awesome sports movie, even if you know nothing about hockey

Rating: 10/10 (6 November 2007)

I just saw it and I loved it. It's just as good as any American sports movie. I've seen quite a few of the latter, like "Teen Wolf" (1985), "Major League" (1989), "Any Given Sunday" (1999), "Miracle" (2004), "Friday Night Lights" (2004), and "Bend It Like Beckham" (2002), though the last one is not Hollywood. And not all of the above are pure sports movies and not really comparable.
Whatever, I've watched a lot of the kind, where you're really rooted to your seat and go for the team, wishing sooo hard that they'll win in the end. It's build up very much like one of those American films, with all these very different characters and the one or two players (bullies) who refuse to fit in at first.
But it's just so good and it pulls you in. Of course not all of the sixteen players (characters) get their due, but you find yourself going for them, hanging at the edge of your seat, crossing your fingers and hoping the director will have mercy with you and the team.
All the actors where overwhelming, I do love seeing Shah Rukh Khan-movies, but I just appreciated how he stood back in this one, being "just" the coach, having no love story for himself, he's just one of the team, really. It's just all about the sport.
I'm so looking forward to see all of the new faces in more movies. There wasn't one character/actress I didn't like. Even if they had somewhat negative roles, they were just awesome. I do hope they'll succeed in "Bollywood".
I can't say anything about the music as my computer broke down and I had to watch the movie on another one without any sound, but even so, I got totally sucked into the story and that means something, considering how much music/sound adds to a movie.
All in all I can just recommend this movie to anyone. I didn't know a thing about hockey, don't really care for the game, not hockey, not ice-hockey. But it's just like with "Lagaan"; I didn't know anything about cricket (still don't know much), but you find you don't have to, you get pulled into the story nonetheless. Thanks to the director and the scriptwriter/screenwriter.
If you get the chance, go and watch it. You won't regret it.