It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film