NOTE: This review is spoiler-free.
I knew all along that Goon was going to be a great movie for two reasons:
1. It had a hard time getting a theatrical release in the United States
2. Everyone who saw it made comparisons to Slap Shot.
You might think that any movie that had trouble finding a mainstream release is a bad movie. And in most cases, you would be right.
But I knew Goon would be great because of that. Hockey is a tough sell in the United States. A hockey movie is even a tougher sell, and yet Goon does not sell-out, pander, cater or kowtow to help reach a wider audience. No dumbing down or awkward, “after the fact” edits to make it more commercial.
After watching Goon, you can tell that director Michael Dowse and screenwriters Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg made the picture that they wanted to make: a film that is violent, funny and has a good story. The “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” of hockey movies, one that is truly worthy of Slap Shot comparisons.
Speaking of which, no one would dare compare a bad movie to Slap Shot, except for Universal when releasing a bad Slap Shot sequel. If other fans who have seen both movies say Goon is the Slap Shot for this generation, then Goon must have a lot going for it.
And it does. Continue reading “Movie Review: Goon”