Makes Good Use of it's 'Rags to Riches' Formula

Rating: Null/10 (13 March 2004)

9 out of 10
Inspiring and exhilarating story about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that broke long odds by beating the mighty Russian team and eventually going on to win the gold medal.
This film gives off a rousing spirit that can be equaled to the one given off by the classic ROCKY picture. One almost wants to jump from their seat and cheer. This a very unique brand of movie because you know exactly what is going to happen and yet it only makes it all the more exciting. It has a marvelous structure that takes things from the 'blueprint' stage to the final stage. You see everything from the hiring of coach Brooks, to the selecting of players, their rigorous conditioning and eventual molding. You see how this really wasn't a 'miracle' at all, but instead just good strategy and a lot of hard work and sacrifice.
This is a film that can be appreciated by a true sports fan as well as a player or coach. It sticks to the basic story and by and large keeps things real. There are no unnecessary story threads or exaggerations. On the whole it is accurate and amazingly detailed. It captures the era well and should bring back a strong feeling of emotion and nostalgia to those who lived through it.
Russell at first seems miscast as Herb Brooks. He wears a puffy hairpiece that looks absolutely awful on him. The plaid pants he wears look almost as garish. His Minnesota accent seems a little goofy at first, but by and large he stays pretty consistent with it. Eventually he starts to really melt into the role. His body language resembles the real Brooks and by the end you start to believe he is Brooks. The way he chews his gum behind the bench during the games looks exactly the way a real coach does. This is one of Russell's best acting jobs and deserves Oscar consideration.
It's hard to find anything too critical about this film. The "Dream On" song by Aerosmith, that is played over the closing credits, seems to edgy for the material however the rest of the music is excellent. It would also have been nice to see what the players look like today instead of just reading tidbits about what they are all now doing. The crowd in this film cannot equal the enthusiasm of the real crowd. It might have worked better had it been filmed in the U.S. and an actual American crowd been used.
It is unfortunate that those in Canada dislike this movie because they consider it pro-American. This film is not about politics of even hockey for that matter. This film is about having big dreams and the exhilaration that comes when they are finally met. It's just the same old 'rags to riches' formula, but it's very well done.