Cool Runnings is a comedy about four Jamaicans who decide to compete in the Winter Olympics. The premise sounds ridiculous, and it mostly delivers on that promise. This 1993 film, directed by Jon Turteltaub, follows sprinter Derice Bannock (Leon) as he recruits friends Sanka Coffie (Doug E. Doug), Junior Bevil (Rawle D. Lewis) and Yul Brenner (Malik Yoba) to form Jamaica’s first bobsled team. John Candy plays the disgraced coach Irv Blitzer, whose own Olympic past is the film’s tragic engine.
The movie is a sports comedy, adventure and drama rolled into one. It is loosely based on the real debut of the Jamaican national bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The tagline promises “One dream. Four Jamaicans. Twenty below zero,” and the film spends its runtime trying to live up to that promise.
Trailer, via Disney Plus.
Derice’s Disqualification
The story opens in November 1987, with Derice training for the 100 metres race at the Summer Olympics in Seoul. He fails to advance in the trials when Junior Bevil stumbles, knocking down Derice and another competitor, Yul Brenner. Derice petitions for a rerun, but committee leader Barrington Coolidge denies him. Coolidge shows sympathy, but the decision stands.
While in Coolidge’s office, Derice spots a photograph of his late father, Ben, standing next to an Olympic gold medalist. Coolidge identifies the man as Irv Blitzer, a former bobsled champion who was disqualified for cheating in the 1972 Winter Olympics and now works as a bookie near Derice’s home. Derice realizes he can enter the upcoming Winter Olympics by forming a bobsled team.
The setup is simple, but the film leans into it. Derice’s failure is not just a setback; it is a wound. His father’s photograph hangs over the whole story, and the film keeps returning to it.
The Team Takes Shape
Derice recruits Sanka, a pushcart derby champion, and the two track down Blitzer. Blitzer initially refuses to help, but he changes his mind when he learns that Derice is Ben’s son. A recruitment drive fails when other athletes see how dangerous bobsledding is, though Junior agrees to join because he does not want to wait four years for the next summer Olympics. Yul joins to get off the island, though he is unhappy at having Junior as his teammate.
The team trains with Blitzer, but Coolidge refuses to provide the money needed to participate. He believes the team’s inexperience will embarrass Jamaica. Derice fails to find sponsors, and he, Sanka and Yul raise no funds themselves. Junior sells his car to finance the trip.
The film’s pacing here is steady. The team’s formation is a chain of small defeats, each one pushing the story forward. The refusal of funding, the lack of sponsors, Junior selling his car — these are the obstacles that keep the comedy from turning into a straight feel-good story.
The Calgary Trip
Upon reaching Calgary, Blitzer registers the team and borrows a rundown sled. The film then moves into its second half, where the actual competition begins. The race itself is the climax, and the film builds toward it with a series of setbacks and small victories.
The humor is broad and physical. The four men are clearly out of their element on the ice. Doug E. Doug’s Sanka is the comic center, and his energy carries scenes that might otherwise sag. Malik Yoba’s Yul is the skeptic, and his unhappiness with Junior drives much of the tension.
John Candy’s Blitzer is the heart of the film. He is a washed-up coach who has lost everything, and he finds redemption in these four young men. Candy plays him with warmth and a kind of exhausted charm. The film’s best scenes are the ones where Blitzer teaches the team how to push and how to steer, and Candy gets to show his range.
The Cast and the Score
The cast is the film’s strength. Leon brings a earnestness to Derice that grounds the story. Doug E. Doug plays Sanka with a wild energy that fits the absurdity of the premise. Rawle D. Lewis, who had little acting experience before the film and was first sought as a dialect coach, holds his own. Malik Yoba’s Yul is the grump, and he gives the film its friction.
John Candy anchors everything. He was hired to play Blitzer after Disney executives reportedly wanted Kurt Russell for the role. Candy insisted on the part and agreed to take a pay cut. That commitment shows in the performance. He is the film’s emotional center, and his death scene — a moment that hits harder than the film’s tone suggests it should — is a reminder of why Candy’s career mattered.
The score, composed by Hans Zimmer, is functional. It does not overwhelm the scenes, which is wise. The film’s theme song is a cover of “I Can See Clearly Now” by Jimmy Cliff, and it reached number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Reception and Legacy
Cool Runnings was theatrically released in the United States on October 1, 1993, by Buena Vista Pictures. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its humor, tone and cast performances. The film grossed $154.9 million worldwide.
The film was originally envisaged as a sports drama. Jeremiah S. Chechik and Brian Gibson were attached to direct before dropping out, leading to Turteltaub being hired. Leon was cast in 1989, followed by Doug and Yoba a year later. Lewis joined in November 1992. Principal photography began in February 1993 and lasted until that March, with filming locations including Kingston, Discovery Bay and Calgary.
Cool Runnings is Candy’s final film released in his lifetime. It remains a staple of family viewing, and its message — that you can chase a dream even when everyone else thinks you are crazy — has aged better than most comedies of its era.
Verdict
Cool Runnings is a silly movie that mostly earns its silliness. It is a comedy built on a true story, and it treats that story with respect even as it exaggerates it. The performances are strong across the board, and Candy’s presence gives the film a weight that its premise does not fully deserve.
The film’s flaws are predictable. The jokes are sometimes too broad, and the story occasionally rushes through its middle section to reach the payoff. But the payoff lands. The final race is tense, and the film’s themes — determination, friendship, the absurdity of dreams — land with surprising force.
| Element | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Premise | Original and absurd | Predictable |
| Humor | Broad but effective | Sometimes too broad |
| Performance | Strong ensemble, especially Candy | Minor |
| Pacing | Steady | Rushes through middle |
| Message | Earns its sincerity | Minor |
Cool Runnings is not a masterpiece, but it is a well-made comedy with a beating heart. It respects its audience enough to let the jokes land and the emotions breathe. The film’s success comes from the performers and the direction, not the script, and both hold up.
This is a film that knows what it wants to be and mostly succeeds at being it. The laughter is genuine, and the ending feels earned. It is a movie about chasing a dream, and it does not waste a single minute telling you why that is important.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
