Eddie the Eagles is the second Olympics movie in the past couple of weeks, the other was Race which was about Jessie Owens and his amazing skills in an oppressive society. Eddie the Eagle is about Eddie Edwards, a (high-level) mediocre skier and amateur ski jumper in a society that rightfully finds him ill-suited to Olympic level ski-jumping. The movie isn’t about whether Eddie is good or not, it’s whether this underdog has at least the skill to not die on the 70 and 90 m jumps during the 1988 Calgary Olympics.

Does Eddie deserve to make the jumps and does he deserve the credit for just showing up and trying? The movie says yes, it isn’t about whether you win or lose, it’s about showing up, standing up, and trying.

In that, it does a fine job as a kind of comedy and drama. Eddie isn’t untalented but he’s kind of ridiculous shlub who is out of his depth and that gives the movie its comedy. It’s drama comes from him trying (and not dying). This is based on a true story – one I’m not familiar – during the 88 Olympics which also gave us a certain Jamaican bobsled team (which is noted in this movie in a humorous aside).

Taran Egerton plays Eddie and he does a pretty amazing job of physically transforming himself. I saw the trailer to this movie a dozen times and never once realized that I was looking at the same actor who played the suave British spy from Kingsman: The Secret Service. It’s a good mix of putting on a few pounds, growing a silly mustache, and physical posture and accent.

It also stars Hugh Jackman as an American trainer, drunk, and cool as hell. He pulls off lighting a cigarette in his jacket and jeans on top of the 90m ski jump and then taking a run like it ain’t no thing. Coolest moment in a slightly uncool movie.

Ultimately this is a fine little underdog sports movie. It’s not great and its kind of predictable (whether you know the true story or not) but it’s warm-hearted and funny. Maybe watch it along with a certain Jamaican bobsled movie, Race, or a dozen other similar movies.

Score: 78