Exploitative and Fun

Rating: 9/10 (30 November 2006)

Despite the fact that this movie is made to manipulate us, it's so darn much fun, it doesn't matter. You have a true story with great action scenes, wonderful hockey footage. You have the bad guy Russians and their powerhouse team, you have a group of really attractive American young men, and, finally, best of all, Kurt Russell's wonderful portrayal of the frenetic Herb Brooks. Being a Minnesotan, Mr. Brooks is a real hero around here, dying tragically in a car accident a few years ago. He molded this team and made them more than they should have been. There is a nice interaction among the characters. It's not simply a coach with total insensitivity and a bunch of young men who are going to "show him." He has great affection, but he knows that dreams take hard work, and so he pushes them mercilessly. There is the chess match of picking the right players and personalities and then messing with their minds. He even brings in a former U of M player to make them a little nervous. It helps create the team because this guy hadn't been part of the family. Anyway, the movie is a joy to watch, even though we know the ending. We can use a boost by something like this every so often.