Darkmatters Film Review - Cool Runnings 2 – Brits ‘N’ Bobs

Cool Runnings 2 – Brits ‘N’ Bobs (unclassified)

Director: some mad English guys (Jason Absalom and Andy Kent)

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“Who will survive – and what will be left of them?”

If you’ve seen the fun Disney film Cool Runnings then you’ll know what the basic premise is for this ‘docu-sequel’ which makes excellent use of its near zero budget.

Cool Runnings 2, also known as ‘release the beast’ tells the tale of two fairly ordinary chaps who for reasons known only to themselves (and perhaps the voices in their heads) decide to embark on a ‘crash’ course in bobsleighing and then enter the British Bobsleigh Championships 2007. So if watching people zooming along icy tracks rings your bells – this just might be your film of the year.

But if you don’t like Bobsleighing then you’ll be able to relate with heroic driver Jason Absalom when he says “I don’t know when I’ve experienced this much pain…” after a rough time on the practice runs where he manages to demonstrate admirably that perhaps rocketing down an ice chute in hollowed out toboggan is a not necessarily as easy as it looks on TV…

Even as someone who has never had more than a passing curiosity in anything Winter Olympic I found myself getting drawn in and actually feeling a little tense by the time of the climactic showdown. The genuinely amusing Fast Show and Little Britain homage skits throughout help break up the footage of men in lycra going stupidly fast down a tube.

There is a pumping soundtrack featuring Leftfield, Chemical Brothers and Faithless over the snowy proceedings which helps keep the pace going.

And as the horrific tale of carnage, brutality and courage unfolds, in the glare of the cameras you’ll feel every bump, jolt and friction burn.

As Jason says "I'd always been pretty mesmerised by Bobsleigh ever since I was a small child, considering it by far the coolest event of the Winter Olympics. However, I'd also always viewed it as completely inaccessible to all but professional athletes and the military. Then we discovered Icerush, so off we went! It was an awesome experience and I'm very glad I did it. Live out your "Cool Runnings" fantasy with Icerush!

God, I miss the Kreisel. That was great fun - WEEEEEEeeeeeee!"

Sure this at heart a glorified home video but it does a decent job of capturing the spirit of this adventure… I’ll leave you with words from the original film: “Our Father, who art in Calgary, Bobsled be thy name. Thy kingdom come, gold medals won, on Earth as it is in Turn Seven. With Liberty and Justice for Jamaica and Haile Selassie. Amen.”


Arbitrary Darkmatters final rating of: öööööö (6 - Good Effort)

Darkmatters quick reference guide: Action 6, Style 6, Babes 3, Comedy 6, Spiritual Enlightenment 3

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