Goon movie poster
B
Our Rating
Goon movie poster

Goon Review

Now available on Blu-ray and DVD (Buy on Amazon)

If a movie review is supposed to pinpoint why a movie is good, this review fails miserably. Overlooked and underappreciated, Goon, starring Seann William Scott, is one of the hidden gems of the year. About a bouncer-turned-hockey player, Goon is an entertaining and lighthearted film that works for no particular reason.

In Goon, Seann William Scott stars as Doug, an admitted idiot who relies on low-level security jobs while his parents and brother find success in the medical field. He finally finds his calling when a junior hockey team recruits him to be an enforcer - despite a lack of skating skills, he knows how to not only take a beating but give one, too. He slowly rises through the ranks, eventually ending up on a semi-pro team to help restore the confidence of a player who has lost his way.

Goon is more a comedy than a drama, though to call it funny would be inaccurate. It has some humorous scenes, but it is neither consistently nor laugh-out-loud funny. Goon is, however, entertaining. Why? I can't quite say.

The hockey scenes are okay but unspectacular, but then again, while Goon is a sports film set among the world of hockey, it isn't a movie about hockey. It is a movie about fighting, and director Michael Dowse delivers some deliciously good fight sequences.

Seann William Scott is, somewhat surprisingly, perfect for the role. He isn't funny in the way that most audiences expect of him - Doug is no Stifler from American Pie or that guy in Role Models - but he delivers a good, lighthearted performance nonetheless.

Still, Goon is more than a good performance and some bloody fight sequences. Why it's more is hard to determine, however. In the end, it's entertaining, and that's all that really matters. How's that for a review?

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.

B
Our Rating