Eddie the Eagle

Starring: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken, Jo Hartley
Directed by: Dexter Fletcher
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An inexperienced ski jumper (Taron Egerton) attempts to make it to the Olympics.

Review:

Tim: This is one of those movies that I had to force myself to watch. I don't know, I wasn't really excited about it. It sat in my house for weeks and weeks before I finally succumbed to putting it in. It just looked stupid. As you might expect, Eddie the Eagle is yet another example of why you shouldn't judge a DVD by its cover. This is an entertaining, inspiring true story. The film might not be incredible, but it's a solid, engaging movie. I enjoyed this film and was glad I watched it.

The story is one of those where you have to do some research afterwards because it's hard to believe this was based on a true story. A guy with no ski jumping experience, someone who isn't exactly a model athlete decides to try and qualify for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Obviously, there wouldn't be a movie if he didn't make it. How could this have happened? The movie does into some detail, but it's just a fascinating true story that most people either don't remember or never knew. For that reason, I was so glad this movie was made. Humanity is so large and there's so many inspiring stories out there. It's always a positive thing when someone's story is captured (here, in entertainment form, but still) and able to be shared. I would never have known about Eddie Edwards unless I sat down and watched this movie. I'm thankful to know his story now.

I will say quickly- that my research revealed that this movie doesn't really tell the full story. To understand Edwards, you really need to know what happened after the events of this film. If you enjoyed this movie, I'd recommend doing a little research yourself. It's not the most inspiring thing, so I kind of understand why this movie remains silent on some of the subsequent events.

But, back to the film. Taron Egerton looks ridiculous in the movie but he generally did a good job. I have no idea what the real Edwards was like, so I can only assume Egerton's oddball performance was to be true to the real man. If not, I'd have some additional issues with the film. I suppose I give Egerton credit for really embracing this role. If you compare this movie to Kingsman: The Secret Service, you'll see that Egerton actually has some range as an actor. I might not have loved his character, but I appreciate his performance. Hugh Jackman was a great addition to the cast. I really liked him in this role. His character's arc is incredibly predictable, but Jackman brings charisma to the role and upped the entertainment factor of the film. He plays against Egerton well. These two make up the heart of the movie and I had fun watching them together on screen. I loved seeing Christopher Walken, but lamented at his small role.

This movie is similar to the inspirational sports movies we've seen over the years. It's not as good as some of the better ones, but it's still a solid entry. It's not like there's a ton of ski jumping movies to compete with. I enjoyed seeing this lesser known sport depicted on screen and I had fun following the story. While Eddie the Eagle misses out on the upper echelon of inspirational sports movies, this is still an entertaining, very different kind of film. I'd definitely recommend it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Cool Runnings, The Cutting Edge, Mystery, Alaska