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    Goon

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    adamwatchesmovies@ wrote:

    6

    If you're a hockey fanatic, "Goon" is a fun, although uneven comedy you’ll want to check out. Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott) is a sweet, but dim bouncer with a passion for hockey. After emerging victorious from a fight with a minor league player, he becomes a star enforcer. This catches the eye of notorious goon Ross “The Boss” Rhea (Live Schreiber), currently serving a 20-game suspension. The best aspect of this film is Seann William Scott. He’s often typecast as an offshoot of Stifler from “American Pie”. This film proves that he’s got decent range and can bring the funny without being crude, particularly when he's reluctantly knocking people's teeth out. When you see him clumsily romancing Eva (Alison Pill), a self-described slut with a weakness for hockey players, you wish him the very best. The team Doug has been put on sucks. The players bicker and their star player Xavier Laflamme (Marc-André Grondin) is a mess, but thanks to Doug’s earnestness, you want them to win. Alison Pill as the romantic interest is perfectly cast but underutilized. I would’ve like to have seen more of her and of the other Hamilton Highlanders and less, way, way less of Doug’s best friend, Pat (Jay Baruchel) He's abrasive, mean, needlessly crude and basically unnecessary. In general, the language in this film is a problem. I'm not prudish, but I’ve heard others comment on this and I agree: there’s way too much! @#$ swearing in “Goon”. After a while, you become numb to it, the four-letter words lose all impact and cease to be comedic (assuming they were initially) It becomes unnecessary noise. The vulgarities aren't even well used. If Doug had been from a small town where everyone was clean spoken and this contrasted with the "big leagues" once in Hamilton, that could've worked. As is, it feels like writers Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg decided to insert random profanities throughout to meet a length requirement. “Goon” isn’t nearly as funny as it thinks it is and there are some missed opportunities to talk about violence in hockey. On the upside, there are some nice character dynamics (I enjoyed the one that develops between Xavier and Doug) and I Liev Schreiber is a good villain. The Highlanders’ lack of discipline and Xavier’s disregard for the game are the true obstacles to victory, but behind those is a “final boss” that keeps you invested. I saw "Goon" only after I saw the sequel "The Last of the Enforcers" and I like that film better. I’ll give this one a mild recommendation because it does lead to bigger better things. When you see "Goon", stick around for the end credits, which show footage of the man who inspired the film. (On Blu-ray, September 30, 2017)


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