Goon (2011) Review

I know I've just reviewed another sports movie but hear me out, "Goon" is worth a look. It's a hockey movie, alright, but unlike conventional fare like "The Mighty Ducks" or "Miracle", this one focuses on enforcers beating the crap out of each other.


While we have already seen a similar subject matter in the Paul Newman classic "Slap Shot" as a pitch perfect satire of modern sports exploitation, "Goon" keeps things simple and straightforward. Seann William Scott (or to my generation better known as Stifler or The Stifmeister) plays the simple but kindhearted Doug, a beefed up bouncer who unintentionally gets recruited as an enforcer for the local hockey team. Simple, yet brilliant. Or not. Whatever. It's a sports movie, damn it!

Quite honestly, the more I think about it, the more this storyline resembles a mixture of the Adam Sandler vehicles "Happy Gilmore" and "The Waterboy". Being compared to a Sandler movie is rarely something good but "Goon" manages to get by quite pleasantly. The reason for it to actually be one of the better sports film of recent years is due to the decent performances and the greatly orchestrated fight scenes.

Seann William Scott, who is totally cast against type, gives the protagonist a warmth that one wouldn't expect from somebody who's more known for stuff like that. There's no gross out gags (unless you count bloody fights) or silly Your Mom jokes in here for him, and surprisingly he's doing a decent job nonetheless. Alison Pill as his love interest Eva is also definitely not what you'd expect your average love interest to be in a film like "Goon". Her character is a swearing, drinking and slightly screwed up persona, and it is a refreshing sight in a role that's normally filled out by pretty faced, hollow wannabe actresses. But the true star of the film is Liev Schreiber as legendary enforcer Ross "The Boss" Rhea. While he doesn't have too much actual screentime, his presence can be felt throughout the film, from his introduction before the credits have even rolled until the final encounter between him and Doug, Schreiber is a force of nature. He takes what seems like a one note villain on paper and makes it a charismatic and relatable character.

The script by Jay Baruchel, who also plays Doug's best friend, is nothing out of the extraordinary, he follows the typical three act structure and doesn't offer too many surprises plotwise. Again, what makes "Goon" remarkable lies in the execution by the actors and the outstanding hockey and fight scenes, you can see how much care and effort actually went into this film. That's why it's sad that the death of real life hockey enforcers Derek Boogard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak overshadowed the release of the film and caused the studio to reduce all marketing to a minimum and practically bury the film.

In spite of that I say give "Goon" the chance it deserves, this is a fun movie with surprising edge and a lot of heart to it.