When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican Bobsled Team.When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican Bobsled Team.When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican Bobsled Team.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 2 nominations total
Bertina Macaulay
- Joy Bannock
- (as Bertina Macauley)
Featured reviews
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.
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.
I have seen this movie at least 7 times and still get the greatest laugh from it. It has humor, sense of competition to win the big event with all their hearts. Just good clean overall fun and great story line which I understand was derived from a true story.
It's probably a word game that has been used many times before, but "Cool Runnings" is a very 'cool' movie that offered me a lot of fun and laughter. And since this is a comedy and not a documentary, that's all I'm asking of this movie.
If you hope to see a documentary on how the first Jamaican bobsled team was created and how they got to the Olympics than you'll have to look for something else. This movie has been inspired on the true events, but never pretends to be faithful to the truth. Does that mean that this movie isn't any good? No, certainly not. I loved to see how these four guys were transfered from sprinters to bobsledders and I couldn't help laughing all the time when seeing their reactions on, for instance, the cold and the snow.
This isn't the greatest movie ever and yes it is full of clichés, but they all work and it never bothered me once. However, don't expect to see a ridiculous comedy with no content either, because it still has a good story and plenty of emotions and excitement to offer. I reward this movie with an 8/10.
If you hope to see a documentary on how the first Jamaican bobsled team was created and how they got to the Olympics than you'll have to look for something else. This movie has been inspired on the true events, but never pretends to be faithful to the truth. Does that mean that this movie isn't any good? No, certainly not. I loved to see how these four guys were transfered from sprinters to bobsledders and I couldn't help laughing all the time when seeing their reactions on, for instance, the cold and the snow.
This isn't the greatest movie ever and yes it is full of clichés, but they all work and it never bothered me once. However, don't expect to see a ridiculous comedy with no content either, because it still has a good story and plenty of emotions and excitement to offer. I reward this movie with an 8/10.
'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.
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.
Did you know
- TriviaAt the time, it was the highest grossing live action film released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.
- GoofsThe board of results drawn up in the Jamaican village bar lists England as a competing team. England does not field separate teams in Olympic events; it only competes as part of a British team.
- SoundtracksLove You Want
Written by Winston 'Pipe' Matthews (as Winston Matthews), Lloyd McDonald, and Richard Feldman
Performed by Wailing Souls
Courtesy of Chaos/Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
- How long is Cool Runnings?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $14,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $68,856,263
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $7,046,648
- Oct 3, 1993
- Gross worldwide
- $154,856,263
- Runtime
- 1h 38m(98 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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