Wunder auf dem Eis

"Miracle On Ice" is the lesser known first dramatization of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team's miracle gold medal victory, made just a year after the event as a three hour TV-movie that aired on ABC. The deficiencies in being a rushed production, as well as the passage of time that has enhanced the importance of what was accomplished, undoubtedly was why it was felt the story deserved new attention in the big-screen "Miracle" in 2004. Despite that, "Miracle On Ice" is still worth a look, and in some areas manages to surpass the big screen remake.

One area where it does not, is it's choice of lead actor to play coach Herb Brooks. Karl Malden was 30 years too old for the part, and while he tries his best, he never overcomes this obstacle. TV-actors of the time like Bill Bixby or Robert Conrad would have been far better casting, as some have suggested. This stigma of Malden being the wrong man for the part, I suspect was another reason why it was felt the story deserved a new treatment.

But on the other hand, "Miracle On Ice" manages to tell a lot more about some of the players than "Miracle" did. We learn more about goalie Jim Craig, and his relationship with his father that culminated in the dramatic moment of him draped in an American flag at the end of the gold medal game, looking for his dad in the stands. "Miracle" gave us the story of Ralph Cox, the last man cut from the team, while "Miracle On Ice" tells this story from the perspective of Les Auge, who was in fact the second to last man cut from the team. We learn also in "Miracle On Ice" of Mike Eruzione's decision to never play pro after being captain of the gold medal team. Ken Morrow is accurately bearded.

Also, "Miracle On Ice's" limited production values required a generous reuse of ABC's actual broadcasts of the games blended in with some quick close-ups. And in the process, this ends up demonstrating how no matter how much Disney tried, "The Miracle" could just not duplicate the noise intensity and the frenzied atmosphere of what Lake Placid was like during that key game against the Russians. Also, "The Miracle" made a big mistake by having Al Michaels and Ken Dryden recreate their play-by-play calls and it sounds just like a recreation, which is to say, artificial and fake. The actual calls by them above the actual crowd noise used by "Miracle On Ice" are far superior.

In the end, "Miracle On Ice" may not have the production values of "Miracle", and the latter movie is a superior story of Herb Brooks the man and the coach, but as an all-around portrait of the team and the event itself, I still give the slight edge to "Miracle On Ice."

Like the previous reviewer I was 10 years old when the US Hockey Team won the gold. I remember Al Michaels yelling "Do you believe in Miracles" and my family and I glued in front of the TV set for the whole series (just like they showed in the film).

This movie (as well as the event itself) was very sentimental/inspirational to me. Jim Craig was my main inspiration and I started playing hockey in 1981 in Northern Virginia. Hockey was just not big there (actually true in most of the US) until the US won the gold. I told my parents I wanted to be just like Jim Craig. At this point my dad and I were busy destroying the family room playing floor hockey and reinacting the series and breaking my moms valuables.

Steve Guttenberg did a great job portraying the star goaltender, I remember him counting the rows looking for his father and being wrapped in the American flag.

I had never known how little time there is to pull together an Olympic hockey team! I used to pop in this movie whenever I needed a charge during my hockey season. I need to transfer it from my betamax tape (hopefully I can still find it).

One year going up north to hockey school, my parents and I visited Lake Placid in the mid 80s and we asked the security guy to let us see the rink, told him the story and he obliged. That was a real thrill. Later I had the opportunity to try out for the 1988 Olympic Hockey team . I did make it past the first regional cut(then was just outclassed) but was just happy to have a shot at the dream!

Lastly I want to say how disappointed I am that the Olympics are no longer an Amateur event, that was what made this so special. They beat the Russians, which was unheard of. The way the last US Hockey Team acted in Japan was an embarrassment to our country, they need to watch this movie to remember what the spirit of the Olympics are all about! I truly applaud the womens team which seemed to bring back that spirit when they won.

I was hoping they'd do a 20 year anniversary of it and re-release the movie on video/DVD.

I was 10 years old when our hockey teams defeated the Russians and the movie brought back memories of that. Andrew Stevens was remarkable. truly the best movie ever made. All star cast and an inspiration that instills the drive to succeed

As a 12 year-old I ate this movie up. It came on ABC on the anniversary (or thereabouts) of the Lake Placid games. It has plenty of drama off the ice, but settles for stock Olympics broadcast footage in most of the game action. As a Cold war relic, it does play up a little on the US vs. Them theme with the Soviets (a poor cousin of 'The Imperial March' plays as the USSR group marches into the opening ceremonies).

The movie plays and looks a lot like late-70's TV movies (i.e. musical interlude on a bus trip with one of the players singing "Homeward Bound" with a guitar). Casting could have been better. Andrew Stevens was a hot property for the time, but a little too severe for Mike Eruzione. Karl Malden as Herb Brooks? Twenty years too old and doesn't look remotely like him. Robert Conrad would've been a lot closer on both. Kurt Russell looks like a good choice for "Miracle".

In June of '79 I graduated high school. For the later half of the '78-'79 hockey season and the first part of the '79-'80 season I witnessed the juggernaut steamroller that was stamped "CCCP", punctuated with a hammer and sickle. I watched as it tore through the NHL that year. It didn't matter whether your team was the great Montreal Canadians, Boston Bruins or the Detroit Redwings. No one was great against the Soviet team. Exhibition game after exhibition game the Soviet team showed they were the be all, end all.

And we sent a bunch of damn college kids "where angels fear to tread . . ."

I have not seen the the remake with Kurt Russell. And I don't know that I want to get into arguments about casting, use of ABC game footage (remember though, I heard "Do you believe in miracles?" live); I will watch this movie whenever it comes around on television.

Call it nostalgia, or whatever, but I enjoy this movie each time I see it. I still get teary-eyed. It captures a moment - a quick fleeting moment. But oh - what a moment.

Watch this one for what it is and enjoy it. "Miracle on Ice" was done to celebrate a moment and the people of that moment. And for those who remember, that includes you and me.