Like all sports movies, this is black and white and predictable all over. Let's face it, there's no suspense in who's going to win the climatic game, regardless of whether you look up who won the real game. It's the journey that matters. In this case, the game itself had a lot more significance due to the state of America at the time, and it was emphasized to a reasonable degree. I'm sure that a lot of people who remember the real game enjoyed reliving the event and some of their own experiences during that time.Most of the movie shows the pre-olympics training and Herb Brooks' challenge of coaching twenty college hockey players to beat the worlds greatest team, Russia. There is a lot of the standard inspirational coach speeches, training scenes, and team togetherness that you find in any sports movie that doesn't double as a comedy. There are no real subplots unless you count the couple scenes where Herb has to figure out how to balance his family and the Olympic team. Herb Brooks is pretty much the only character of notable significance. He delivers on his word to not be the players' friend and doesn't stand for any slackers. The other coaches are developed but aren't especially important. The same goes for most of the players, though Jim Craig, Jack O'Callahan, and Mike Eruzione are fairly prominent. They players all look pretty much the same, especially when they're in pads and helmets, which is unfortunate because it makes it hard to keep up with conversations involving the players.The presentation of the hockey games and practices is pretty well done in terms of camera-work and the sequences included. The only exception to this for me is in the climatic game against the Soviets where every goal is done in slow motion. There doesn't seem to be much point in adding drama to a goal if you don't do it to every shot on goal. Not to say that they should have shown all forty odd shots by the U.S. team, but the slow- mo was unnecessary.The acting was pretty good considering that the actors were all chosen for their hockey ability rather than their acting ability. So the list of recognizable names on the cast list will most likely end shortly after Kurt Russell.Honestly, I hope there isn't another Olympic rivalry movie like this, because it sort of ruins the unifying spirit that the Olympics are supposed to embody. I'm not trying to negate the positive impact the U.S. victory generated. Sports have similar effects on a smaller scale all the time. But it was also a cause for some racism that was already at a fever pitch. I suspect that anyone who has fond memories of the actual event would enjoy this movie, but for anyone else, it might seem as clichéd as all the other sports movies out there. Overall Rating: 7.2/10.

As of this writing it is ten years past the release of the movie and a full 34 tears past the actual events. This is the story of one of the greatest sports upsets of all time and one hockey match which loomed larger than just another game.Everyone knows the story of the 1980 Men's Hockey team which stunned the world with an unthinkable Gold medal and a rousing (though stressful) medal round win against a vastly superior USSR team. Sports commentators of the time likened it to seeing a bunch of guys from Canada get together, form a football team and then beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.The producers of the movie deftly set up the context of the political unease between the Soviets and Americans and how America was desperate for some good news back in those days. There was an ongoing hostage crisis in Iran, an energy crisis and a collective crisis of identity for the entire nation.Another way "Miracle" excels is that it shows the human side of the whole preparation for the games and the drama that occurred. There are as many scenes with Herb Brooks and his wife as there are the coach and his players.Finally the hockey game between the Soviets and the Americans is beautifully staged and choreographed and makes the viewer forget he/she is watching a recreation of the event. Everyone in the whole world knows the outcome of the game yet it is still thrilling.Kurt Russell became Herb Brooks just as the group of actor/hockey players became the 1980 American Hockey team. In all, this is one of the greatest sports movies ever made.

The movie Miracle is much more than your typical American patriotism movie. With the stellar acting, and spirited directing, Miracle extends beyond the reach of inspirational films and into the realm of pure excellence. After watching the film, one is left with a feeling of great patriotism nationalism and belief in one's country. Kurt Russell delivers the performance of his lifetime as he portrays Herb Brooks, a hard-nosed, passionate United States national hockey coach. Russell captures the character of Herb Brooks and develops his own passion as an actor. The active pacing back and forth and fast-paced and overdramatic gum-chewing helps Russell in fully becoming the head coach of the United States hockey team. One of Russell's most memorable scenes in the film is when he delivers a speech to the team when they are experiencing some adversity. Russell displays true acting brilliance as he is able to fully grasp the fierceness and desire for greatness that Brooks displayed when actually giving the speech. Even the casual viewer will feel the effect of this speech and feel that same desire for greatness in their own life. The constant action and dramatic moments of the movie will keep anyone on the edge of their seat and begging for more. Complementing the impeccable acting by Kurt Russell and others is the determined directing of Gavin O'Connor. Mr. O'Connor makes it much more than just a sports film about an average hockey team that rises to glory. He uses the historical events of the time to show how Americans can rally behind a cause, even when times are tough. The way that O'Connor is able to portray the struggles of a young team on their Olympic journey depicts perfectly the way Americans were struggling as a country to combine as one in their Cold War pursuits against the Soviet Union. O'Connor incorporates real-life events all throughout the film. This includes the way that the film begins with a brief historical year by year review and news clips with current events of the time scattered in. The current events that are displayed in the film really help to make the viewer feel that the film is more realistic and are instrumental in conveying the common themes of patriotism and extreme nationalism. Contributing to the overall greatness of the film is the dramatic scenes involving the trials and tribulations of representing one's country on the world's grandest stage. One scene in particular that I will choose to focus on is the semifinal game against the Soviet Union. The United States had been embarrassed by this team in the past as the Soviet Union were in a class all to themselves. Being a young, inexperienced team, the US was a major underdog in this matchup. After coming together as one, UNITED team, will the Americans be able to match the Soviets in strength and speed and beat the greatest team ever assembled? My all-time favorite part of the movie is when Al Michaels coined his famous phrase, "5 seconds left in the game, do you believe in miracles?! YES!" As an avid wrestler, I often used mental preparation as a big part of my success. Before every big match that I ever had, and I mean EVERY big match, I would watch Miracle in its entirety. The feeling of great inspiration and drive for success that I got after watching this film made me feel as if I could accomplish anything I put my mind to, a feeling that is exactly what Gavin O'Connor does such a remarkable job conveying. Well done Mr. O'Connor, well done.

The movie Miracle is by far one of the greatest sports movies I have seen to this day. I can watch this movie over and over and, even though I already know the outcome of the movie, I am inspired every time I see it. Being based off of a true story, a coach gathers a bunch of young college hockey players and puts together a team to take to the Olympics and face the professional Russian team. Despite the U.S team being young and inexperienced, their coach pushes them to another level allowing them to make a statement in the game. Their coach believes that it is more important for the U.S. Hockey team members to believe in themselves, and believe that as a team they can compete with some of the best hockey players in the world. The coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell), a former Olympic hockey player of the 1960 U.S. gold medal team, was cut by his team as a player so he returned to his love of hockey by coming back as a coach. Putting a bunch of young college kids together who were once rivals created a great challenge for everyone because they had to come together as one to take on the so-called, "Invincible Russians". The movie Miracle shows the entire story of the teams' struggles and battles and what they had to overcome to achieve a goal they were all "hungry" for. This game turned into something more than just winning the gold medal, it made a statement during the rough times our country was going through. This game was during the cold war and it provided our country a boost of morale at just the right time when everyone so desperately needed it. The movie Miracle marks an incredible part of our history by showing those who are not even familiar with the sport of hockey the importance of always trying to be the best you can be and always believe that you can do anything. Even though it is a long movie (approximately 135 minutes), it captures all of the great moments of the game; allowing you to understand everything going on and keep you on your toes. By showing all of the hard work and dedication the team has for each other and for others, it is a movie that can relate to anyone who has a background in sports. This movie is very inspiring to anyone who sees it and experiences all of the struggles the Olympic team of college kids go through together. The movie captures all of the dedication of the team members and showcases the incredible amount of conditioning Herb Brooks, their coach, puts them through to excel as hockey players. The coach wants the team to get out of their comfort zone and be the most conditioned team there is in hockey. The coach tells the team "they may beat us 9 out of 10 times, but not tonight," inspiring the team to give it their best effort. An example of this is when they show a scene when his team loses and they stay after their game to do what is now in hockey arenas all across the country as the "Herbys"; skating down the ice, stopping and starting on every line when the whistle is blown. This truly captures a moment when the team finally comes together as one and shows all of their hard work. The acting in this movie is incredible and the great shots they capture are truly amazing. I highly suggest to anyone who loves good, inspirational movies that they see the movie, Miracle. The movie tells a great story and allows it to be understood very easily. It shows the evolution of a young team shown as underdogs come to the ice and make a statement, rather than just playing a game. If you love to watch movies that have a great upset in them and that give you goose bumps from the thrilling action, this is the movie for you. Miracle is still one of the greatest sport movies out there today. It does not really focus just on the sport itself, but rather the hard work and effort it takes to overcome an obstacle and achieve success by believing that you can do anything. With the U.S beating the Russians, they sent a message to everyone that with hard work and a winning attitude, "Miracles" do happen.