Review of Eddie the Eagle (2016) by Patrick L — 29 Jan 2017

"Eddie the Eagle didn't need to flap in order to become a feel-good sports biopic, it just needed to have real stakes and a sense of purpose.".

DVD Movie Review: Eddie the Eagle.

Date Viewed: July 27 2016.

Directed By Dexter Fletcher (Wild Bill and Sunshine on Leith).

Written By Sean Macaulay and Simon Kelton.

Starring: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken, Jim Broadbent, Iris Berben, Jo Hartley, Mark Benton, Keith Allen, Tim McInnerny, Edvin Endre and Marc Benjamin.

Audiences and critics were being overly kind to this sentimental washdog of bull$&@?. It's another sports movie that's based on a true story, aren't we all tired of this genre? It aims to be inspirational, funny and awe-inducing like most of the PG-rated Disney sports movies we've been getting lately but "Eddie the Eagle" is a sports movie that shoots itself in the right wing. "Eddie the Eagle" focuses around of course on Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, an underdog British skier who overcame incredible odds and achieved the impossible, winning gold at the 1988 Olympics despite suffering from having knee and leg ailments. Fresh off the hit action movie "Kingsman: The Secret Service", Taron Egerton plays the socially-awkward skier who seems to find sports movie cliches and douchebag Olympic officials everywhere he goes. This real life sports story is instantly forgettable as the Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards himself because after he won the gold, he never met the spotlight again.

"Eddie the Eagle" didn't need to flap in order to become a feel-good sports biopic, it just needed to have real stakes and a sense of purpose. Ever since he was child, Eddie Edwards (Egerton) always dreamed of becoming a famous athlete and competing in the Olympics. His mother (Jo Hartley) supports him 100% but his father (Keith Allen) continues to throw the kitchen sink at him for continuing to believe he could make it to Olympic glory. WOW! Another jerky father who constantly torments his son for trying to achieve his dreams. Enough with these jerky fathers! Please somebody director Dexter Fletcher (Wild Bill and Sunshine on Leith) that we are no longer in the 1980s. To make matters worse, there are even bigger douches in this movie who I will mention as I continue with this review.

Another sports cliche that occurs in "Eddie the Eagle" is the underdog who has no chance in achieving sports history ends up making sports history. My God! This movie is a festival of sports movie cliches! As he continues to believe in making the 1988 Olympics, the British Olympic officials reject him because they don't want an embarrassing distraction like Eddie on the skiing team and because the Olympic officials are even bigger douchebags than the father.

However, Eddie finds a silver lining, instead of skiing, he'll be qualifying as a ski jumper as he goes to a training facility in Germany to train for the Olympics. Unfortunately, the more-seasoned jumpers make fun of him.

Because they think Eddie has zero chance in making it in the Olympics. After a few pretty good jumps, Eddie meets bad boy snowplower and former American ski jumper, Bronson Peary, (Hugh Jackman). He too calls on Eddie to give up on his dreams but Eddie will always never give up on the thing he loves most. Eddie wants Bronson to become his coach but he refuses to do so which means that he will teach him.

After his training is completed, Eddie is off to Calgary, Alberta where the Olympics will take place. Eddie finally begins his first round in ski jumping and even though he finished in last place, he completed an incredible jump of 60.5 metres (198 ft.) which set a new British record. His triumphant jump wins over the crowd and Eddie becomes an Olympic sensation. Don't get me wrong, the story about Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards and him achieving Olympic glory could've been an interesting story to tell but the screenplay by Sean Macaulay and Simon Kelton is riddled with pathos, unnecessary goofy hijinks and sports movie cliches. The movie's biggest flaw is our main protagonist himself because Macaulay and Kelton don't seem to have a clear picture on how to portray Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards". Do they want to make him a shy but very kind hero or a shy and awkwardly-social person?

Hugh Jackman is the best actor in "Eddie the Eagle" because at least he kept some of his charisma. I would've loved to see more about his character's backstory involving his former mentor, Warren Sharp (played by Christopher Walken) but nope, we only get the story about "Eddie the Eagle" which is a shame and pretty boring. I guess there might be an audience for "Eddie the Eagle" but the movie flaps too much for it's own good.