X
- 1993
- PG
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- 1 h 38 m
- 1993
- PG
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- 1 h 38 m
Summary When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach (John Candy) to establish the first Jamaican Bobsled Team.
Directed By: Jon Turteltaub
Written By: Lynn Siefert, Michael Ritchie, Tommy Swerdlow, Michael Goldberg
- 1993
- PG
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- 1 h 38 m
- 1993
- PG
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- 1 h 38 m
Cool Runnings
60
7.5
Where to Watch
Summary When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach (John Candy) to establish the first Jamaican Bobsled Team.
Directed By: Jon Turteltaub
Written By: Lynn Siefert, Michael Ritchie, Tommy Swerdlow, Michael Goldberg
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
60
53% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
35% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
12% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
60
53% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
35% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
12% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
It's the kind of movie you may approach with a show-me attitude, only to be won over to its hip sense of fun and a gentle humanity that lets you walk away with a glow. [1 Oct 1993, p.C1]
A sweet-natured, high-spirited comedy, that rare movie that plays effectively to all ages. Even rarer, it celebrates genuine sportsmanship, placing the emphasis back on how the game is played in the face of the winning-is-everything philosophy that permeates every aspect of contemporary life. [1 Oct 1993, p.F4]
Director Jon Turteltaub has a fresh, uncluttered approach to the story that allows its natural warmth and humor to dominate. The classic underdog script provides a positive minority perspective without the usual downside, self-conscious righteousness.
The problem with a story like this is that it's almost too perfect. It tends to break out of the boundaries of the typical sports movie, and undermine those easy cliches that are so reassuring to sports fans.
You'll figure out just about everything that's going to happen in Cool Runnings, a congenial Disney comedy, quicker than an icicle melts in Kingston. [4 Oct 1993, p.4D]
Cool Runnings has a great premise: a movie based on the true story of the Jamaican bobsledders who amused the world at the 1988 Olympics. But this Disney film, a stale and out-of-date offering, is far less interesting than seeing the real athletes during the Olympic telecasts.
In his prime, co-writer Michael Ritchie might have turned this into a caustic Downhill Racer or Bad News Bears-style critique of professional sporting values. Director Turteltaub, on the other hand, patronises both characters and audience with daft knockabout humour, tear-jerking sentiment and racial stereotyping which skates on very thin ice.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 31 User Ratings
7.5
68% Positive
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
32% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 31 User Ratings
7.5
68% Positive
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
32% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Awards
BMI Film & TV Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Golden Screen, Germany
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Casting Society of America, USA
• 1 Nomination
