At once both shockingly gory and subtly sweet, Goon is destined to join the ranks of the all-time great hockey movies (an admittedly sparse genre, but one that has yielded Slap Shot, Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice and, um, The Mighty Ducks). Though this may not seem like particularly high praise, rest assured: Goon is good.
Apparently inspired by true events, Goon tells the story of Doug “The Thug” Glatt (Seann William Scott, American Reunion), a bouncer at a dive bar in Orangetown, Mass. A disappointment to his doctor parents, the sweet but slow Glatt and his loudmouth best friend (Jay Baruchel, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice) dream of playing hockey like minor league legend Ross “The Boss” Rhea (Liev Schreiber, Salt).
Glatt gets his chance after a fist fight with a hockey punk goes viral. Despite his complete inability to skate, Glatt is called up to play for the Halifax Highlanders as a “goon” – someone who beats the crap out of opposing players.
And oh, how people get the crap beaten out of them. Goon revels in hockey’s inherent brutality, finding the humor in hyper-violence. The film’s R-rating for “brutal violence” is well deserved. Screenwriters Baruchel and Evan Goldberg (The Green Hornet) and director Michael Dowse (Take Me Home Tonight) know how to frame Glatt’s many on-ice fights in ways that make them range from comedic to heroic; to Glatt and Rhea, fighting is just a way of life, and a missing tooth is a badge of honor.
The bloody fighting would quickly grow stale if it weren’t anchored by Glatt’s endless sweetness. William Scott, best known as the sex-crazed Steve Stifler of the American Pie series, plays wonderfully against type, leaving the fast-talking shtick and sex jokes to Baruchel (who really seems to take infectious delight in saying the foulest things he possibly can).
Instead of his usual bombast, Scott nicely underplays Glatt. Though his performance could hardly be called subtle, he manages to find nuance in the gentle giant. Let the record show that Goon actually makes the case for William Scott as a leading man.
It also makes the case for more hockey movies. Though Baruchel and Goldberg throw in every sports comedy cliche they can muster (Training montages? Check. Off-beat announcer? Yep. Rag-tag group of misfits? Oh, yeah.), the gags never feel old, thanks largely to the freshness of the icy setting.
Hockey is a fast-paced, violent sport often filled with big, violent men – an endless goldmine for comedy and drama alike. Plus, I can only play my Mighty Ducks VHS so many times before it catches fire. So make more hockey movies. Until then, Goon – brutal, charming and funny – is a worthy addition to the sports movie canon.
VERDICT: Bloody but fun, Goon is easily the best hockey comedy since Slap Shot.
diversions@umdbk.com
