This is a movie that's been on my radar to review but most importantly be sure to review because of its importance in America History as well as being one of the greatest moments in Sports History. Miracle tells the story about the 1980's USA Hockey team that no one ever expected to do the unthinkable, which was to beat the greatest Hockey team of the once Soviet Union. This has been a game that everyone knows about even me when I watched Al Michaels Great Sports Moments of the 80's. And when I heard Disney was turning this into a movie, I was just excited especially when they cast Kurt Russell to play the greatest American Hockey Coach, Herb Brooks. And with all the things that are happening right now in the world, Miracle is defiantly a film worth watching from start to finish.
When College coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) is hired to helm the 1980 U.S. men's Olympic hockey team, he brings a unique and brash style to the ice. After assembling a team of hot-headed college all-stars, who are humiliated in an early match, Brooks unites his squad against a common foe, the heavily favored Soviet team. As the U.S. squad tries to overcome insurmountable odds and win the gold medal, the team becomes microcosm for American patriotism during the Cold War.
Now having spent so much time trying to think of what my talk should be about Miracle the film itself; I must take a moment to reflect on my love for the sport of Hockey. And in all trustfulness it really started with Wayne Gretzky wearing a St. Louis Blues sweater along with the ever great Brett Hull, for which being a young kid slowly growing into a young Cardinals fan then seeing Gretzky playing for Blues in St. Louis it was like well it has to be fate that I would fall in love with the Blues, and of course when you’re a kid going to school you really don't have a lot of time to watch Hockey and so fast forward to the year 2014 and this is when the Winter Olympics where hosted in Sochi, Russia moreover I was sleeping and my mom woke me up and said that history was being made and she told me to turn on and watch the United States hockey team against the Russian Hockey team and really it was almost like a Deja vu in a sense because it was almost like re-watching the 1980 game against US and Soviets. And I am not going to lie when I say that the 2014 Winter Olympics and that game was all I needed to say that game was the greatest thing I ever seen, especially of all people to win the game it was T.J. Oshie who at the time was playing for the St. Louis Blues win the game in a spectacular shootout. So, deep down it was really my mom that drew me back into the love of Hockey and I can say that because her and my dad drove up to my grandpa’s house while listening to that 1980 game. I've said it so many times before in my life time Al Michael's great sports moments of the 80's VHS tape was my first introduction to the Miracle on Ice and I've watched the game via ESPN Classic's back when there was such a thing as ESPN Classic on cable, and so hearing that Disney is making a movie about the Miracle on Ice, hell even I was excited to watch because I wanted to know the full story of Herb Brooks and the 1980 USA Hockey team. And my first time watching the movie at a young age I was always surprised but was just at awed of how they were able to film those Hockey sequences and now twenty years moreover fully matured (hopefully) I understand and cherish the story of one man doing the unthinkable moreover making us believe in miracles, hell even I truly believe in miracles especially after the Blues won the Stanley Cup back in 2019. The movie alone is a true testament in what a true Hollywood sports movie should be it follows the central coach as well as its players and Kurt Russell playing Herb Brooks was a match made in Heaven and Russell spent a lot of time with Brooks through the course of the pre-production process. When you make a movie about Hockey the worst thing you can possibly do is just recreate the whole Hockey game as well as the many face-offs it has as well as the many stoppage it contains, and really what makes Miracle great is that it does recreate the Hockey match but doesn't stop the gas pedal until the final buzzer of each period and Miracle director does a fantastic job at that because you defiantly have to have that suspense and the sense of danger even if you watched the 1980 game in its full or haven't seen it full. Slap Shot is no doubt a great and iconic Hockey film moreover it shows the full life of a minor league Hockey player, but really Miracle still to this day I consider one of the greatest Hockey movies of all time, because it has that amazing story of the true underdog story of David and Goliath but most importantly is a great rejuvenation of being proud of being an American. Even if you're not a Hockey fan Miracle is that one film that you can turn on and watch till the final frame while Slap Shot, you'd feel confused so in all honesty Miracle will always be that great Hockey movie moreover just like Major League or Field of Dreams being that one iconic baseball film. The fact that it's been twenty years since the film’s release, Miracle still holds the test of time in being that iconic Hockey film to watch but most importantly take you back to where you were when the Miracle on Ice happen. So, as of right now it's February 22nd today (which marks the 44th Anniversary of the event) as in such a proper manner what better way to access your Disney + account or you have a copy of Miracle on DVD or Blu-Ray I would most certainly sit down and watch this outstanding Hockey movie to ever be made in Hollywood.
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