If you had asked me my opinion after the first 15 minutes, I'd have said something north of a 9/10. Unfortunately, the film sagged in the middle and fell into almost every trope imaginable; the stuffy old guard not letting the scrappy up-and-comer in, the disapproving father, the loving and encouraging mother, and the formerly-great-but-now-drunken-and-reluctant coach. The list goes on and on.
That being said, Taron Egerton is fantastic, and the film finishes just as strongly as it opened. Backed by a synth-fueled, very 80s score and a great message about competition, the film reflected the man on which it was based; plucky, uncompromising, and determined.
8.75/10
