What Fletcher thus does, in conjunction with screenwriters Sean Macaulay and Simon Kelton, is take the Eddie The Eagle story lighter. On the surface, this is a riskier approach than it may first appear. Edwards, after all, was seen at first as a figure of fun in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, where he represented Britain in ski-jumping. Releasing the non-Brit winning novelty single Fly Eddie Fly soon after his return demonstrated the man’s willingness to engage with that fun, too. Fletcher sets the tone of his movie early, as we meet a young Edwards engaged in umpteen pratfalls, declaring his unlikely dream to go to the Olympic Games. We’re soon, though, in the company of older Eddie, played with a delicate touch by Kingsman: The Secret Service’s Taron Egerton. We see that even Eddie’s dad, playing by Keith Allen, thinks he’s wasting his time. But we also get a flavour of the quiet determination of a man who doesn’t fit society’s expectations. Not that Eddie The Eagle really wants to dig that deep into that. For the most part, the film veers away from exploring the array of characters in too much depth. Thus, you get the cipher-like head of the British Winter Olympic selection committee, played by Tim McInnerny. And then the assorted other skiers on the tour are naturally enough sneering at this outsider who they think is making a mockery of their sport. And yet, Eddie The Eagle soars. The reason? The decision to go for a family comedy is a successful one, for a few reasons in particular. Firstly, Eddie The Eagle is a very funny film, with one or two bring the house down moments. It’s never less the entertaining, and consistently works ways to bring a smile to your face, without cheating to do so. Secondly, the core performances of Egerton in particular and Wolverine as well hold the film comfortably well. You can’t help but root for Eddie in Egerton’s hands, with his apparent naivety shielding a steely resolve. Eddie The Eagle really is something of a triumph. It’s a broad British comedy, with a moment at the end that I don’t want to spoil, that I found extraordinarily moving. And, for the second time in my life, I found myself gazing at a screen, imploring this unlikely hero to land on two feet. Fly, Eddie, fly… Eddie The Eagle arrives in UK cinemas on March 28th. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.