3.5 stars (out of 5)
The story of Michael ‘Eddie’ Edwards, the wannabe ski-jumper who showed everyone what a weird, funny-looking git could do when he believed in himself at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, has been long in the pipeline, and Eddie was almost played by Steve Coogan and later Rupert Grint (who could have properly nerded it up too). However, Taron Egerton is perfect as Eddie, almost unrecognisable as the cool lead from Kingsman: The Secret Service as he peers out of ‘80s spectacles, and so strong that you’ll probably forget the fact that the real Eddie has claimed that 90% of this crowd-pleaser is factually inaccurate, if not a bit of a snow job.
Eddie is first seen as a youth (Tom and then Jack Costello) in those expected growing-up (and getting hurt) montages while he persists in a seemingly delusional belief that one day he’ll be an Olympian, as his Mum Janette (Jo Hartley) stands by supportively and his Dad Terry (Keith Allen) sneers, insisting that Eddie should be a plasterer. Our lad’s having none of that though, and despite a lack of talent and training, plus rejection at the hands of smarmy selector Dustin Target (Tim McInnerny), he’s soon dragging out old playbook rules, travelling to Austria, being laughed at by the Norwegians and almost getting himself killed.
Luckily his stubborn self-belief eventually leads to an offer of coaching by boozy onetime-contender Bronson Peary, a character just about completely made up but who’s played with much humour by Hugh Jackman, so you surely won’t mind that this is contrived fantasy. As fake subplots intrude, the pair hit Calgary where, if you’ve seen the trailer or not, you probably can guess what happens (and please note that this was the Winter Olympics where that Jamaican bobsled team surprised the world as well, and they’ve had their own movie too: Cool Runnings).
Directed with much spirit by actor (but not here) and director Dexter Fletcher, and with an ‘80s soundtrack that includes hits (Two Tribes by Frankie Goes To Hollywood) and cheaper not-quite-chartbusters (Deacon Blue’s Real Gone Kid), this entertaining, applause-hungry charmer is hard to dislike, even for those out there who think that movies should conform to, ahem, ‘reality’. Go on, you know you’ll love it, and if you don’t, well, you can go jump.
I Wake Up Screening 