OK, but nothing special

Rating: 6/10 (2 July 2005)

It was another Cinderella sports story, the same kind that we've seen a zillion times before. It may have been better than most, but that doesn't change the cookie-cutter feel.
One jarring note, however, was the choice of Noah Emmerich as Craig Patrick. After taking so much trouble to have Kurt Russell look and act some much like Herb Brooks, why did they go out a pick Noah Emmerich to play Craig Patrick? Emmerich looks and acts nothing like Craig Patrick. It is jarring to see the plump guy with lots of hair playing a thin guy with no hair. It really was an irritation through the movie. The director said that Emmerich was a friend of his, so that's obviously the reason. Too bad he picked friendship over making the best possible movie.
The best actor in the movie was the guy who played Mikhailov. His smirk when he first lined up against the US team was absolutely priceless.