a very funny celebration of the often forgotten members on the ice

Rating: 7/10 (7 March 2012)

It is hard to say that the film "Goon" is not enjoyable. Full of lowbrow laughs, ridiculous fight scenes, and sympathetic characters, writers Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg have created a pretty hilarious comedy. On the other hand, they do it in a messy fashion and cover a topic that has become a great concern to much of their target audience.
The film "Goon" stars Seann William Scott in the not-so-ordinary role of sympathetic loser (at least for him anyway). Scott plays Doug Glatt, a bouncer at a bar who is discovered by a low level hockey coach that sees the potential Doug has as a hockey enforcer. Though he isn't a solid skater, has no background in hockey, and is an incredibly nice guy, Doug has the fists of a god and knows how to win a fight. Doug agrees to join the team and soon becomes an enforcer to be reckoned with.
While the story is fairly simple and the character of Doug is extremely lovable, I was surprised to see how poorly the film moved along. While Baruchel is new to writing (he plays Doug's friend Ryan in "Goon" and is known for his roles in "Knocked Up," "Tropic Thunder" and "How to Train Your Dragon") Goldberg has been a co-writer on several huge comedies, such as "Superbad" and "Pineapple Express" (both co-written by Seth Rogen). With a couple huge films like these under his belt, I would expect a little more than what came from "Goon."
The main problem with the story structure is everything seems rushed. Doug goes from a bouncer, to a hockey player that doesn't know how to skate, to an enforcer beating down opponents all in the first fifteen minutes of the film. He falls in love with a girl (played by Alison Pill) and she starts to love him back in two minutes of film time. He moves up to a mid-level hockey team within the first half hour of the film. It seems rushed and poorly planned, even if the happenings in the film are funny.
There are also characters that seem to have no role in the film at all when they should. Doug's parents (his father played by Eugene Levy) and brother seem like they will be an important part of Doug's life, but his parents disapproval doesn't affect Doug. Their absence is sudden and the fact they don't return or learn to accept Doug seems strange, albeit a nice departure from the cliché of sports films.
While all of this was designed rather poorly, there is no denying this movie is funny and that Seann William Scott can even carry the straight role of a comedy. Sure, Scott has his funny moments and his nice guy character has some pretty great quirks, but he is essentially the driving force to keep the movie going, when he usually plays the dumb, loud idiot like Stifler in "American Pie" or Wheeler in "Role Models." Scott plays Doug where we sympathize with him, even if we do laugh at his nice guy attitude and his lack of general understanding for the situations he's in.
While "Goon" is very funny and has you engaged all along, the film will be released at a very interesting time. Much of the target audience for "Goon" is no doubt hockey fans, and the film is coming to them at a time when the subject isn't easily as laughable. With great players like Sidney Crosby suffering from concussion symptoms that threaten their careers and the ongoing long term results from many of these hits and fights we will see in "Goon," the subject matter is not always as easy to find humor in.
The one thing that I kept being reminded of when watching Doug try to make the team and defend his teammates that he has only shortly come to know is the story of Derek Boogaard that appeared in the New York Times late last year. The life of an enforcer in hockey, one where they know they must be ready to put their bodies on the line at all times, is not an easy one; you fight, scratch, and claw; you break bones, bleed, and hurt. But you do it all for your teammates and to continue to do what you love: play hockey.
It is tough being reminded of the hard life of an enforcer in hockey, but "Goon" does make us chuckle and cheer for them. We must remember that the film was not made to mock or make fun of the life of an enforcer, but rather to glorify and praise their work. While we may not want to glorify the hits they give out and what their body goes through (as this has been a major issue in hockey recently), it is an essential part of the sport and a position that means so much to a team.
While hockey movies like "Miracle" and "The Rocket" tell stories of great moments and glory in hockey, films like "Slap Shot" and "Goon" remind us of the gritty side of the sport with a few laughs along the way. And while "Goon" struggles in its story telling and focus, the film succeeds in making us laugh and helps us cheer for the often forgotten hero in the hockey world. It is a funny story that celebrates the life of an enforcer without making light of the violence. In this period of time in the hockey world, it will be interesting to see how "Goon" makes true hockey fans feel. It may be made for some laughs (which will be found), but the film actually will hit home in a different way to fans, even as a comedy.
Read more reviews of Film, TV, and Games at CustodianFilmCritic.com