There has been a lot of focus lately on movies that are trying to recapture the 80’s action movie vibe, but studios have been less focused on another 80’s staple; the sports movie. The 80’s sports movie genre had a very specific structure, complete with montages, underdogs and jerk rivals. I’m not sure if EDDIE THE EAGLE set out to capture the 80’s sports movie vibe, but with a score featuring synthesizers and some overly dramatic montages, I couldn’t help but think of some of the best sports movies from the 80’s. Surprisingly, EDDIE THE EAGLE balanced the line between paying homage to the genre but still finding its own niche.
EDDIE THE EAGLE follows the real life story of Eddie Edwards, an awkward twenty two year-old that has spent his whole life dreaming of competing in the Olympics. When his attempts to make the downhill skiing team fall short, he sets his sights on making the Olympics as a ski jumper, mostly because Great Britain didn’t have a ski jumping team and he figured he could make it due to a lack of competition. But ski jumping isn’t easy and so he enlists the help of washed up ski jumper Bronson Peary (Jackman) to give him some pointers. Together, they set their sights on Calgary. At this point, let me encourage everyone to do some research on Eddie Edwards because the movie takes some liberties and doesn’t really tell you everything.
Just like with KINGSMAN, the first thing that stood out to me in EDDIE THE EAGLE was Taron Egerton. He kept the same accent and facial quirk the entire film. He was unrecognizable and completely fell into the character of Eddie Edwards. Egerton wasn’t just doing an impersonation, he had his own take on the real life person and managed to make it his own. Hugh Jackman showed up as a ski-jumping Wolverine, but he did exactly what was needed for his part. But in this, Jackman is a supporting actor to the very talented Egerton, who carried the movie.
If there’s a problem with the film, it’s in the story. The story of Eddie Edwards is interesting, but what it boils down to is that he made the team because he was the only one that tried. There was literally zero competition and if you’re not into ski jumping (which I’m not), then you may not understand the risks involved with the sport. But Edwards essentially made the Olympic team on a technicality, even if his journey there was filled with obstacles. That said, director Dexter Fletcher does a great job with what he had and manages to create tension and intrigue when a lesser director might not have been able to.
But the real draw to EDDIE THE EAGLE is its throwback approach to telling the story. Sure, the story is contrived at times, but I enjoyed the 80’s-ish synthesizer music and the montages, which gave the film a lighthearted, fun feel that was contagious. It’s hard to not enjoy the film with the good direction and great performance from Egerton, even if the story plays out like something we’ve seen before.
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: Like I mentioned in my 4K Ultra HD review of POINT BREAK, these are the types of movies where the 4K format really pays off. Aside from some close-ups of the ski-jumping, there’s not much CGI, which is a good thing for 4K. The format really stands out in EDDIE THE EAGLE during Eddie’s training scenes in Germany. There’s one moment where he’s watching “the Flying Finn” go down the hill and it was crystal clear, with details really standing out. I was surprised by the level of detail in the scene, even with the skier moving at such a fast pace. The third act takes place mostly at the Olympics and there’s another scene with Eddie in a laundry cart that’s extremely bright and detailed. This is another example of the format’s capabilities and improvements over Blu-ray.
Audio: The Dolby Atmos track is a nice inclusion, but this isn’t really the type of movie that can make use of the added surround capability. That said, the track is fantastic.
There are no 4K exclusive features, but it does include a copy of the Blu-ray.
Click 4K Ultra HD to read more of our 4K reviews.
