Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Kirandeep Yoder The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Scott LeBrun Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott, the "American Pie" series) is a slow witted and big hearted kind of guy without much ambition. He toils away as a bouncer in a bar, and it's when he manhandles a player while watching a hockey game that a coach (Nicholas Campbell, 'Da Vinci's Inquest') realizes his great potential for being an "enforcer". Doug is taught just enough hockey skills to get by, and is sent to the Halifax Highlanders, where he's watched over by coach Ronnie Hortense (Kim Coates, 'Sons of Anarchy') and is made to look out for star player Xavier LaFlamme (Marc-Andre Grondin, "C.R.A.Z.Y."). A legendary tough guy of the game, Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber, the "Scream" series) is soon to retire, and he sees Doug as the inheritor to his throne. And nice guy Doug falls in love with a young woman (Alison Pill, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World") who has her own self-esteem issues."Goon" is co-written and co-produced by supporting actor Jay Baruchel ("She's Out of My League") as a comic and yet heartfelt celebration of the violent side of hockey, brought to vivid life with a lot of bloody brutality. Inspired by real-life player Doug Smith (you see footage of him during the end credits), it actually, genuinely cares about its characters, which is appreciated, and gives weight to the saga. It ultimately tells a very familiar misfit makes good formula, and while it may hold no surprises, it's suitably rousing just the same. Moreover, you can tell this was made by people who are actually big fans of the game, and they do get the "feel" just right.Truth be told, the story thread regarding Doug as the black sheep of his family (both his dad (comedy legend Eugene Levy of 'SCTV' fame) and his brother are doctors) IS under-developed. Levy ends up with very little to do in the grand scheme of things. But some viewers may still enjoy how well paced the movie is and how well it cuts to the chase.The whole cast is great, and they add to the good vibes. Scott, in particular, is a standout, showing that there's much more to him than Steve Stifler and Steve Stifler-type roles. Schreiber is amusing as his nemesis, Pill is appealing, and Baruchel is a real live wire as Dougs' best bud. Curt Keilback is quite funny as the announcer for the games.While not exactly memorable in any way, "Goon" gets the blood pumping (and flowing) for a slick hour and a half. Michael Dowse (the "FUBAR" films, "It's All Gone, Pete Tong") directs, with engaging results.Seven out of 10.

sol- Recruited by an ice hockey team, a bouncer discovers that the game is less about scoring goals and more about bashing the life out of his opponents in this sports comedy from Canada. Seann William Scott provides an earnest turn as the protagonist who has no interest in violence beyond defending others and there is a sweet romantic subplot further humanises him. The film is undermined though by focusing on all the fights that Scott gets into on the ice as opposed to the hockey games. All that ice hockey here seems to involve for Canadians is players clashing into one another and beating each other to pulp -- basically, boxing on ice -- and as someone unfamiliar with the sport, it is baffling how all the fights are championed by referees and considered part of the game. If anything like what occurs here happened in a soccer game, it would be an instant red/yellow card! Put more simply, one's mileage with the film may vary depending on one's familiarity with Canadian ice hockey; for a layman though, this is basically just a film about gory fights on ice. It is not particularly funny either with a gay brother and conservative, adoptive Jewish parents coming off as quirky for the sake of it. Sure, the film has some heart with Scott's gradual rise to fame and desire to be considered a real hockey player when he can barely skate, but this is a hard film to recommend to non-ice hockey fans.

Uriah43 Although he may not be the smartest person in the world, "Doug Glatt" (Seann William Scott) is a really nice guy with an incredible skill—he knows how to beat up people. And because of that he earns his living as a bouncer at a nightclub while the rest of his family looks down upon him. Then one day at a hockey game everything changes for him when one of the players decides to go into the stands to beat up his best friend "Pat" (Jay Baruchel). After easily beating the hockey player to a pulp Doug soon lands a job as a top-notch goon for the Halifax Highlanders with a mission to protect the best player on the team by the name of "Xavier LaFlamme" (Marc-André Grondin). Unfortunately, as Doug becomes more popular the spoiled LaFlamme becomes more jealous and insecure. To make matters even worse, the most dominant goon in hockey named "Ross Rhea" (Liev Schreiber) is soon to return from a 20-game suspension and has no interest in sharing his hard-earned reputation with any player from another team. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this movie had the potential of being a true blockbuster but it suffered from one serious flaw in that it had way too much vulgarity throughout the course of the film—and much of it was totally unnecessary. Of course, if this film was intended only for immature audiences then I could possibly understand some of the crass and sophomoric language. But it loses much of its appeal to viewers who are looking for something a bit more wholesome. Again, this film had some real potential. Unfortunately, the director (Michael Dowse) chose to take the low road and for that reason I have rated it a little lower as a result.

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.