Mopower

Are you sure? My guide says it's the docudrama Miracle on Ice. The movie about the game. ???

El Scorcho

Mopower:

Tonight on ESPN Classic:
8 ET: SportsCentury: Jim Craig
8:30 ET: The Making of Walt Disney's "Miracle"
9 ET: Classic Big Ticket: U.S. vs. USSR


http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=1727178

Goldberg74

We've got a sitter and we are going to go see it tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait to see it. I'll report on it tomorrow.

Patman

This film portrays the impact of an improbable sports event outcome on the world stage to elevate a nation's spirits when it needed it the most.

Sure, it's "Rocky on skates" but the journey of taking a bunch of hockey players and turning them into the team that gives the Soviet hockey team a run for its money is done well, with nary a mis-step in terms of a non-meandering narrative, so the flow is good, and the 3rd act propels the viewer back to that magical time where such a sporting event could lift up a nation's hopes and dreams and provided plenty of inspiration to work harder and smarter to face adversity head-on and commit to a team concept fully and wholely.

And if you're not cheering and applauding by the end of the film, you're sitting on your hands!

In some respects, I would have liked a longer version of the film, just so I would get more background of all of these courageous and spirited US hockey players because I think it would have been time well spent.

I give is 3 stars or a grade of B.

Kaffe_02

Just saw this movie. I really enjoyed it but then I like pretty much every hockey movie. The story was predictable but it was really heart warming. The movie moves very fluidly from one thing to the next. I really like how they made it more of a documenterary with tight shots than the large panoramic shots. The spirit of the movie is so wonderful and really gives you something to cheer about and it is really a feel good movie.

I give this one 5 stars.

Kal-El

Saw it today and I loved it. Since I'm not from this country, I only learned about this even thru the HBO Documentary. I was smiling all throughout the Olympics segment of the movie. I think Kurt was perfect for the role.

One little thing that I would have like to see was the faces of the REAL players side-by-side with the actors who played them in the credits instead of just the actors'.

Andalusia

Just saw it tonight. I enjoyed it a lot, and the hockey scenes were filmed really well. One nitpick, it got kinda hard to keep track of the players after a while, but that's probably just my problem. U-S-A!! U-S-A!! Boooo commie bastards!

The Nature Boy

The best film released pre-April that I've seen in ages(but The Dreamers looks like a possible contender for that insignifcant title). You know the result, but you might not know the story, and therein lies the glory in this one. I'm really not a Kurt Russell fan, but this is a career performance by him for me, and he'd be a longshot and long forgotten, but I think he's legitmately a candidate for next year's Oscar.

Far and away the most faithful adaptation I've seen to a story in sports, or perhaps anything. Very authentic feel, and definately not the usual cast of teen soap opera kids. Good actors who were believible and didn't appear to be playing dress up, like in so many period pieces about the 70's. Could be more than one breakout star in this bunch. The only quibbles I could find, and these are really splitting hairs and only raised because it was so accurate:


Again, minor quibbles, and more historical footnotes I'm curious about if anyone knows.

As for the cinematography, off the charts in this one. Previously, the best ingame sports action I ever saw caught on film was "Any Given Sunday". That is what it looks like to play football. I haven't played hockey on a competitive level, but it really seemed to capture the speed of the game and was something special. And the choregraphy of the action was so faithfully represented,


I would urge everyone to see this in an evening or weekend show in the theater. People were clapping and cheering in all the right spots, and that's pretty unique at the movie house in my experience. A nice little "U-S-A" chant got going too. It's a nice movie to see with an audience.

Highly recommended, and must see if a sports fan.

The Nature Boy

My girlfriend said the same thing. I gotta agree.

Vonner

Sernov

Just saw it last night, tried to go last week for the sneak preview and it was sold out an hour before. Got there earlier and got in this time, still to a packed house. I've never been a real big fan of Kurt Russell, but he wowed me with this performance. I had forgotten it was him, as he really immersed himself as Herb Brooks.

The only nitpicks were the "family" scenes, would have like to have seen more background on the players or the aura of the Soviet Olympic might etc... and maybe the could have expanded on the winning moment a little bit more. Otherwise, give it a 5 Star performance. Hopefully there will be enough buzz for Russell during awards time.

FiveO

I'd agree that Russell did a great job as Brooks. Being from Minnesota, knowing Brooks demeanor a bit, Russell was wonderful.

Wonderful film. May even go see it again. Definite buy on DVD for me when it comes out.

I'd also like to see Russell get a nod come awards time.

eXcentris

According to the hockey sportswriters of my local paper who analyzed the film vs the actual game, you lose. There were several important moments of the US - Russia hockey game that were either ignored or changed to make the US look good and the Soviets look bad. Not that I really care.

auddette

I saw the movie yesterday. Let me say that it was nice to see a movie that made you "REMEMBER". When i use that term i mean remember where you were, who you were with and how they reacted at the time. At the time that the game took place I was only 5 years old, however i remember it like it was yesterday. My dad and I were in the livingroom watching it together. That's right together. It was one of the first times that I can go back and remember us being together and just the picture of his smile when it was over was priceless. With all that was going on at the time (which i think the movie portrayed very well) it was one of the only times that I can remember him with a HUGE smile on his face. I started playing hockey myself a year before that and let me tell you it made going to the rink at five in the morning for practice a little eaiser. For all the critics of the movie if you want to put down the wasy the movie was done or the angles of the camera go for it. If you put down the IDEA of the movie and how these kids made the counrty for maybe even one second smile then shame on you. It is one of the best moments in sports or even american history because of the time it took place. So to make a movie about this I think is great and a tribute to a bunch of hockey players that played on the ice like most americans live every day. With HEART!!!! USA!!! USA!!! DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!!!! YES!!! YES!!!!

hytec

so let me get this straight...you're saying you liked the movie?

auddette

To answer that question in one word:


YES

javanut

Loved that Buzz Schneider's son Billy played him in the movie.

EXCELLENT movie. easily the best movie I've seen so far this year - granted it's early in the year, but still.

Iron_Giant

I will see it in the movie theater, but I can't wait for the DVD.

There should lots of specail features:
1. Highlights (of all the games) or the whole USA/Russian) Hockey game
2. Interviews from each player
3. Making of (all the different features that go with it)
4. History of Herb Brooks
5. Where are the players now (both USA and Russian)
6. History of Olympic hockey
7. Commentary by actors and the real hockey players

Pants

I hope it has the great documentary I saw last year that was on either HBO or ESPN.

jekbrown

Having seen the film now it seems pretty clear that someone beat the left wing wackos in hollywood (who might have screwed this movie up) with a hockey stick. Indeed they did portray the Soviets as the "bad guys", which seems entirely appropriate considering the film talks a lot about the meaning of the event outside of the game itself.

At any rate, I thought it was a great movie and I too would be very interested in a slightly longer cut that had more character building backround type stuff early on... it all makes the ending/game playing more powerful. I really like good sports movies... and for me, Miracle ranks right up there with the Natural, Rudy, and Seabiscuit.

j

Kal-El

"Do You Believe in Miracles? - The story of the 1980 Olympic US Hockey Team"

Yep, I'd love to have that too, but since it's already out on its own DVD, I now doubt it.

chanster

Dude. Give me a break. If you knew anything about the Soviet team back in that day, you would know they were the best and the toughest. The movie didn't make them out as the bad guys. The Soviet team was getting old at that point, and the actors picked for the Soviet team showed what they were - old veterans. It didn't portray them as cheap artists except for the one slash during the game, which wasn't portrayed as anything that negative. If you don't think slashing goes on in a hockey game, you are just wrong.

Take a look at any really old player in the NHL right now - Chris Chelios, Steve Yzerman - and they look the same - weathered, but strong as hell.

I really didn't see anything bad about the Soviet team in the movie. They are called the best. As for the politics, the Soviets had just invaded Afghanistan, which would you make you look pretty bad no matter what (see how the US is looking for invading Iraq)

B.A.

I saw it last weekend in a packed theater. Good movie - ***1/2 out of *****.

Kurt Russell was excellent and the cast of players were pretty good, too.

Iron_Giant

I have not sceen the movie yet, but somehow I do not see "Left Coast Hollywood" giving best actor award to a super pro America movie.

I hope I am wrong because I would love to see Russell win it, he has been a fun actor to watch since the 70's. The first movie I saw him in was "The computer that wore tennis shoes".

USA, USA, USA...

Patman

The timing of release of the film will work against Russell for a Best Actor nod come next year.