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Parents' Guide to

Cool Runnings

By Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Delightful, tween-friendly story of Jamaican bobsledders.

Movie PG 1993 98 minutes
Cool Runnings Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 18 parent reviews

Fiamancinidurrett
Fiamancinidurrett Parent of 11-year-old
February 11, 2022
age 7+

love the hard teamwork

i love how they keep going even though people make fun of them and are very rude. i love all the teamwork and how they stick together.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much consumerism
1 person found this helpful.
JackTheHammer13
JackTheHammer13 Parent of 7, 9, 12 and 14-year-old
December 14, 2022
age 7+

Funny movie

A really good movie briefly addresses racism and stereotypes from other countries, hilarious parts, cartoonish-style brawl w/ broken bottles and such, good ol' underdogs prevail

This title has:

Great messages
See all 18 parent reviews

What's the Story?

COOL RUNNINGS is loosely based on the real-life 1988 Jamaican bobsled team. When an accident prevents Derice Bannock (Leon) from making Jamaica's Olympic track team, he searches for another way to compete. Derice convinces Irv Blitzer (John Candy), a former gold medalist, to coach his team. The team overcomes some serious setbacks to make it to the Olympic games.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (18 ):
Kids say (31 ):

You've seen this underdog material done before, from the sublime Rocky to the embarrassingly cliched (virtually any Rocky sequel). Cool Runnings taps both qualities. At one end you've got the Jamaican team, a colorful, contrived bunch of squabblers who predictably learn to pull together and defy their detractors (mainly a rival team of stereotyped East German Nazi-Commie storm troopers). But then comes the real-world finale, when the heroes lose the race but achieve a much greater goal, symbolizing what the Olympics truly mean to athletes around the globe. Seldom in sports movies has defeat looked so noble.

Younger viewers may want to learn more about Olympic bobsledding, or Jamaica, if only to sort out the facts from the fiction. The novice 1988 Jamaican bobsledders were actually conceived by a businessman and an ex-diplomat, and they did wipe out in the midst of a spectacular performance. "Irv," however, and the other characters are screenwriter inventions, and they seem like it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why the filmmakers made things up for the movie, rather than sticking with the true story. Why do you think that happens?

  • Is bobsledding as engaging a sport as football, baseball, or basketball? Why or why not?

  • What is the movie saying about sportsmanship and the spirit of the Olympic Games?

Movie Details

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