Goon Movie Review

Goon is a movie based on Adam Frattasio and Doug Smith's biography "Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey."

Plot: In this rags to riches story, we see the unlikely rise of nice, soft-spoken Doug Glatt ( Seann William Scott “Stifmeister” or “Stifler” often remembered as a c >> Read More... ) from a barroom bouncer to playing a professional enforcer in an ice hockey team. A not-very-clever, no-passion-for-anything young man from a small Massachusetts town, Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott), decided he wasn't meant to be a doctor like his father (Eugene Levy) or brother (David Paetkau). He was content working for a small pay when one day his physical prowess was put on show at a local hockey game while defending his friend Pat (Jay Baruchel), and this jewel is spotted by coach Rollie Hortense (Nicholas Campbell). He offered Doug a tryout to be an enforcer in his team, and Doug learned basic hockey skills and was selected.

He was then drafted out to Canada to play in Ronnie Hortense's ( Kim Coates Kim F. Coates is an American- Canadian actor who i >> Read More... ) semi-professional team, protecting their star player Xavier LaFlamme (Marc-André Grondin). As he grows in fame, this outcast will have to prove his worth to a lot of people, including his family.

Analysis: The film connects with anybody who doesn't know his place in life, and where he belongs. It is a story told in a way that is both amusing and heart-touching. It is also a great story of friendship and of winning. It is told lightly and makes us warm up to the movie. And it is all this, despite the amount of violence it shows. The theme throughout is sports, of course.

Star performances: Scott plays a great role in the lead as a lovable, gentle giant. Jay Baruchel, actor, and co-writer with Evan Goldberg has done a commendable job with both acting as Pat and writing out one-liners that are particularly hilarious because of the amount of vulgar words put in. Marc-André Grondin, Alison Pill, Liev Schreiber and Kim Coates in supporting roles have little time on-screen despite their significance in the story and so don't leave a mark on the audience despite their quality acting. Michael Dowse as the director has shown violence as good as it gets. Bobby Shore is responsible for the camera, and some of his shots add to the silliness of the movie.

What's there?

1. The comedy pieces are hilarious and spread through the entire movie and will have the audience laughing out loud quite often.

2. Despite being a sports film, one doesn't need to know much about hockey or watch anything previously to understand the sequence of events in Goon.

What's not there?

1. Violence is glorified, but the blood and gore aren't for everybody.

2. Some characters are underused while some others seem a little out-of-place.

3. The plot line is somewhat predictable, and some of the jokes may be too lewd.

Verdict: Overall, the movie is a good watch and isn't restricted to hockey lovers only. Go for it and you'll be pleasantly surprised.