Movie Review Flashback- Cool Runnings

Cool Runnings was a 1993 comedy-sports film that was truly defined by the 90s era of simple comedies with a simple premise. No scatological humor, no f-bombs, no awkward sexual tension. It relied on the talent of its stars, the unlikely premise, and witty dialogue to bring us a humorous movie. It is directed by Jon Turteltaub and stars Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba, and John Candy in one of his final film roles.

In 1988, Derice Bannock dreams of running in the Summer Olympics on the Jamaican track team. However, runner Junior Bevil trips and falls, preventing him and another runner Yul Brenner from being on the team. While unsuccessfully begging for the Olympic commission to reconsider, he spots a photograph with his father and Irv Blitzer, a bobsledding coach.

Bannock and his best friend Sanka Coffie seek out Blitzer, who is disgraced after cheating in the 1972 Winter Olympics. After Junior sponsors their team with money taken from his father, Bannock, Brenner, Coffie, and Bevil begin training and soon arrive in Calgary, Canada to train for the Winter Olympics. The other nations treat the Caribbean team like a joke, with little or no respect causing friction within the team. However, they soon bond over their desire to win.

These were the days when a comedy could be be funny in a very simple way. The cohesion of the actors is impressive and their dialogue with each other is genuinely comedic. John Candy’s role is more serious than usual, but that does not take away from his wit and charm as an actor.

Jon Turteltaub takes the helm of this Disney film. The 90s was different. The 21st century is marked with movies that have massive budgets and ensemble casts. However, in the 90s, you could make a very decent film with lesser known actors and still be a success. Turteltaub is evidence of that.

Though this film is based on actual events, several of the details and character names were changed to make the film more humorous. It is a lighthearted comedy that you can enjoy with your whole family. Today, those films are becoming an endangered species.

FAVORITE QUOTE: Yul Brenner?

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Sports violence, some foul language

Here’s a tidbit: Hans Zimmer, who did the music for The Dark Knight trilogy, did the music for Cool Runnings. I wondered why the music was so good while watching it.

Check out my review of the live-action remake of Ghost In The Shell. Be sure to like and share! Don’t forget to subscribe for more movie reviews like this one!

Head over to my YouTube channel to subscribe to my channel where you can watch my vlog and free web show StudioJakeCheck out my interview with conservative commentator Guy Benson.

If you would like to order your paperback copy of my debut novel Cacophony: A Tale Of Faith And Fear, click here. It is an incredible paranormal thriller about a group of demons trying to steal human souls by assaulting their church. The Messenger Gabriel, a Guardian angel Christopher, and the Seven Archangels are sent by God to stop them. It’s a tale that mixes drama, supernatural fiction, with a dash of fantasy.

You can find me on everywhere on social media! Facebook: Author Jacob Airey | Instagram: real.jacob.airey | Twitter: @realJacobAirey

Consider supporting me and my creative efforts on Patreon. It is because of your generosity that writers, bloggers, creators, and vloggers like me can continue to be creative.

This article has been updated from a previous version. 

Leave a Reply

Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Google photo

You are commenting using your Google account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.