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Released by Walt Disney Pictures in October of 1993, this feel-good sports picture earned
over ten times its $15-million dollar budget. Directed by Jon Turteltaub, the 98-picture
is an extremely predictable, light-hearted affair that's very loosely based on the true
story of Jamaica's improbable bobsledding debut in the 1988 Winter Olympics. The heavily
fictionalized version of events follows a group of ambitious track runners, played by
Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, and Malik Yoba - who encourage a washed-out former American
bobsledder to coach them in the decidedly non-Caribbean based sport, after they failed
to qualify for the summer Olympics. The four men goof around, are often annoying, and exhibit
little acting talent, but they're likeable enough as the ultimate underdogs. The late
John Candy is their boisterous coach with a troubled past, defending his team to a review
board by sarcastically remarking, "I didn't realize that four black guys in a bobsled
could make you blush." The warmth and credibility he brings to every role elevates all those
around him, and tragic proof that we lost a wonderful actor far too early. The PG-rated
film offers nothing new, and rarely anything truly exciting: but it's harmless entertainment
everyone will be rooting for; so much so in fact, the picture's legacy has greatly helped
visibility for the sport, including a recent funding campaign for Jamacia's 2014 bobsledding
contingent. In true Disney fashion, the climax of the narrative sees the crowds of Calgary
partaking in the traditional "slow-clap" of approval for our protagonists. Unlike the
sledder's colorful personalities and sled-design, the presentation of this films lacks any style
or originality... the editing, pacing, and cinematography are all very basic and average.
Hans Zimmer's calypso-themed score provides for an appropriate backdrop to the proceedings,
as does Jimmy Cliff's reggae-cover of "I Can See Clearly Now", which closes out the picture.
A fun and cute movie all families can enjoy at least as often as the games themselves,
"Cool Runnings" is a "Formulaic, charming and uplifting story." Here are some of your
reviews on this picture.
Our scores for "Cool Runnings", a double SEVEN. You enjoyed the fun characters and occasional
laughs, rating this a COOL. A enjoyable hour-and-a-half, and a picture that is surprisingly still very
relevant today, I too thought it was, appropriately, a COOL movie.