Goon

Ice Hockey. A sport that has never really inspired the same reverence in movie history as, say, boxing or American football, but apparently always ripe for a successful comedy. We’ve had ‘Slapshot’, ‘The Mighty Ducks’, and even Russell Crowe took to the ice in comedy flop ‘Mystery, Alaska’. Now there are two more hockey saga’s heading for our screens- Kevin Smith’s final movie ‘Hit Somebody’, and this film, the similarly themed ‘Goon’.

The film stars Seann William Scott as Doug, a nice but dim bar bouncer who isn’t really good at anything except beating people up. Whilst discovered in a fracas at a hockey game, the manager of an ailing minor league team approaches Doug to become their new enforcer, or ‘goon’- a player charged with protecting his more skilful teammates by beating up opponents and acting as a deterrent. At first Doug is rejected by his teammates - particularly their captain, a washed-up former major league star- but his team spirit and unflappable optimism soon inspires the team to winning ways, leading to a showdown with one of the greatest ‘goons’ of all time Ross Rhena (Liev Schreiber).

On the surface, ‘Goon’ shouldn’t work, and if you aren’t a fan of low brow comedies this probably won’t be your cup of tea. However, Jay Baruchel’s hilarious and affectionate script keeps both the plot and jokes simple, making for a thoroughly enjoyable comedy. The character of Doug is almost impossible to dislike- his indestructible optimism in the face of his disapproving father (Eugene Levy), and seemingly everybody else, wins you over in a way you didn’t expect. The fight scenes will also make you cringe, as flying teeth and breaking bones are all zoomed in on.

This likeability is down to a decent, deadpan performance from Scott as his permanent clueless expressions conveys the innocence of the character. He also benefits from terrific support in the shape of writer Baruchel (as Doug’s best friend, and an internet hockey show host) and ‘Scott Pilgrim’ actress Allison Pill (as Doug’s object of affection). Schreiber doesn’t need to do an awful lot to look intimidating, as his deadeye stare and handlebar moustache do most of the job for him, but he makes a creepy and useful ‘villain’.

Check most of your intelligence at the door and have a good laugh as ‘Goon’ delivers comedy at its most basic, yet most effective. Scott could never be accused of mixing it up much in his career (his next project? A return to the ‘American Pie’ series that made him famous), but here he uses his strengths to his advantage. Good, gory fun.