Most sports movies are centred on popular sports. Football has Mike Bassett: England Manager, Escape to Victory and The Damned United, for example. American Football has Any Given Sunday, Baseball has Moneyball. Boxing has a ton even when you take Rocky out of the equation, and even Golf has Caddyshack and Happy Gilmore. The more niche sports do not generate as many popular movies (let’s face it, kabaddi has never troubled the silver screen).
As Borg vs McEnroe hits the big screen, shining a rare focus on Tennis, another of the niche sports certainly when it comes to the movies, we take a look at some of the more unusual sport based films that have hit the big screen.
Cool Runnings
Who as a kid didn’t watch Cool Runnings? Loosely based on the true story of Jamaica entering a bobsled team in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics despite, obviously, not having the most appropriate climate to prepare, it has to be one of the most rewatchable films of its type.
Sure, there are inaccuracies when comparing it to real events; the Jamaicans were welcomed rather than ridiculed, John Candy’s character is not based on any real person and the inspirational ending didn’t quite happen the same way as it did in the film, but who really cares? It’s a charming, feel good film with plenty of laughs.
Eddie the Eagle
Us Brits love an underdog (perhaps underdog should read ‘absolute no hoper giving something a best shot’) and there has been no bigger British sporting underdog, apart from maybe the 2015-2016 Leicester City squad, than Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards.
Taron Egerton went from chav turned spy in Kingsman and gangster in Legend to glasses-wearing British ski jump hopeful with skill beyond his years with consummate ease. He bounces off his coach, played by Hugh Jackman, really well, in what is, like Cool Runnings, a charming, winter sports based comedy.
Indeed both films take place during the same Winter Olympics tournament and like Cool Runnings some poetic license was taken with the story, but the end product is equally as satisfying.
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge preached this Ben Stiller/Vince Vaughn vehicle, centred on a sport that I thought ended along with Year Nine P. E lessons. Granted, I haven’t seen Dodgeball for some years but what I do remember is an extremely funny, silly film that made me laugh uncontrollably.
The supporting cast, including Justin Long and Alan Tudyk as Steve The Pirate, support Stiller and Vaughn who, while not at their best, are in good form. With a sequel in the works it’ll be interesting to see if it holds up on repeat viewing and whether it’s aged well.
The Karate Kid
Wax on, wax off, paint the fence sweep the leg Daniel-son.
Karate instructors no doubt praised the release of this movie given the influx of kids who wanted to try their hand at the martial arts seen here, troubling the wallets of their families until the novelty wore off. The Karate Kid (let me clarify here, this is the original, not the Jaden Smith remake tripe) tells the story of a kid, Daniel, who gets picked on a lot but takes up karate, tutored by the legendary Mr Miyagi, and ultimately becomes the Karate champion of his area, defeating the evil Cobra Kai do-jo.
As well as the remake, it spawned three sequels, the last of which was The Next Karate Kid with no sign of Daniel but Hilary Swank turning up as Mr Miyagi’s new protégée. Reports indicate Ralph Macchio will be reprising his signature role soon in a new sequel series, so looks like there’ll be more waxing on and off to come.
BASEketball
You cannot get more unusual than a completely made up sport (hang on Steve, aren’t all sports effectively ‘made up’?). BASEketball, created for this film by Trey Parker & Matt Stone (who also star), is a hybrid of basketball and baseball and by the end you kind of wish it was a real sport.
The South Park creators write a comedy here that satirises top level sport as well as containing plenty of their irreverent humour. While not their best work, it still had plenty of laughs and though not always remembered by everyone, it probably should be.
Can you think of any other unusual sports movies? What did you think of Borg vs McEnroe? Let us know in comments or on social media.