You don't need to be a sports fan to enjoy this real-life hockey drama. A rousing strength-through-adversity tale, it shows how a team of American underdogs managed to defeat the seemingly invincible Soviet Union side in the 1980 Winter Olympics. The gruelling training and accompanying emotional fallout are compelling, giving the movie a very human core that widens its appeal. Kurt Russell is particularly good as the former player, now unorthodox coach Herb Brooks, really getting under the skin of a relentlessly passionate US sporting hero. But as strong as his performance is, it's the well-shot and convincing action sequences that ultimately steal the show, resulting in a goose bump-inducing climax.

When college coach Herb Brooks is hired to helm the 1980 U.S. men's Olympic hockey team, he brings a unique and brash style to the ice. After assembling a team of hot-headed college all-stars, who are humiliated in an early match, Brooks unites his squad against a common foe: the heavily-favored Soviet team.