Review of Eddie the Eagle (2016) by Stanley F — 31 Mar 2016

You all know the story and , yes, all the cliches and stereotypes are in this film- the plucky kid who won't be put off, the mum who ,( aside from her stunning and envious seventies range of jumpers) , is all unstinting support for her boy, the grudging father, slowly won round , the snobby establishment figures, the heckling germanic ski-jump pro's,.... you get the picture. I suspect that the screenwriters were soon begging to be released from their torment in the sixth circle of film-hell . Really, there isn;t a surprise to be found in this film.....and yet, thanks in large part to a great performance from Taron Egerton as the eponymous hero, the film carries you up and lands you safely on the downslope of warm sentiment and love of the underdog.

there is a message here about the original Olympic Spirit.

""The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.".

Forgive an old cynic who suspects that this piece of parchment lies buried deep in the waste-bin under piles of used syringes and endorsment contracts.