One of the greatest sports movies.

Rating: 8/10 (17 October 1999)

Slapshot is my favorite sports movie for a lot of reasons, but the one that sticks out the most is this: it is not like every other run-of-the-mill sports films. Unlike Major League or Unnecessary Roughness [both of which I like], it isn't about a bunch of misfits who stink but then find the will and way to win. Slapshot is about a bunch of guys who have the talent to win but can't, but eventually find the way. In the first game, we see that Ned Braden is the league's leading scorer. A few guys speak little English, which would add to their troubles. The team had some hope. Yes, it wasn't until the Hansens showed up that the team started to win, but the Hansens brought in a whole new aspect to the movie: to play fairly and lose, or to play the dirtiest hockey ever and win the whole thing? Another thing that makes it great is that its not a pro team, instead its a minor league in some part of America, we don't know where. Another great thing about Slapshot is that the only person you've ever heard of or seen before or after is Paul Newman, who isn't even the most popular character! Newman is excellent as the aging coach/player who wants one more chance before his idiot owner sells the team or puts it into bankruptcy. This is the best hockey movie, [The Might Ducks offer little competition] and is a cult classic that any sports fan will love. There are so many great scenes in the movie, from Newman taunting a goalie by calling his wife a lesbian, to the infamous "the stupid machine ate my quarter!" line, to anything the Hansens do on the ice. This is a great movie that is severely underrated. A true sports classic, I recommend it to everyone.