Rasta Rockett

When I saw "Cool Runnings" the first time, I mostly cracked up at the line about drawing a line down the middle of Yul Brynner's head (cut me some slack; I was nine years old). Nowadays, I understand that the movie did focus on a real story and so at least had that value. While it was silly at times and did try to pull at emotions at times, I still consider it a pretty admirable movie. John Candy (who would have turned 57 today) plays one of his slightly more serious roles as the Jamaican bobsled team's manager; I always say that these movies show what we lost when he died. But among other things, I just like to see Jamaica. I mean, the country that gave us calypso and reggae also had a bobsled team! All in all, a pretty good movie.

'Cool Runnings' is one of those prized and rare animals - a genuinely feel-good family movie that doesn't also make you feel stupid.

Based (rather loosely, I suspect) on the true story of the Jamaican bobsled team who competed in the Winter Olympics, against outrageous odds, ridicule, complete lack of snow in Jamaica, etc, etc - 'Cool Runnings' hardly puts a foot wrong as it moves towards its rousing ending. That ending is genuinely inspirational, lump-in-the-throat stuff, which so many serious sports movies have aimed at, and fallen short of.

Most miraculously, from my point of view, I actually found myself _liking_ John Candy, in this movie.

I'm giving this one 8 out of 10. It achieves its goals splendidly. Be sure to give it a look if you've not seen it before.

Make no mistake, Cool Runnings is not the true story of the Jamaican Bobsled team. It is inspired by it, but this is not a documentary. Still, despite that, it does capture the spirit of the team and the derision they faced. In a fun and entertaining way, the filmmakers displayed the true lesson of the team: if you have a dream, go after it, no matter what anyone else says.

This isn't the greatest film ever and it's full of cliches; but, they work. If you can't get caught up in the emotion and excitement of the film, it's because your heart is frozen. There are plenty of laughs and general silliness, but there is also good drama and fine performances. John Candy showed he could deliver an emotional performance instead of just schtick. During the bobsled runs, you can't help but find yourself cheering for the team.

This film is a pleasure to watch and will bring a smile to your face. Is it good? Yeah, mon!

One of John Candy's best movies. An excellent cast makes this a real feel good film telling the story of the first Jamaican bobsled team and their efforts to overcome the prejudices of a previous all white sport. You'll enjoy every minute of this flick and have a better understanding of what it takes to join the Olympic movement. For the entire family.

Hands up all Jamaicans. (There are only 2.6 million people in Jamaica - so I know you don't account for a large percentage of the English-speaking world.) Hands up all those people with any interest at all in bobsledding. Hah! I knew it! No-one.

That's why `Cool Runnings' succeeds. It depends not at all on aggressive nationalism (it couldn't afford to, with a constituency of 2.6 million), and people of all countries are free to participate in the Jamaicans' perfectly reasonable patriotism. (Probably even the Swiss, whose bobsled team comes across as more than a trifle arrogant.) Nor is there any of that worship of a particular sport that makes baseball movies so unendurable for people outside of North America, Cuba and Japan. (Not that I have any evidence that baseball movies are popular in Cuba or Japan.)

There isn't any power-of-positive-thinking psychobabble, either - at least, it doesn't dominate. The four Jamaican bobsledders are separate people with different goals and ways of thinking. The coach (played beautifully by John Candy, who proves that he can act without playing the clown) doesn't ram a particular ideology down his players' throats. I doubt that any sports film has a more civilised and reasonable coach.

It comes down to this: we are given a reason to care about the characters, unrelated to nationality; and we are given a story that's worth following, even if we would never follow the sport itself. The clichés are fewer than usual and never offensive. It's a sweet film, and I doubt there's more than a handfull of people who could resist its charm.