A cliché sports film has never looked so good.

“Eddie the Eagle,” directed by Dexter Fletcher and starring Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman, moves past being the same sports movie you have seen a million times and becomes entertaining.

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Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards, played by Egerton, is a misunderstood, young man. All he ever wanted was to be an Olympian, but always lacked the athletic ability to do so. Everyone around him tends to make sure he knows this as well.

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But after many sports, Edwards discovers ski jumping, which England has no Olympic team for. Ski jumping seems like an easy task for Edwards, until he actually sees the sport in action.

However, the danger never makes him falter, and with the help of a legend in the sport, played by Jackman, he might have a chance at his dream.

“Eddie the Eagle” is an oddity, much like the man it is based on. It is everything you feared from the trailer. The film rides a thin line between being ho-hum and uninspired and being fun and entertaining.

What saves this movie is it differences from its athletics-based predecessors.

There are a lot of cool and new aspects brought to the table for “Eddie the Eagle,” from a 1980s inspired synth score to a message from left field. There is a lot going for this movie.

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The score sounds like it is straight from a John Carpenter movie, with its synthesized beats. It not only gets the blood flowing, but also is somewhat unheard of for a sports flick, which are known usually for more classical scores and old-man rock.  

Not to mention, Jackman and Egerton are fantastic and have great chemistry together.

Jackman gives high-bar performances for everything he does, even trash like “Van Helsing.” Egerton on the other hand, is a newcomer. This and his performance in “Kingsman: The Secret Service” cement him as someone to look out for in future roles.

Even when the character Eddie Edwards is a bit boring, and he does get boring in this film, Egerton brings you back in and makes him unique. His full throttle commitment to the various ticks of the character make him enduring and interesting.

But this movie still falls into a lot of sports movie troupes.

At this film’s worst moments, it feels like the awful movie “Invincible.” Any sports film platitude, cliché or whatever you want to call out there, this movie tends to hit.

There is the misunderstood underdog, the coach with a troubled past and a drinking problem, a father who does not support the main character’s dream; these are just some of many that bring the film down. 

Yet, with these problems, the movie remains entertaining and fun. 

Stars: 3 out of 5

Jacob Pierce can be reached at [email protected] or 618-536-3325