REVIEW: ‘Eddie the Eagle’ is ‘Rudy’ on skis

You’ve seen that movie “Ruby” right? The Notre Dame football movie starring Samwise Gamgee? It’s the story of a scrappy underdog battling to realize his dreams in the face of a whole bunch of people telling him he can’t do it. Now, take that same plot, swap out football for ski jumping, and you’ve got “Eddie the Eagle”. It’s a predictable, formulaic piece of feel-good cinema without a shred of originality.

That’s doesn’t mean “Eddie” isn’t a fun time. Thanks to winning performances from Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman, as well as a good dose of humor, this movie turns out to be a blast.

The story focuses on Eddie Edwards (Egerton), a not-especially-athletic kid who harbors dreams of competing in the Olympics. His journey leads him to cross paths with a lot of folks who tell him to give up.

Initially, that group of naysayers includes Bronson Peary (Jackman), a cynical former ski jump champ who reluctantly mentors Eddie. Together, they prep Eddie for competition and to prove all the Negative Nancys wrong

Movies like this rise of fall on the chemistry between the leads. Lucky for “Eddie”, Egerton and Jackman work really well together. Eddie’s sweet optimism collides with Peary’s sneering pessimism to create some of the movie’s best moments and biggest laughs. It’s heartwarming to watch these two guys bond and by the end of the movie, you’re cheering as hard for Peary to conquer his demons as you are for Eddie to nail his jumps.

A movie like this needs a great soundtrack to get your blood pumping, and “Eddie” is packed with classic tracks from the likes of Van Halen, Hall & Oates and Thin Lizzy. The musical is filled with synthesizers that sound like they’re right out of the 1980’s, and that fits perfectly with the time period in which the film is set.

Director Dexter Fletcher does a good job of capturing the vertigo-inducing heights of the ski jumps, as well as the blinding speed of the descents and the violence when skiers crash. He also gives the actors space to work with one another, which is pretty impressive given this movie’s relatively compact running time.

”Eddie the Eagle” is pure feel-good cheese that doesn’t hold any surprises or killer twists. It may make you wince a time or two. Some of those crashes are brutal. But it will also get you laughing and it might even get you singing along with the soundtrack. (Seriously, I got “shushed” at one point.) And, if you let it, “Eddie the Eagle” may even tug your hearth strings and inspire you.

3 ½ Indy Fedoras out of 5

MPAA Rating: PG-13