A Few Thoughts on "Goon"

It seems like every now and then a sports movie comes along that is created for the illiterate. 2009's Big Fan starred Patton Oswalt as a football fan who in real life knew little about sports. However, the results were enough to win over comedy and sports fans alike in a way not that different from the Sklarbro Country podcast. While it's impossible for comedy fans to totally appreciate the cinema because they don't understand the inside moves, it's easy to get on board with the characters, who often are in someway the prototypes that are familiar no matter what the subject matter is. In Goon, Seann William Scott plays Doug "the Thug" Glatt, a nice guy Canadian hockey player who becomes a notorious star after facing a few fights during a game. With a cast that also features Liev Schrieber, Jay Baruchel, and Allison Pill, this comedy may come across as an uneven, more brutal version of Slap Shot, but does it mean that you have to be a sports fan to enjoy it?

There is one repercussion going into this movie. You have to be ready to watch 90 minutes of people literally getting their teeth knocked out. It's an inevitable cliche that has become an important feature in every hockey comedy. The opening title sequence in which blood pours across the ice should give you enough of a notion to determine whether or not you're going to enjoy the next 90 minutes. 

What makes this movie work is not so much the physical violence as it is the Canadian heritage that is so proudly exploited in every shot. Whether it's Baruchel filming fights at games or Scott apologizing for brutally beating an opponent, there is a sense of sincerity that counterbalances the violence and while at times contradicts the previous scene, works to make the violence seem all that more absurd. With a healthy amount of cursing, these characters feel right out of a Judd Apatow-style movie (co-written by constant collaborators Baruchel and Evan Goldberg), only more bloodthirsty. If anything, the energy and fun that this movie produces will give Kevin Smith's proposed Hit Somebody epic a run for it's money.

It also helps that Scott comes across as a sympathetic, simple-minded individual when he's not on the ice. Whether he's trying to condole Allison Pill's sadness by saying "What's wrong? Did you just watch Rudy?" or just trying to make things right with his teammates, he's a nice guy who is just called upon to violently hurt people. Luckily he strikes a perfect middle ground where it ends up feeling mostly alright.

With all of this said, it's mostly the comedy that works well. The pace is never slow and the ability to create the ridiculous atmosphere around this sport helps to make it an enjoyable film. It's a relief to finally see Baruchel write a script that highlights his Canadian pride in a way that translates well to screen. He's also a notable standout as a juvenile sports show host, whose notable charm is lovingly curse at his callers. 

It's the actual sport that at times seems problematic. For those familiar with hockey, it is possible that the humor of violently beating up opponents can be seen as comedic. For those opposed, it just raises more questions as to why a script with so many interesting characters is forced to dive into these old cliches. While it doesn't tear apart the movie's integrity entirely, this type of violence in hockey movies has been done very well before and Goon provides few interesting updates.However, the final fight between Scott and Schrieber almost makes the rest of it worthwhile.

This isn't really a hilarious movie. While it has numerous interesting characters saying funny lines, it's impossible to totally enjoy this movie because at best some parts feel familiar. Due to it's snappy pace and juvenile humor, it fits well with the tone. It strikes a middle ground of being a tolerable and fun sports comedy in the vein of Big Fan in that it will leave you entertained, but little else. Yet for a hockey comedy, that's really all it needs to succeed.

So while Goon is nothing more than a loving tribute to the Canadian past time, it is a movie that manages to transcend interests barely by making funny characters and Canadian cliches click well together. By playing against type, Scott manages to carry the movie to a satisfying conclusion. Baruchel and Goldberg's script has many moments of wit that only makes one wish that they work on better projects in the future. Until then, we'll have this little entertaining, violent movie called Goon.