Memory is a funny thing, especially when it comes to movies. Films you watched so many years ago that you loved so much seem like classic films. And then you watch them again for the first time in years and your more mature mind is able to notice all of the glaring plot holes and inconsistencies that your younger mind didn't care about. Such is the case with Cool Runnings. Who doesn't remember, as a child, watching this delightful Disney comedy about an unlikely Jamaican bobsled team? We laughed giddily at the silly songs, and the lucky egg, not caring about the impossibility of putting together an Olympic qualifying bobsled team in less than three months.
Released in 1993, Cool Runnings tells the tale of the 1988 Jamaican Olympic four-man bobsled team. An unbelievable, yet true story of a group of sprinters who failing to qualify for the Jamaican track team for the Summer Olympics decide to make the Olympics any way they can, even if it means participating in a sport that is impossible to do on their tropical island. With the help of a former gold-medalist bob sledder (John Candy), the Jamaicans do the impossible, and not only qualify for the Olympics, but also raise their own money to do so independent of the Jamaican Olympic Committee. The other teams don't appreciate the new-comers, and there are strong racist undertones that are never fully addressed. But Candy, in another wonderful performance we've come to expect from him, argues the teams into contention, and the Jamaicans prove they belong.
This movie, like all Disney sports films, are about more than the events they depict. The main message of Cool Runnings is to be true to yourself and being confident in who you are. The Jamaicans struggle at first trying to imitate the success they see in the Swiss bobsled team, but the strict style doesn't work for them and they finally find success with a more laid-back style true to their Jamaican roots. There is also a sub-plot about one of the team members father's disapproving of his son's athletic pursuits and urging him instead to follow in his footsteps and go into business. Of course this team member stands up to his father and competes.
The movie is clearly trying to be a comedy, but almost all of the comedy is aimed at a younger audience, and I did not find it funny at all now as an adult. What I did notice were the unlikelihood of the events depicted in the movie. In the movie, the first time the Jamaicans go down a real ice chute, in a real bobsled, it's on an Olympic level chute. This is how people die. However, we're led to believe that the team's training on dirt roads in a buggy with wheels was sufficient enough for them to succeed in Calgary. There is also a scene where the Jamaicans are disqualified by the Olympic committee and a stirring speech by Candy is enough to bring them back into the Games. Most egregiously however is a scene that takes place in a country/western bar. In Calgary. Right. I didn't realize Calgary was in Texas.
This also is an extremely formulaic film. Underdogs, coached by a loser. Early practices show no signs of talent, but they don't give up and somehow get better. Then there is a montage, a setback which makes us think they'll never compete, an 11th hour solution, then at the big event everything goes wrong, but then somehow goes right. Just about every film of this genre follows this formula, which as young children we don't notice or care about, but now it seems hacky. However, if you look past the dumb jokes, the formulaic story, and improbable occurrences, there is an entertaining movie at the heart of it all. The characters are full of charm, especially the energetic Sanka played by Doug E. Doug. John Candy is affable and somehow makes his speeches seem like they aren't filled with lines lifted from every other sports film. Also the fun reggae-filled soundtrack is done by Hans Zimmer. Yes, THAT Hans Zimmer. I was as surprised as you are. If you are a fan of underdog movies, I highly recommend this one, particularly if you haven't seen very many.
Rating: 4/10 - Ambivalent
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