Cool Runnings

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution | Release Date: October 1, 1993

CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION

60	METASCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews

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Mixed:

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Critic Reviews

Critic score Publication By date

100

Peter Stack

It's the kind of movie you may approach with a show-me attitude, only to be won over to its hip sense of fun and a gentle humanity that lets you walk away with a glow. [1 Oct 1993, p.C1]

Richard Harrington

A wholesome, engaging, frequently hilarious, ultimately inspirational film. Read full review

David Anthony

Though it certainly has faults, which only the extremely nostalgic could ignore, the film bests its contemporaries through its ability to unite childlike comedy and adult concerns without ever obscuring one with the other. Read full review

The TelegraphMarc Lee

Cool Runnings is a charming tale of determined underdogs, with plenty of laughs, moments of real tension, and five engaging performances. Read full review

Leonard Klady

Director Jon Turteltaub has a fresh, uncluttered approach to the story that allows its natural warmth and humor to dominate. The classic underdog script provides a positive minority perspective without the usual downside, self-conscious righteousness. Read full review

Janet Maslin

A cute, buoyant sports fantasy, jolted along by a reggae soundtrack and playfully acted by an appealing cast. This new Disney comedy is slick, funny and warmhearted, very much in the old-fashioned Disney mode. Read full review

Kevin Thomas

A sweet-natured, high-spirited comedy, that rare movie that plays effectively to all ages. Even rarer, it celebrates genuine sportsmanship, placing the emphasis back on how the game is played in the face of the winning-is-everything philosophy that permeates every aspect of contemporary life. [1 Oct 1993, p.F4]

Jeff Shannon

The most enjoyable mainstream comedy since "Sister Act." It's slim, it's superficial and it hedges every commercial bet in the book. But for some reason, none of this prevents it from being a whole lotta fun. [1 Oct 1993, p.D16]

Roger Ebert

The problem with a story like this is that it's almost too perfect. It tends to break out of the boundaries of the typical sports movie, and undermine those easy cliches that are so reassuring to sports fans. Read full review