Goon Review

My experiences as a film blogger have taught me many things. That you have to take the good with the bad, for example. That you whilst may never receive any comments on the vast majority of your reviews, any criticism of Michael Bay will result in abuse. And that whilst not a sure thing, the quality of catering at a screening is often directly inverse to the quality of the film. So when I was presented with hotdogs from Bodean’s prior to the press screening of Goon, an alarm bell sounded in my mind.

I need not have worried. Goon, purportedly based on a true story, tells the tale of Doug Glatt (Sean William Scott), a stupid but kindly bouncer who stumbles into minor-league ice hockey due to his ability to give out – and take – a beating; mid-match fighting not only allowed but encouraged in ice hockey. All the hallmarks of a classic sports comedy, laid down in tablets of stone by Will Ferrell, who of course, invented the genre, are present and correct. The plucky underdog side, the feisty love interest, the intimidating rival (embodied here by Liev Schreiber) and the climactic, season defining game that stands between glory and ignominy.

Allow me to make a bold statement: the mark of a good sports comedy film is defined by two factors. Firstly whether its viewers who are not familiar with the game in question can adequately enjoy the narrative and secondly whether its humour is derived at the expense of or independently of its subject matter. Goon is successful of both counts. Despite having little prior knowledge of the sport, I was engrossed by the games – alongside the enjoyably scuzzy look of the film generally, there are also several lovely flowing shots of the game in action, especially when the team’s misfiring talisman Laflamme (Marc-André Grondin) gets his mojo back. The humour is also derived through the characters rather than through cheap shots at the sport.

There’s plenty to enjoy in Goon – the central performances from Jay Baruchel (who co-wrote the script with Evan Goldberg) as Doug’s lewd best friend, Allison Pill as his conflicted love interest, Schrieber as his nemesis/mentor and William Scott himself are all very good. Michael Dowse (It’s All Gone Pete Tong, Take Me Home Tonight and the FUBAR films)’s unfussy direction and the script’s clutch of decent jokes are also commendable. Best of all though, is the general amiability of Doug’s character that is reflected in the overall feel of the film too. There’s a real happy-go-lucky mood in the picture that makes it very easy to enjoy. An example of which would be the relationship between William Scott and Schreiber. Whilst they are ready to beat the living crap out of each other on the rink, they enjoy a quietly-spoken friendship off it.

Goon by no means reinvents the wheel as far as sports comedies are concerned and Doug’s abject stupidity is a little unbelievable at times, but neither of these minor quibbles can derail what is otherwise a very enjoyable and funny little flick. Get your skates on and go see it.