Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
The feel-good story of Michael 'Eddie' Edwards, an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself—even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach, Eddie takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of sports fans around the world by making an improbable and historic showing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.
Eddie the Eagle is a warm, crowd-pleasing underdog sports biopic that hits its familiar beats with genuine charm. Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman deliver likeable performances that elevate fairly standard material, and the ski-jump sequences are shot with decent verve. However, the film follows the well-worn sports underdog template almost to the letter — training montages, dismissive authority figures, redemptive triumph — offering little that distinguishes it structurally from dozens of similar films. The ending is satisfying on an emotional level but arrives exactly as expected. Its strengths lie in execution and heart rather than originality or ambition.