Review of Eddie the Eagle (2016) by Louis P — 13 Apr 2016

You've seen it all before ... the kooky underdog whose determination and belief in themselves trumps all odds and blinding lack of talent, allowing them to emerge triumphant. Yet, the cliché is there for a reason; predictable as it is, cinema audiences can never get enough of unlikely heroes/heroines.

What Eddie the Eagle lacks in originality, it makes up for with laughs and charm. Just as Michael Edwards warmed Britain hearts with his tenacity in the 1988 Winter Olympics, so too do you find yourself rooting for Taron Egerton's character as he metamorphoses from reluctant plasterer to charismatic ski jumper. Hugh Jackman also deserves a nod or two for his superb performance as Eddie's embittered, alcoholic throwback coach.

The directing is stunning and captures the jumps in magnificent detail, whilst the music, although cheesy (somewhere between Brie and Stilton) marries itself perfectly with the bon-vivant tone of the film.

This blockbuster certainly won't be getting its talons on any awards this year, but it has definitely soared to success as 2016's best family entertainment.