When Jamaican sprinter Derice Bannock (played by Leon) fails to qualify for the Summer Olympics, he maintains his competitive dream by forming the first–ever Jamaican bobsled team to participate in the Winter Games. Bannock and teammates enlist former disgraced bobsledder Irv (John Candy) as coach and begin their journey in one of the more improbable (and true) underdog stories in motion pictures.
ClearPlay In Action!
This Disney sports movie got its PG rating for some scatological language, which is edited in the ClearPlayed version. There are also some scary bobsled crashes. Nevertheless, Cool Runnings will be enjoyed by all but the most cynical family members (Jamaican stereotypes notwithstanding).
Will the bobsled movie have me running for the video store?…
If you haven’t seen Cool Runnings, what’s taken you so long? It’s likable on every level, with some interesting conflicts based on fact, and plenty of complications totally made up for the movie. It wrings entertainment out of what had already become a national punch line (Jamaican bobsledders!). Clichés? More than you can shake a ski pole at. But when you’re having this much fun, who cares?
Marty Nabhan—ClearPlay Olympic Movie–Watching Team
Rated PG for mild language and brief violence; 98 min; Directed by Jon Turteltaub
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