Cool Runnings (1993)

The Worst Film Ever

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Captivating movie !

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

This is your typical Disney exploration of the feel good comedy sports movie. This is not at all the true story of these guys. It does not portray Jamaicans properly. Movies are quite capable of adding sub titles for other languages why couldn't it be done here? This was done intentionally to add some sort of poor comedy relief. I'm not Jamaican but I believe in acknowledging people and races and culture in the proper way. I do however love John candy. He was gone too quickly. I remember him for his rolls in home alone and trains planes and automobiles. Uncle buck was certainly another timeless performance. On a whole cool running a explores lightly the true story of the first Jamaican bobsled team. There was just a different less Disney way of going about this.

What a funny and inspirational little movie this is. At times, director Jon Turteltaub's film seems almost too good to be true, because it isn't exactly true. While it is based on a true story, the film is heavily fictionalized and most of the characters were created by the scriptwriter. Still, the film is a nice portrait of a quite extraordinary event in sports history."Cool Runnings" is the story of a Jamaican runner named Derice (Leon) who wishes to follow in his father's footsteps and run the 100 meter dash at the Olympics. An unfortunate event keeps him from qualifying at the trials, so he hunts down bobsledding coach Irv Blitzer (John Candy) to help him form the first Jamaican bobsled team. After recruiting best friend Sanka (Doug E. Doug) and some fellow Olympic runners (Rawle Lewis and Malik Yoba), the team takes on the Winter Olympics world, including a hard-nosed Olympic Alliance, to prove the world wrong and show that they belong.The film is not extraordinary in any way, but it can make you feel emotions immensely. After watching the film numerous times, I still chuckle at Sanka's little jokes and goofiness, largely because of an eccentric performance from Doug E. Doug. He does some over-the-top acting in a good way, Leon does some over-the-top acting in a not-so- good way. His portrayal of the leader of this squad is a little too forced, but we still believe in him because he is so determined to win. John Candy was an excellent choice to play Irv. He begins as an impolite bookie and turns into quite a brilliant coach who cares about his guys. He even gives a speech to the Alliance that is intense and surprisingly not very cliché. The film doesn't take any risks in the editing, and has a number of scenes that feel unnecessary, but the story usually covers it up just enough to keep it from being too much of a distraction. It's nice to see a film focus on a country like Jamaica. The accents may be a little overdone at times, and some things might be a little stereotypical, but the culture and reggae soundtrack and score by Hans Zimmer is relieving while enjoying the movie. It's all brought together by no other than Sanka, who at one point reminds Derice of who they are and where they come from. He says, "If we walk Jamaican, talk Jamaican, and is Jamaican, then we sure as hell better bobsled Jamaican." This comes after Derice continuously idolizes the Swiss team, and Doug's delivery is perfect and heartfelt.There is a point in the film where the team is huddling up for their final run, and they shout "Respect!" I love this little bit because it encapsulates the main theme of the film. This story isn't about these guys trying to win the gold or even the silver or bronze. It's about their struggles to gain respect for themselves and for their country. This drive makes the film so riveting and the final scene can send chills down your spine even after watching it for the tenth or fifteenth time. "Cool Runnings" is not the most outstanding sports film, but it's right up there with "Rocky" and "Hoosiers" in terms of having the most heart. It's nearly impossible to not laugh and cheer when watching this story unfold, and there is nothing wrong with that.

It's 1987 Jamaica. Derice Bannock (Leon) fails to qualify for the Olympics 100-metre dash in Seoul when Junior Bevil (Rawle D. Lewis) falls and trips him and Yul Brenner (Malik Yoba). He is devastated and told to wait for another 4 years. He sees Irving Blitzer (John Candy) in an old photo with his father. Irv is a former medal winner friend of his father who is now a bookie living in Jamaica. He has the idea to start a Jamaican bobsled team with his bumbling push cart friend Sanka Coffie (Doug E. Doug). Along with rich boy Junior, angry Yul, and Irv, they head to the Calgary Winter Olympics. This is simply a fun movie. It's mostly due to the characters and the actors. Doug E. Doug delivers the light hearted humor. There's a real good-nature charm to this movie. It follows a familiar formula.

The screenplay is intelligent, focused and clever. I much enjoyed this film, mostly because of the convincing characters. I am aware of much of the criticism around this movie, claiming it is bad and not worth seeing. To all those who have said these things, I have to ask: What film were you watching? With style, charm, and humor to spare, this film was among the top echelon of movies from 1993. I laughed and was moved and all of that good stuff. At the end of the day, it's a fun, entertaining film. Wonderful movie, and I should know, I practically grew up on it. An excellent and difficult production, bolstered by great performances.