Goon (2011) – Movie Review

Goon (2011) – Movie Review

Fighting in hockey has always been a contentious issue, but Goon arrives in theatres at a particularly controversial time, as the news media has turned its eye on the darker side of the sport. Star players have been sidelined by brutal concussions, and a
disturbing number of former NHL brawlers have committed suicide in the past year. It’s hardly the backdrop for a sports comedy.

For the record, I don’t believe fighting is, or should be, an essential part of the game. But that isn’t an obstacle to the enjoyment of Goon, which is a well-paced and highly amusing film with a surprising sweetness.

That is, however, if you can handle the blood. Director Michael Dowse’s artful splashes of red dropping to the ice in the opening moments serve as a clear warning to both pacifists and the squeamish. Little attempt is made to justify the violence here, but
let’s face it: this movie isn’t going to change anyone’s mind on the issue either way.

Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott) is a simple soul, whiling away his time as a bouncer in small-town Massachusetts, until he gets into a fight in the stands at a hockey game and catches the eye of the local coach. Doug has never even been on skates, but he’s
pretty handy with his fists, and he’s quickly hired as an enforcer in a league where the punch-ups are more of an attraction than the game.

But the coach has a brother with a semi-pro team and a problem. Seasons back, the Halifax Highlanders’ million-dollar centre, Xavier Laflamme (Marc-André Grondin), took a nasty hit from the league’s number one tough guy, Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber). Since
then, the kid has lost his nerve on the ice, and spiralled down into a drug-addled mess. Doug is transferred to the Highlanders in the hope that, if he can protect Laflamme out there, maybe the star can recover his mojo and buy the team a playoff spot. Protection,
of course, means beating the snot out of anyone who even looks at Laflamme the wrong way, and will inevitably involve a confrontation with Ross Rhea.

Goon has clearly been influenced by Slap Shot, the 1977 comedy that set the standard for hockey movies. Both share similar situations, the same anarchic attitude toward violence, and a team full of colourful characters. Goon, however, is clearly focused
on Doug, which makes it a smaller and simpler film.

In this case, though, simple is good. Doug may not be able to hold more than one thought at a time in his brain, but he’s all heart. He’s fiercely proud of finally finding something that people appreciate him for, and is inspirational to more than just his
teammates. His directness and good manners are also used to great comic effect, not only in the games, but in his off-ice pursuit of Eva (Alison Pill), a girl with both a pre-existing boyfriend and a thing for hockey players.

Scott has played more than his share of lovable lunkheads, and this one isn’t much of a stretch for him, but he somehow manages to make Doug seem real, especially in the quieter moments. Schreiber is stuck with the stereotypical fading-athlete-who-isn’t-about-to-roll-over-quietly
character, yet he makes it his own (and that handlebar mustache is awesome). Jay Baruchel (who also co-wrote the script with Evan Goldberg) tries his best as Doug’s foul-mouthed best friend, but nearly wears out his welcome.

Even though Goon doesn’t stray much from the sports movie playbook, there is enough humour and heart here to make you want to see this through to the final period. I may even have shed a tear in the final scenes.

Or maybe that was just a sympathetic drop of blood.

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Posted by Fahad Zafar on Mar 5 2012. Filed under Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry