Essential viewing for any hockey fan.

Rating: 9/10 (6 January 2019)

Paul Newman, once again working with his "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting" director George Roy Hill, has one of his finest roles here. He's Reggie Dunlop, the fun-loving player / coach of minor league hockey team The Charlestown Chiefs. The outlook for the team is not good; they've been struggling for a while. But after the lively Hanson brothers (bespectacled, goofy Jeff Carlson, Steve Carlson, and David Hanson) join the team, Reggie is inspired, and the team turns their fortunes around by beginning to play dirty.
Considered by many to be the greatest hockey film of all time, "Slap Shot" is not just a must-see for fans of the sport, but also people who love a good comedy and fans of the actors involved. The film does take on a circus-like attitude when the players give in to their more primitive instincts and not only participate in fights, but instigate them. This leads to a lot of great on-ice action, complete with plenty of bone-crunching and face-smashing. Written by Nancy Dowd (whose brother Ned was a technical advisor and plays the much-talked-about character Ogilthorpe), "Slap Shot" is highlighted by a hilariously profane script that allows the cast to throw out all sorts of obscenities.
Adding some gravitas to the story is the "depressed working class town" atmosphere, in which the potential closing of a local mill could spell all sorts of trouble for the team and the citizens.
The actors work together wonderfully: the cheerful Newman, the priceless Strother Martin (Newmans' nemesis in "Cool Hand Luke") as the weaselly manager / P.R. man for the team, Michael Ontkean (as the goal-scorer who won't get with the program and play rough), Jennifer Warren, Lindsay Crouse, Jerry Houser, Andrew Duncan (very funny as the toupee-wearing local announcer), Yvon Barrette, Allan F. Nicholls, Brad Sullivan, Stephen Mendillo, Matthew Cowles, Kathryn Walker, Melinda Dillon, M. Emmet Walsh, Swoosie Kurtz, Christopher Murney, Paul Dooley.
Rough, tough, and rousing, "Slap Shot" is a sure audience-pleaser. It's a classic sports comedy that loses none of its appeal over 40 years later.
Followed by two direct-to-video sequels.
Nine out of 10.