Eddie the Eagle

I've been officially reviewing movies for long enough now that I've seen movies like this before.

Not necessarily films about ski jumping, mind you, but sports films that are clichéd to the brim.

It's why I think the genre is often very dull and I rarely venture into it unless I'm very interested or I hear good things.

Perfect example, Race released earlier this month. Did anyone remember that? Most likely not and although I didn't see it, prohibiting me from ragging on it too hard, I've heard from most critics that while it tells a good story, it's dull and lifeless.

Now take Creed as the antithesis of that example. Some may still [wrongly] think it's overrated, but Creed was a powerhouse of a boxing film that had spirit, inspiration, and tenacity. It was special and it'll be a film I remember and look back fondly on out of all the sports films I've seen.

Eddie the Eagle initially peaked my interest because of the names attached to it. It comes from the producers of Kingsman: The Secret Service (i.e. Matthew Vaughn), and stars that film's breakout lead, Taron Egerton as well as the extremely likable, Hugh Jackman. From the trailers, it seemed like a fun, inspirational film a la many 90s sports films like Cool Runnings, which even gets briefly name dropped in a way.

Before I started this whole spiel, I mentioned clichés in sports films. Honestly at this point, clichéd sports films is practically it's own cliché in and of itself, but still, Eddie is one of those films. But it's also a film that I enjoyed from start to end and it has a unique spirit all its own that helps it soar just that tad bit higher than other sport-related films.

They had to delay filming to give Taron more time to grow the 'stache!

"So then the X-Men and I attacked from the
high ground..."

For starters, Taron Egerton continues his rise of fame with a subtly brilliant performance here. Eddie Edwards had a lot of quirks and facial ticks and Egerton brings a lot of those to life without overdoing it. It's a dramatic difference from his super-smooth-and-eventually-suave-spy in Kingsman, but he sells it just as well and creates an immediately likable character in Eddie. He shares great chemistry with Jackman, and I imagine the two hit it off in real life, especially if Jackman is suggesting that he be the new Wolverine at some point. Jackman himself plays the role well even if it is a walk in the park for him at this point. Despite that, he's a welcome feature of the film and their relationship is one that's amusing to watch blossom among all the skiing.
The skiing itself is interesting, and much like the bobsledding of the aforementioned spiritual successor, its uniqueness really plays well to audiences that are more than likely unfamiliar with the sport. I should say ski jumping rather as the majority of the film is of this man's dream to compete in the Olympics and he finds his way to do that through one of the most dangerous avenues possible. Without doing the research (too lazy right now), I found the film may have potentially stretched its "Based on a True Story" tag pretty far as some of it is really hard to believe, particularly the timeline of Eddie's progress. A minor gripe I suppose, but it did pull me out of the film a few times when I'd ask, "Really? He's already doing that?". Despite that however, the ski sequences are incredibly thrilling to watch and well filmed, except for a few near the beginning that have some laughable green-screen effects.

One Wolverine to the next? Perhaps,

Another aspect I'd really love to point out about Eddie the Eagle is the original score and soundtrack. The soundtrack is decent when its used sparingly, but the original score, made mostly from 80s synthesizers, is stellar and probably my favorite of the year so far. Much like the film it accompanies, it's got it's own style but is equally uplifting and fun. It may not be one of those original scores I always reference that brings a film up several notches, but it was a strength enough that I wanted to call special attention to it. In a sports film, it's unnecessary to have this, but I found it very welcomed.

This weekend saw three new major releases. I will most likely limit myself to just one film this weekend as I foresee March being a busy theater month and I'm a bit busy this weekend outside of the theater [Gasp! I have a life outside of the theater?!?]. Personal calendar details aside, I'm very glad I chose Eddie the Eagle and I believe that I chose wisely, most likely seeing the best film I could have other than a repeat viewing of Deadpool. Eddie is an uplifting, highly enjoyable film, that features some great main leads, a few laughs, and a sport you're likely not knowledgeable about.

It's feel good, and good fun.

CONS:

• Cliched, as almost all sports films are these days
• Seemed to stretch the possibility of its truth, at least when it comes to the timeline of Eddie's progression of skills
• A couple scenes with horrendous green screen effects

PROS:

• Features a unique sport that is interesting
• Eddie is a likable, funny, and unique character. Egerton does fantastic again with a performance that will most likely go underrated in coming months. The dude can lead a film
• Jackman may be able to do this in his sleep, but he brings great chemistry with Egerton and is a fun character too
• Exciting ski jump sequences
• Good soundtrack and great original score
• I appreciated the deeper sentiment and meaning the film tried to convey. Every sports film has a lesson and for a film about a kid that simply just wanted to "make it" to the Olympics, this is a solid one learned
• A very enjoyable time at the theaters

Rath's Review Score: 7.5/10