`Miracle' is an absolute crowd pleaser that you do not simply watch; you take away an experience.

Rating: 9/10 (15 February 2004)

When one considers the odds that the United States Olympic Hockey team faced at the Winter Games of 1980, the end result can only be called miraculous-as is the case with the new film `Miracle.' Kurt Russell (`Dark Blue') stars as head coach Herb Brooks, chosen to lead the newfound team to glory. Even though the film is a tad conventional, it proves to be just as rousing and exciting as attending a real game. It all adds to the flavor of a great film that allows its audience to become a part of its magnanimity.
As the film opens we are introduced to Brooks' character, a no-nonsense kind of coach who has a new way of beating the famed Russian Hockey team-by learning their techniques. A simply concept, but a crucial one. Furthermore, Brooks encourages his team to get to know each other and become friends.
In one scene, where old rivalries erupt between two players on the U.S. team, Brooks lets them fight it out. When they are finished, he says, `That look like hockey to you? To me it looks like two monkeys trying to hump a football.' The point being that this kind of behavior and old tensions is not going to exist on his team. He also makes it a point to say that when the team puts on their jerseys, the name on the front means more than the name on the back. In other words, these men were representing the USA and they we not going to make a spectacle of themselves over childish issues. In the end, Brooks shapes the men to be more than hockey players, but heroes during a time when the Cold War was strong. They were a symbol of the breaking of barriers between political rivalries, and the joining of athletes for the love of the game.	The film's strongest points are in its cinematography. In several practice and game scenes, the camera gets right in the action. There are shots where ice crystals hit the lens. This gives the film the essence of realism-its not a visual effect, the ice is real and these men, although actors, are real hockey players.	Moreover, the camera does quick zoom-ins to grab the facial expressions of its characters; much like it would if it were a real game being filmed. This gives the audience another point of realism that makes the film feel more authentic. It is that authenticity that makes so many audience members want to cheer and applaud at the screen.	It is difficult to find fault with the acting. It is almost as realistic as it can get, except for a few minor problems-this is a Disney release and its PG rating naturally implies it being kid-friendly. In one scene, Brooks yells at a team member for not wanting to play because he a bruise on his leg. Brooks orders his player to get back on the ice and walks away from his saying he is a candy-ass. The player's response is simply to yell, `What do you want from me!' This has to toned down from anything that really happened-if a player, whom is injured and tired, is called a candy-ass by his coach, it seems only natural that a few other choice words would come out of his mouth.	Nonetheless, `Miracle' is an absolute crowd pleaser that you do not simply watch; you take away an experience. ***1/2