Eddie the Eagle (2016)

Genre

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Sport

Director

Dexter Fletcher

Country

UK | USA | Germany

Cast

Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken, Iris Berben, Mark Benton, Keith Allen, Jo Hartley, Tim McInnerny, Edvin Endre, Marc Benjamin, Jim Broadbent, Daniel Ings, Rune Temte, Tom Costello, Jack Costello

Storyline

The story of Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton), the notoriously tenacious British underdog ski jumper who charmed the world at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Opinion

Underdog stories are definitely a must in feel-good and motivational sport films, and their execution can either make a film good or bad. If the film is a biopic people are also expecting it to be as close to the source material as possible. Other than that, what I expect is an experience. Whether it's laughing or crying, I want to bond with the character, and that's exactly what I got with "Eddie the Eagle".

While the plot basically drowns in the coach/protégé clichée and the film's structure isn't any different from that of any other film of its genre, and despite the fact that the film emphasizes a lot on the struggles of the protagonist, the film still manages to be very enjoyable, and funny.

Like every single sport film I've seen, "Eddie the Eagle" also has an inspirational message. Unlike most of the time though, it takes a step further, and instead of just stating that no matter the odds, if you really want something, you can achieve it with some hard working - and sometimes luck -, it shows that winning isn't everything. Just like another ski jumper tells Eddie later in the film, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, what's important is that you give your best, and that you're proud of what you have done despite the competitive outcome.

The key to this film is the main character, Eddie Edwards, also known as Eddie the Eagle. Maybe it's because he is just a normal guy with a dream, but he is incredibly likable, and to see him working up to the challenge, and overcoming this almost impossible challenge with such strength of will and the help of his coach is uplifting.

Then there is Taron Egerton. He doesn't just portray a sympathetic character, he transforms into Eddie the Eagle. That's what an actor is supposed to do. Hugh Jackman also gives a good performance as the coach and manages not to overshadow Egerton's performance - probably because the latter's is a very good one.

No comments :

Post a Comment