Director: Dexter Fletcher
Cast: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken, Tim McInnerny, Rune Temte, Jo Hartley, Edvin Endre
Rating: PG
Running Time: 105 mins
Release Date: March 28th, 2016
Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards is to some a representation of a real life underdog, a man who defied all the barriers and people in his way to follow his dreams and compete in the 1988 Olympics as the first person to represent Great Britain in ski jumping. To others he’s a national laughing stock, an embarrassing oddity who sneaked into the Olympics through a loophole and stole the spotlight from more deserving athletes that year. Â Your enjoyment of the film will depend on your opinion of the man but there is no doubt to what side the film is on; it’s an engaging biopic, filled with a sweet and sunny disposition.
Eddie, as played by Taron Egerton, is an innocent, well meaning man, eager to prove himself to the people that have put him down throughout his life. Whether it’s his dad telling him to give up on his dreams or the British Olympic board itself, Eddie refuses to compromise his dream of being an Olympic athlete.
Egerton has continually made an impression wherever he’s appeared, whether it’s his breakout role last year in KINGSMAN or his appearance as Ronnie Kray’s lover in LEGEND. Already showing a varied selection of roles, Egerton is the exact opposite of his turn in KINGSMAN, where he played a thuggish chav turned secret spy. Bumbling around like an ape, huffing and puffing his way through the film, Egerton easily sells Eddies charming vulnerability and his contagious enthusiasm. It’s a simple and repetitive message; ‘it’s the taking part that counts’ and ‘follow your dreams’ but it’s too Egertons credit that he sells it so well.
Any fault of the film lies in its simplicity and refined goals to be nothing more than a crowd pleaser, although that is something that it pulls off with a great deal of success. It has a lovely British sense of humour about it and a great sense of pride for its subject but the film stops short at exploring itself any further. It’s emotional beats come and go, with some parts of the plot being dismissed for a cheap gag or offhandedly mentioned through bad exposition; one particular moment is when Eddies dad shouts about how they’ve nearly gone broke trying to help him out and they had men trying to repossess their furniture. Eddies dad in particular is a character who has no real personality apart from to constantly be the dismissive parent of his child’s dreams. It’s a point that is repeatedly hammered home, to the point where it becomes grating. Likewise, it’s no fun to watch Tim McInnerny spout such shallow, over the top dialogue as one particular member of the Olympic board who takes a disliking to Eddie.
However the film is particularly saved by everyone’s favorite X-men; up until the point where Hugh Jackman appears as a former Olympic skier who will reluctantly train Eddie, the film feels like it’s missing something. There needed to be a straight man to bounce off against Eddie’s weird charm and Jackman fills that role delightfully. His charismatic, nearly always drunken state manages to get as many laughs as it can and it’s nice to watch his and Eddies relationship develop, as obvious as it is. The film easily coasts on Jackman and Egertons chemistry, especially at the halfway point, but thanks to both actors likability it’s enjoyable to watch.
While it’s earnest to please, the films good intentions means it ends up repeatedly hitting home the same message and it’s unfortunate that a film about such a quirky individual couldn’t develop its own identity. However, Eddie the Eagle is the epitome of the very subject it’s about. It’s oddly charming and enjoyable, a generic biopic wrapped in a fun British sense of humour and when it finally gains enough momentum, it soars.
Verdict
