I didn’t know a huge amount about Eddie the Eagle, but I knew he was viewed as the one of the best examples of a British underdog story. This new biopic tells of his attempt to go to the 1988 Winter Olympics as Britain’s first ski jumper. I’m not sure how much of the film is true, but that’s not the point here. Eddie the Eagle is a truly feel good underdog film. It’s fun, it’s upbeat, and if you can beat the schmaltz then you will love this film.

At the core of the film is Taron Egerton, fresh from breaking out in Kingsman last year, who is so loveable and endearing in the title role. He shows here that it wasn’t just a one off performance, but that he has great range and a huge future ahead of him. He is also well supported by Hugh Jackman as former American ski jumper Bronson Perry. These two character’s relationship brings a lot of the emotion to the film.

The film does hit a lot of sport film clichés, and when you couple this with being based on a true story, Eddie the Eagle doesn’t hold a lot of surprises in its story. However this doesn’t really affect the quality of the film, still being very enjoyable. The central themes of determination and endurance against adversity may be a little on the nose at times, but as I said, if you can buy into that, then the film is a powerfully emotional and moving story.

If you enjoy a good underdog story or films about perseverance, heart, and spirit then you’ll love Eddie the Eagle. The film is a very good celebration of a cult British sporting hero, and a highly enjoyable ride. It did manage to bring a tear to my eye and a huge smile to my face.

8/10