Hockey club antics great fun

Rating: Null/10 (19 July 2016)

Slapshot from 1977 is one of the best hockey movies ever. It strikes a chord with me because I associate hockey with tremendous skill and excitement as well as respect and community spirit. At heart, Slapshot is about those same values. The storyline is a team's struggle to survive when the closure of a steel mill threatens the existence of the town and its hockey team. The 1970's obsession with goon style hockey offers the players hope that they can use such tactics to save their team and their jobs. The team leader Michael Ontkean and the player-coach Paul Newman are at odds with each other over the strategy. Both have strained relationships with their wives because of hockey. There are Canadian elements with games against Canadian teams and stereotypes of French Canadian hockey players. Paul Newman drinks Canadian Club. The Canuck touches are clearly to draw interest and chuckles from Canadian audiences. I thought the Hanson brothers were great with their thick horn-rimmed glasses and geeky behaviour, who are treated as "retards" but inspire everyone with their skill and enthusiasm. Other touches are the surprise scene at the end by Michael Ontkean. The plaid clothes and hair rugs herald back to 1970's fashions. The whole thing is totally dated but this snapshot movie from the 1970's is part of its charm.