A Very Pleasing Comedy!

Rating: 9/10 (28 November 2014)

I'm not a hockey fan by any stretch of the imagination, but Goon is a really funny, heart-warming film despite the film being hockey-based. But then again, this is a Canadian movie so a hockey film from Canada is not surprising at all. But the film goes beyond the sport and into the realm of its characters. The film is mostly based off the characters and their relationships with each other. Making friendships and finding love are some common themes here. However, the entertainment level is on full gear as we get some very brutal fights and lots of blood. The film is extremely violent, which may be a turn-off for some people expecting a film like 2004's Miracle.
Michael Dowse's film is about a man named Doug Glatt who heralds from an educated family and works as a bouncer at a bar, even though he seems dim-witted to a degree. But at a hockey game, he protects his best friend from a vicious hockey player by knocking him out cold which opens the eyes of the scouts. Despite disapproval from his parents, Doug gets a chance to shine as a enforcer for a minor league hockey team....and one of his rivals is a washed-up enforcer named Ross Rhea.
The acting is actually pretty good. Seann William Scott is known for his role as Stifler in the American Pie series, but he does an excellent job playing the complete opposite as the nice, but really dumb Doug. Jay Baruchel is okay as Doug's friend, but maybe tone down his language a bit. Liev Schreiber does a fine job as Rhea. Eugene Levy makes a cameo as Doug's father.
Overall, Goon turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It's much more than a sports film as it centers on a rags-to-rich story, which makes it all the better because of Doug's personality. There is enough blood and brawls to satisfy hockey fans or any sports fan in general. I'm not a hockey guy, but I was able to enjoy the film very much so because I pretty much saw the brawls as boxing on ice. It's a good, entertaining film. I rate this film 9/10.