Eddie the Eagle: Movie Review

Everybody likes a feel-good movie, especially when it feels genuine. That is why I absolutely loved director Dexter Fletcher’s “Eddie the Eagle”. Producer Matthew Vaughn teams up with his “Kingsman: The Secret Service” star Taron Egerton, bringing the story of British ski-jumper Eddie Edwards to the big screen.

As a young boy, Eddie (Egerton) wanted to take part in the Olympics. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t athletic, Eddie believed in himself, even if he wasn’t very good at each sport he attempted. That is until he tried downhill skiing. Eddie took to the slopes any chance he got, despite his father wanting him to give up his dream and work with him instead. Eddie did give in to his father’s wishes, but it wasn’t long before he decided to head out on his own and train to be the British ski-jumper.

With the help of former Olympic ski-jumper-turned-heavy-drinker Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman), Eddie trained all day, every day in order to compete for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Eddie’s challenge wasn’t only to be good enough to compete, but the fact that the British representatives felt that Eddie’s odd behavior would be an embarrassment to their country.

Egerton is absolutely fantastic here and his scenes with Jackman are the highlights in “Eddie the Eagle”. The 80’s soundtrack is also terrific and helps give the film a fun energy. Those who appreciate a good underdog story are sure to fall in love with this one.

By: Marc Ferman