Goon

2012 "Meet Doug, the nicest guy you'll ever fight."
6.8| 1h32m| R| en| More Info
Released: 24 February 2012 Released
Producted By: Myriad Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.goonfilm.com/
Synopsis

Doug Glatt, a slacker who discovers he has a talent for brawling, is approached by a minor league hockey coach and invited to join the team as the "muscle." Despite the fact that Glatt can't skate, his best friend, Pat, convinces him to give it a shot, and Glatt becomes a hero to the team and their fans, until the league's reigning goon becomes threatened by Glatt's success and decides to even the score.

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jtncsmistad With the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs getting under way this week (of 4/10/16), I thought it would be fun to dip into the archives for my review of the 2011 dramedy hockey flick "Goon".Right off the bat (or "stick" in the case of this hockey comedy/drama) I thought that "Goon" was going to be really stupid and that I'd made a big mistake in ordering the DVD. But I decided to give it a chance. And I'm glad I did.This is a flick that could have been a silly and over-the-top throwaway. But thankfully the film makers together with a commendable cast took the story in a whole different direction. And they wound up with a fresh and engaging take on friendship, love and loyalty.Seann William Scott is blissfully ignorant as a man/child with the capacity to become a fearsome enforcer. His character says those bluntly candid things we all would like to if we didn't have a filter. Alison Pill is his too-cute-to-take girlfriend who falls helplessly for the big guy's honestly innocent charm. The seemingly ever-under appreciated Liev Schreiber delivers a memorable turn as an aging hockey thug giving it one last roundhouse swing as he rides the downhill slide to the end of a black-and-blue career. And Jay Baruchel is just flat-out funny and whacked-out as hell as Scott's best friend.Be cautioned, however. The violence is jarring and brutal. But, hey, no one ever confused Pro Hockey with playing patty-cake.This one could have been mindless. The good news is that it not only has a brain, but a big ol' heart to go along with it.
Python Hyena Goon (2011): Dir: Michael Dowse / Cast: Seann William Scott, Liev Schreiber, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, Eugene Levy: Doug "the Thug" Glatt has been a fighter all his life. He is a bouncer, and despite not being the smartest kid on the block, he likes to protect others. His ability is put to great use when a coach witnesses him pound the oblivion out of a hockey player out to attack his gay brother. He is recruited but not as a hockey player, but as a fighter. This is an independent Canadian film addressing the violence in hockey, but its chief problem is its exploiting the issue. The setup has potential before descending to predictable formula and an ending where it is obvious that Glatt will face off for a brutal encounter with rival player Ross "the Boss" Rhea. Director Michael Dowse uses slow motion to capture the extremes of the violence but the screenplay seems to address it as positive. Seann William Scott gives an honest, sound and very amusing portrayal of a guy who only knows his strength but fails to factor in its consequences. He is backed by a parade of cardboard supporting roles that have the mentality of a hockey puck. Liev Schreiber as Rhea is a predictable ice bully whose fate is obvious from the first time Glatt lays eyes on him on TV. Jay Baruchel as Glatt's gay brother is more an annoyance, and Alison Pill as girlfriend Eva who is torn between Glatt and her current boyfriend, deserves better material. Eugene Levy plays Scott's less than enthusiastic father in terms of his choices in life. The message is there but the payoff seems to have been met with a slap shot. Score: 5 ½ / 10
lysergic-acid I'm not much of a sports fan, but I do enjoy the good occasional sports film or documentary, whether it's about football, baseball, snowboarding or hockey.And this is a great sports film --if you're not turned off by excessive amounts of violence, profanity and generally vulgar language.Pardon the crass review summary, but there are indeed a lot of parallels between this film and Forrest Gump:Seann William Scott plays Doug Glatt: a quiet and somewhat innocent protagonist who's not the brightest bulb in the box (especially compared to his physician father and brother) but demonstrates great heart and is endlessly sweet and endearing. His sweetness and generally meek and naive demeanor contrast starkly with the physical prowess he demonstrates as a bar bouncer/back alley enforcer.Our simple-minded hero is dragged out of his dreary, mediocre existence by a chance but dramatic demonstration of his physical talent: a superhumanly thick skull and ability to knock guys out cold without breaking a sweat. He's quickly recruited by a local hockey team and sets off on his athletic adventure.Doug falls head over heels for a flighty bad girl who has some emotional issues tied to self-destructive sexual promiscuity. She wants him but keeps pushing him away and alternating hot and cold because she knows she's bad for him. Yet our romantically naive hero never wavers in his adoration for this troubled hockey groupie.OK, so it's not an exact point-for-point matchup with the multi-Academy-Award-winning 1994 classic. But Goon does have a lot of heart and will surprise those who give it a chance.Obviously, being written by Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg (frequent collaborator with Seth Rogen), Goon is of a different ilk from more "serious" dramedies like Forrest Gump. This film features the same style of man-child pothead humor that has done so well in films like Pineapple Express, Superbad and This is the End. There are tons of memorable lines and gut-busting scenes that keep the energy level of the film high without encroaching on the plot or drama.For a short dramedy that emphasizes the comedy, there's a fair amount of character development as we see Doug grow into his role on the team, discovering what it means to be a "goon" while also helping his girlfriend, Eva, and teammate, Xavier, get over their respective issues.And really that's all the character development you need in a satisfying and life-affirming sports comedy. The main character doesn't need to experience a personal catharsis or undergo a sweeping character arc to touch the audience. And the hilarious supporting characters in the film (notables include the goalie, the best friend, and the Russian brothers) don't need to change in order to deliver compelling and thoroughly entertaining performances that sell the camaraderie between friends and teammates or create a convincing portrayal of hockey culture.This is a very well cast and directed film in which pretty much every character works and adds their own contribution to the movie. Even the more minor roles, like the sportscasters, the donair restaurant owner, Ricky Mabe's character, etc. tie in so well to the feel of the movie and the comedic effect of each scene.Schreiber also delivers an excellent portrayal of the "bad" goon and makes for an excellent antagonist/rival in a genre that often has very cheesy, hammed up "villains." Instead, Ross "the Boss" Rhea is shown as a tragic anti-villain who receives the audience's sympathy as much as he gains their antipathy for brutalizing the protagonists.Overall, this is just a great feel-good sports film with lots of lewd language and hilarious characters. There's certainly drama as you watch the protagonist struggle against the odds in the rink and struggle with life and relationships on and off the ice. But it never gets too heavy and keeps you gripped with its abundant humor and action.
g-bodyl I'm not a hockey fan by any stretch of the imagination, but Goon is a really funny, heart-warming film despite the film being hockey-based. But then again, this is a Canadian movie so a hockey film from Canada is not surprising at all. But the film goes beyond the sport and into the realm of its characters. The film is mostly based off the characters and their relationships with each other. Making friendships and finding love are some common themes here. However, the entertainment level is on full gear as we get some very brutal fights and lots of blood. The film is extremely violent, which may be a turn-off for some people expecting a film like 2004's Miracle.Michael Dowse's film is about a man named Doug Glatt who heralds from an educated family and works as a bouncer at a bar, even though he seems dim-witted to a degree. But at a hockey game, he protects his best friend from a vicious hockey player by knocking him out cold which opens the eyes of the scouts. Despite disapproval from his parents, Doug gets a chance to shine as a enforcer for a minor league hockey team....and one of his rivals is a washed-up enforcer named Ross Rhea.The acting is actually pretty good. Seann William Scott is known for his role as Stifler in the American Pie series, but he does an excellent job playing the complete opposite as the nice, but really dumb Doug. Jay Baruchel is okay as Doug's friend, but maybe tone down his language a bit. Liev Schreiber does a fine job as Rhea. Eugene Levy makes a cameo as Doug's father.Overall, Goon turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It's much more than a sports film as it centers on a rags-to-rich story, which makes it all the better because of Doug's personality. There is enough blood and brawls to satisfy hockey fans or any sports fan in general. I'm not a hockey guy, but I was able to enjoy the film very much so because I pretty much saw the brawls as boxing on ice. It's a good, entertaining film. I rate this film 9/10.