#flylikeeddie

Last Tuesday January 26th I had passes to go see a screening of Eddie the Eagle directed by Dexter Fletcher starring up and coming actor Taron Egerton (Kingsmen, 2014 ) and Hugh Jackman. After having one of the worst weeks ever this film definitely put me in a great mood.

Eddie the Eagle is a biopic about Great Britain’s first Olympic Ski Jumper, Michael Edwards. Edwards started late in his career as a ski jumper but made a name for himself at the Winter Olympics in Calgary in 1988. He was not the best of athletes and was not a gold medal winner but he had the determination and mindset that won gold in the hearts of many.

Egerton’s performance from start to finish filled my heart with joy. This film had the perfect amount of humor and drama. Having such a charm about him and his character portrayal of Edwards, I found myself, smiling, crying, laughing, and slightly on the edge of the seat during the entire film. At times I thought, “I really want to be friends with Michael Edwards”. Hands down Egerton’s performance was brilliant. His costar Jackman held his own as well. (I am biased because I am a huge Jackman fan so I won’t comment on that.)

Taron Egerton and Dexter Fletcher at an early screening of “Eddie the Eagle” in Los Angeles, CA on January 28, 2016.

EDIT: And now with video! Q & A (mislabeled as Sundance)

Photo sources:

https://twitter.com/20thcenturyfox/status/692949076090982400 

https://twitter.com/monicazyoung/status/692945984402362368

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBHQWxirxcY/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBHPQK6tw6M/

Starring: Taaron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Jo Hartley, Mark Benton, Christopher Walken, Edvin Endre, Daniel Ings, Rune Temte

Directed by Dexter Fletcher

Based on a True Story

Run Time: 105 min Rating: PG-13 Genre: Drama Release Date: February 26, 2015

Rotten Tomatoes Score:

My Score: 9.5 out of 10

Synopsis:

For his entire life, Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Egerton) has wanted to be an Olympian. But after being denied the chance to try out for the British Oylmpic Downhill team, Eddie packs up his skis and moves to Germany in hopes of becoming an Olympic Ski Jumper. Despite having no idea on how to ski jump and despite all the other ski jumpers saying he will never make it, Eddie will fight against the odds with the help of his friend and former Olympic Ski Jumper Bronson Peary (Jackman) to gain his place at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Review:

Ask any twenty something year old in the street who Eddie the Eagle is, and very few will know who you are talking about. Ask someone in their forties or older, and they will remember the entertainment of watching the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and the infamous British ski jumper. But whether you know who Eddie the Eagle is or you don’t, there is no reason to avoid seeing Eddie the Eagle!

Eddie the Eagle plays like your typical sports movie. You have an underdog athlete who will stop at nothing to fulfill their dreams and every obstacle imaginable thrown at them to prevent their dreams from coming true. But what sets Eddie the Eagle apart from all other sports movies that I have seen is its infection spirit that will leave you cheering in the theater! This is largely due to the lead performance from Taaron Egerton. Fresh off his hit movie Kingsman: The Secret Service, Egerton portrays Eddie Edwards and proves he is more than just an action star. Egerton brings the character too life and is perfect in the role! He’s very funny and creates such an likable character that you will find yourself fearing for his safety when he flies off a ski jump and cheering for his success when he lands the jumps!

The film’s other big asset is Hugh Jackman who portrays Eddie’s coach and friend Bronson Peary. This role is perfect for Jackman, and he once again proves that he is excellent actor that can take on any role given to him. He is the perfect mix of coach and hard ass to push Eddie closer to fulfilling his dream, and the pairing of Egerton and Jackman truly makes the film come alive.

Final Thoughts: