“Eddie the Eagle:” A True Underdog Story
March 17, 2016
Dexter Fletcher’s movie “Eddie the Eagle” is an adaptation of Eddie Edwards’ story that had a lot of potential but fell flat at key moments. While having to stick to the source material, Fletcher couldn’t add a lot of Hollywood flair to it which lead to some lackluster scenes. On the other hand, Taron Egerton’s performance as Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards was one to be remembered and should surely add a positive mark to his movie resume.
Eddie Edwards’ Olympic run will leave you on the edge of your seat waiting for the outcome.
For those of you like me who, prior to this movie’s release didn’t know about Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards,and what he accomplished, here’s the quick story. Eddie Edwards gave up his entire life at home to be an Olympian, and found one loophole in the British Olympic team that could make him eligible for the 88th Calgary Winter Olympics as Britain’s only ski jumper.
Eddie’s washed up alcoholic coach, played by Hugh Jackman, delivers as a convincing former Olympic skier whose last shot at redemption is Eddie.
The high points of this movie were the exceptional dialogue, especially from Egerton, which really captivated why we should be rooting for Eddie. His infectious smile almost perfectly resembled that of the real Eddie Edwards. Other high points were the spattered jokes strewn throughout the movie that drew at least a lighthearted chuckle.
On the other side of that spectrum, some moments that were meant to be portrayed as “cool and edgy” came off funnier than the actual attempts at comedy. Unless that was Fletcher’s intent, which really wouldn’t make a lot of sense, I don’t understand movie making anymore. Another aspect as to where the movie fell short of a lot of potential was the overuse of CGI that looked so unconvincing it was almost laughable, which really lost the feeling of danger and peril for all the jumpers in the film.
Overall, I would recommend “Eddie the Eagle” to people who are looking for a feel-good sports film on a rainy day when it’s available on Netflix. I give “Eddie the Eagle” 2/5 stars for its great story telling yet laughable CGI.
Though laughable at times, Taron Egerton’s role as Eddie Edwards is as convincing as it is heartwarming.