Goon
Goon
R | 24 February 2012 (USA)
Goon Trailers

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.

Reviews
Steineded

How sad is this?

... View More
Smartorhypo

Highly Overrated But Still Good

... View More
Griff Lees

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

... View More
Kien Navarro

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

... View More
patricio-53898

The great thing about Goon is that, when you get right down to it, it's not a sports movie. It's not even really about hockey in the sticks and skates sense of the word. Any fan of hockey can tell you, to great length, about the bizarre and unique position of the Goon, a player with minimal hockey skills, who is utilized solely to defend the more talented players, keep defenders from the opposing team honest, and beat the snot out of someone, should the need arise. It's a niche talent, yet an important one in terms of motivation, spirit, and tone of a hockey team. That's what this movie is about. It's about utilizing the gifts you were given, carving out a place in the world for you and your talents, and the basic human need to belong to something greater, a team, a romantic relationship, a family. The movie goes out of its way to tell you that protagonist Doug "The Thug" Glatt is NOT a hockey player. All Doug wants is to wear a uniform and use his talents to help the people he cares about, and I think we can all relate to that. On a more technical note, the performances of the film are exceptional, particularly those of Seann William Scott, who gives the best performance of his career, for my money, as the simple, kind-hearted Glatt, and Liev Schreiber as another veteran Goon, Ross "The Boss" Rhea, looking to go out swinging. It also features hilarious performances from Jay Baruchel as the wisecracking best friend, and Kim Coates, Kim Coates-ing it up as the coach of Halifax. But what surprised me was how well the movie functions as both a comedy and a surprisingly sweet love story. Long story short, don't let the title of this movie throw you off. Goon is an excellent film.

... View More
TheFunkyBass

Sean Willian Scott is a hockey newcomer in this comedy written and produced by Jay Baruchel. The jokes weren't that funny but you cared for the protagonist and wanted to know how it turned out. The funniest parts of the movie were Jay's character, he should've been in the movie more.Sean Willian Scott was perfectly cast as the nice guy who can beat the sh*t out of you. They didn't waste time introducing the character into the biz. It's really inspiring how much blood and determination Doug puts out on the field when he is playing.The romantic relationship between Doug and Eva felt really unnecessary, I feel like that was the low point of the movie. Though I think letting Eva's ex beat him was the most honorable thing a man can do and I've probably haven't seen in a movie. It really builds the character development of Doug. 7/10

... View More
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.

... View More
JR541

I'd really give this a 6.5 but no half stars allowed. If you're hoping for Seann William Scott to be Steve Stiffler playing hockey then you might be disappointed. Scott's character is an unintelligent, dull but a well meaning and loyal guy. While a lot of this movie is a comedy Scott plays the character straight. There is no "wink" to the audience at all. There is a sweetness to him that makes you pull for him. Liev Schreiber is the "bad guy" who is never really that, in fact you can kind if like him too if he wasn't punching people all the time. Almost wish he had more screen time. It's not quite Slap Shot but still worth a look.

... View More