense of contrast to Egerton as an actor. He’s left such an impression in fact, that there have been recent whispers that he’s in contention for the role of Han Solo in the soon-to-shoot STAR WARS spinoff movie. For the record, if a Solo spinoff movie has to be made, Egerton would be a good fit.
As Peary, Jackman has never been better. All the clichés are seemingly in place: Peary is an alcoholic, a burned out has-been hoping to return to his former glory by living vicariously through Edwards. The thing is though, Jackman is so darned likable and so charismatic, that Peary never feels like a cliché. It should also be noted that Jackman is really funny in this picture. During one key moment, in which Peary is training an eager-to-learn Edwards, Jackman unleashes what might be the most effective on screen orgasm since Meg Ryan in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.
As a team Egerton and Jackman bring the goods. Their chemistry is spot on. And as expected, both characters teach one another a thing or two about humility and not giving up.
EDDIE THE EAGLE doesn’t always hit the mark. There are a few scenes in which a handful of CG looking snow jump wipe-outs distract a bit from what otherwise feels like a movie that might have actually been produced in the 80s. Furthermore, EDDIE THE EAGLE might have benefitted a little from a more developed subplot involving Peary and his mentor (played by the always entertaining Christopher Walken.) These are fairly minor quibbles, though.
EDDIE THE EAGLE wears its heart on its sleeve. It’s a lively crowd pleaser. Its main goal is to inspire but it’s also out to make us smile. Better still, EDDIE THE EAGLE enthusiastically suggests that we should always follow our dreams and that winning is hardly the most important thing in life. Sometimes, it’s drive, effort, and our willingness to try that matters most.
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